Part-Time Work Affecting Full-Time Students

Now that the new school season is in full swing, many post-secondary education students are finding out the hard way that balancing the school curriculum with their jobs is quite difficult. Of course, many students have to work part-time jobs in order to pay for their school fees. With tuition and supplies being mandatory expenses, some students can’t do without a part-time job.

The problem with this situation, however, is that a student’s on-the-job time takes away from critical study time. Often, a student’s inability to designate enough time for studying while they also work a part-time job can negatively affect his or her grades. Earlier today, the QMI Agency released a report confirming that, unfortunately, this is generally the case with working students.

According to the report, a new poll of university faculty and librarians confirmed that students who work part-time while they are in school have a harder time managing strong academic achievements. Looking at Ontario students specifically, the study found that 64 per cent of those polled believe that part-time jobs do, in fact, hinder a student’s grades.

In addition, 33 per cent of those polled felt that more students are working outside of the classroom compared to a year ago. Evidently, there is an increasing number of Ontario students who are looking for ways to afford their school fees. Not all of them, apparently, can simply rely on student loans and help from their families to pay for school.

Carleton University professor and president of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), Mark Langer had this to say: “Many need to work during the school year to meet the rising costs of their education, but that paid work is often a barrier to their progress and achievement.”

QMI goes on to note that 41 per cent of the 1,400 poll respondents feel that universities should be offering remedial programs to their student bodies. In addition, 23 per cent of those polled feel that remedial programs should actually be mandatory for students in their first year of post-secondary schooling.

Added Langer: “We expect our students to pay for a larger share of their education, engage in more paid work, attend larger classes, have less interaction with faculty and pursue remedial courses on top of their regular studies to succeed in a demanding university curriculum. This is a recipe for disaster.”

It seems as if the most important lesson being learned by college and university students in Ontario is how to manage their time between part-time jobs and classes. Finding jobs to pay for these classes, in fact, may be an even harder task to complete. The most difficult part of the school year, however, may just be maintaining those good grades while meeting the requirements of their employers once those jobs are found.