Ashley Ingle
Mrs. Armstrong
English 1301
9, Dec 2013
Part-time students vs. Full-time
The number of students attending college part-time seems to be rising more and more each year. Most students are more than likely to work while in college. Students attending college part-time has increased more than 10 percent within the last 30 years. Most students who are attending college have to get a job to support themselves along the way. Many of them believe that if they have a job while in college, they will have an even better job once they graduate and receive their bachelors or even master’s degree. Students that are attending college while working a part-time job like to think of their selves as young adults. They are trying to do everything they can to pay the bills and get themselves back and forth to school and work. Students who attend a community college tend to work more hours per week than students who attend a University. Most part-time students only make minimum wage due to the fact that most of their time is being occupied by going to class and studying. It is proven that “effects of working while in college varies by the type of job held and its relation to the academic environment”. (Working in college, 8) Part-time student employment has many advantages. It is a fact that students that are in class more than they are at work have higher GPAs than those who work more than they are in class. Professors believe that students who work part-time are have more performance than those who work full-time.
Full-time employment can “impair student performance”. (Learning and Earning, 18) The more you work while attending college the more negative effect it has on you and your studies. The more you work the less time you have to attend class and limits the number of hours and classes you can take in college. Students who work full-time and try to fit classes into their schedule, tend to drop out because they don’t have enough time to do both. Full-time workers and students are more likely to drop out and never receive a college degree due to working too much. Many students who want to make a little extra money but also wants to stay in school, typically get an on-campus job. On-campus jobs have many positive influences on student enactments. It is vague whether a part-time job has a huge or minor effect on college students. But it is clear that if you graduate college rather than dropping out, it will make an immense impact on your life once you’re older. Students who graduate college are more likely to earn more than those who drop out. Dropping out or even reducing hours also reduces a “students annual earnings during the school year”. (27). Students who work full-time have more of a negative effect than students who work part-time. For example, students who work full-time have a harder time enrolling and finishing classes. Research proves that “it may be prudent to find other ways of financing college so students can complete their degrees, maintain their academic performance levels, and thereby reap the long term benefits of a college education”. (39)
Since 2000, part-time students have made up the majority of college graduates. According to the department of education “part-timers represented about 55 percent of the total graduate-student population”. (63). Studies prove that work and go to school are more self-reliant and gain better time management skills than students who do not work or go to school. Part-time jobs can have a positive effect on your future. It provides you with training and even experience. Research proves that “working teaches students about responsibility and can also reinforce what they are learning in school”. (74). Working is one of the many reasons why most students drop out of college. But for the most part student employment will always be a positive experience. Many College students gain experience and knowledge from their jobs. Some of this knowledge might even help the student in the classroom. On-campus jobs build relationships to the student’s professors and even the community. Having an on-campus job is a big reason why many college students stay in school. Negative effects start rising when you start working full-time. If you have a full-time job, you don’t have any time to study. Less studying leads to lower grades and less opportunities to get into higher classes. Working full-time donates to students dropping out of classes or finishing college when they have more time.
As of today, more than half of college students have part- time jobs. Most students don’t have jobs just because they want too. Students typically get these part-time jobs to help out their parents so they do not end up in a financial struggle. Working while in college might seem useless at first, but it has a beneficial effect the long run. Student employment builds discipline and teaches students to have a strong work ethic. Evidence proves that the accomplishments students make in college, depend on how much a student works and what type of job she has. Work has become increasingly common within college students. Research suggests that “such work may not be harmful, and may even be helpful for undergraduates if it is limited”. (198). For example, part-time on-campus work does not have a negative effect on students' enrollment rates or GPAs, it might even have a positive effect. Students have agreed that limited work has a positive effect when it comes to college and classes.Students who work Full-time, on the other hand, come across many negative effects when it comes to student enrollment rates and academic performance. It is therefore a fact that full-time work among full-time college students has and will keep rising over the years. For these students, the research suggests that, if possible, students try to stick with limited working hours or try to have an on-campus job so students can keep up with their studies and classes. The more studying a student does, the sooner he will graduate and can become a full-time worker with no distractions.

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