More college students today are battling not only with academic work, but also with jobs through their college career.
Out of 96 students randomly polled, 19 do not work, 56 have one job, 18 have two jobs and three have three jobs.
The students without jobs said they chose not to have one because they need time to concentrate on schoolwork, work only in the summertime and take many hours in school. The students with jobs said they work primarily to pay bills, to pay for school and to have extra spending money, among other reasons.
“I love to work, but sometimes work affects my studies,” Danielle Calloway, freshman from Houma, said.
Judy Daniels, dean of student life, said job experience gives students the ability to work with other people, plan, organize and compete upon graduation.
“Personally, as dean of student life, I would encourage every student to provide himself or herself with an opportunity outside the classroom,” Daniels said. “I think the advantages of students who have jobs are very significant; it allows for fuller development as a student and gives experience that you can put on a rsum.”
Daniels said the only disadvantages to attending college and having a job is that students sometimes overextend themselves.
“The first sign that students have overextended themselves with school and work is an increase in absences.” Daniels said. “Once the student starts missing classes, the grades begin to fall.”
She said there is no perfect number of work hours for all students, because some students can handle many work hours while others may need a more flexible schedule that would allow them to focus on academics first.
“In my opinion 20 hours a week is the maximum number of hours that I would recommend to a full time student,” Daniels said. “I would say that if you have below 20 hours of work per week, you would have sufficient time for studies and work and also have time to devote to something that would interest you. But of course there are exceptions of students who must work more hours a week or work less hours a week.”
Michele Caruso, director of the university counseling center, said students who have a full time load of courses and have a job must learn to practice efficient time management.
“Time management is one of the biggest issues students with jobs must face,” Caruso said. “Some students complain of lack of sleep and less study and social time which all relate back to time management. Students are not making as effective use of their time as they think.”
Caruso said the positive effects of being enrolled in school and having a job are that students are able to learn how to juggle multiple tasks and gain a sense of responsibility to prepare them for a career. She said the negative effects of having a job are extra stress, more responsibility and less time to spend with the family.
“Students need to evaluate if the number of work hours is realistic to the number of hours they are carrying in school,” Caruso said. “If a student can find a balance and a realistic practice of wellness, then having a job and attending school can be done. The University Counseling Center is always available to help students develop a plan and will help students address any issues.”
The majority of the students polled work on campus and said their work sometimes interferes with their studies. The majority of students also said they like their jobs and are involved in extra-curricular activities on campus.
The majority of students polled are working 10 to 20 hours a week and carrying 10 to 15 hours of courses
Daniels’ advice to working freshmen is to pay attention in the freshmen studies class and use the techniques taught in those classes. She said one of the reasons all freshmen are required to take this class is to evaluate their lives, needs, interests and abilities, look at those factors and develop a plan for success in the University setting.
Daniels said upperclassmen should be aware of the many services on campus to help with their needs such as financial aid, the counseling center and University health services. She said students should go into the job market knowing how many work hours a week he or she can handle and be ready to negotiate a work schedule with an employer.
“I’ve learned that working 30 hours a week and taking 18 hours of school can be done if you can manage your time correctly,” said Lacy Trahan, freshman from Houma, said.