Paid employment is an activity carried out by most university students in order to provide an income for them to take care of their needs while in school. However, engagement in paid employment has brought several impacts on university students, both by affecting their performance in school and their experience at the university. The impact that paid employment on university students, therefore, raises concern where involvement of other parties like teachers and the education of the students are involved. This essay argues that while paid employment is vital in the lives of university students, they undergo certain benefits and challenges in the process. This essay focuses on the impacts of the paid employment on their experience and their performance (Applegate & Daly, 2011).
Paid employment requires commitment and dedication. This has resulted to a disengagement of students from their work because of inability to spend enough time for their studies. The necessity to engage in paid employment normally results from the increased growth of students with family commitments. Most have people depending on them and, therefore, have to look for employment to supplement their needs. Most are mature students who have left their jobs or are on study leaves for a specified period. They are, therefore, required by their employers to report working at agreed times. Thus, they have to balance between studies and employment (American College Personnel Association, 2001).
Excessive duties at work overwhelm other students, not giving them enough time to study or attend lessons. Studies according to Bailey, (2004), reveal that another affected group is the poor who have no one to support them. For the desire to get education; however, they need to seek jobs. The number of hours put in work depends on the amount of money one wishes to make, and the specifications brought about by their employers. Research according to Applegate & Daly (2011), states that over 90 % of university students work for more than 11 hour per week, meaning they spend much less time on their studies (Applegate & Daly, 2011).
According to a research carried out at the University of Canberra, the time spent engaging in paid jobs have resulted to the realization of lower academic grades. This is because they study inconsistently during the semester. There is observation of several students who appear in the university mostly in times of assessment tests and exams. They, therefore, appear in the exam room, not having enough knowledge because they have missed the lessons. This then results to poor performance (Applegate & Daly, 2011). At some point, they even anticipate differing from their studies because they think they may not successfully complete their studies. Incase they spend time studying and attending a few classes, mostly their minds are at work because of the bills they know they are supposed to take care of. This, therefore, results to limited concentration, which eventually leads to reduced performance. Though paid employment leads to such negative implications, there are some positive impacts that may result from the same (Applegate & Daly, 2011).
The experience university students get from paid employment makes it feasible for them to expand on other skills of organization. This results from the possibility of exposing an individual to various environments. A study conducted at the Austrian university reveals that the students, who spend time at work environments, do not perform poorly because of lack of adequate time for reading. The study reveals that, these students are encouraged by the people they meet in the work environments. When they interact with managers for instance that at times be come their role models. Each of them longs to be in their position and thus is encouraged to work harder. The conflict, however, comes in through conflicts brought about by differences in time because the time to spend at works some time conflicts with time to spend at in college (DeSimone, 2008).
Paid employment affects students positively with regard to their academic performance. For instance, a research by Applegate & Daly (2011), argues that students, while in the work environment know how to organize their work, and ensure they deliver their assigned task. Thus, when assigning duties to students such as assignments, they are able to apply the learnt skills like paper use of time. Therefore, they are able to give their assignments in time. Other students not exposed to such conditions procrastinate a lot and are normally late in handing in their assignments. This is because of lack of exposure to what goes on in the work environment to enable them to learn more.
In addition, when students go through processes of training once in the job environment, they are able to gain some skills and other facts. This process be comes advantageous because these students may relate this to their class work. In one works in an auditing firm for instance, teaching an individual how to balance an account. If, they happen to be in an accounting class, they may have such skills prior. When the teacher teaches them, they are able to apply the practical work learnt at work, which makes them perform better. For one who works in a public relations company, they will be able to gain skills of communication at work, making their understanding better. For instance, they will listen to their teachers attentively, as they inquire on what they have not understood. This enables them to have a better understanding, which facilitates better performance in class (Applegate & Daly, 2011).
In contrast, however, Applegate & Daly (2011) suggest that if students work for low hours they will have their grades improve. Devoting more hours at work; however, leads to spending much time on working thus leads to low grades. Students should balance their time at work with that which they spend in their class work. Once this is achieved, they are able to realize quality performance, as well as improvement in their financial statuses because both the two are essential. They will perform well through applying the practical skills learnt at work and pay up their bills, as well (Applegate & Daly, 2011).
In conclusion, although university students suffer negatively from paid employment that affects their studies causing them to perform poorly, other positive outcomes come. The skills gained at the work environment assist students to be good organizers. This allows ability to organize the points clearly when being taught in class. They organize their points well and are able to revise them properly during the exam time, therefore, performing better. However, due to the need to supplement other needs that students require while, in school, it is inevitable to undergo the consequences that come as a result (Watanabe, 2005).
Reference
American College Personnel Association. (2001). Journal of college student development, Volume 42, Issues 1-3. Michigan: American College Personnel Association.
Applegate, C & Daly, A. (2011). The Impact of Paid Work on the Academic Performance of students: a case study from the University of Canberra. London: University of Canberra.
Bailey, T, et al. (2004). Working knowledge: work-based learning and education reform. New York: Rutledge.
DeSimone, J. (2008). The impact of employment during school on college student academic performance. Cambridge: National bureau of economic research. NBER working paper series. Retrieved from http://www.nber.org/papers/w14006 on 2nd May 2011.
Watanabe, L. (2005). The Effects of College Student Employment on Academic Achievement. Journal of undergraduate research. London: the University of Central Florida, Vol. 1: 38–47. Retrieved from www.URJ.ucf.edu on 2nd May 2011.
