Carrie Taylor, 19, a biology junior from Brighton, Tennessee, works part time while juggling 14 hours of chemistry, psychology and biology courses at the University of Memphis.
Working in college has helped Taylor to develop better time management skills and helped to discover limitations, Taylor said.
“I have learned how much I can really handle,” Taylor said. “School is more important to me, so I have learned how to balancemy work, class, homework and free time.”
Apparently, other students like Taylor who work while attending college also develop better habits and work skills and make better connections, according to a new study from Georgetown University’s Center for Education and the Workplace.
The study, “Learning While Earning: The New Normal,” said about 70 to 80 percent of college students work, either full or part time, while enrolled in some form of college courses. Many of these students handle almost full-time jobs, according to the study.
More specifically, about 40 percent of undergraduates and 76 percent of graduate students work at least 30 hours a week.
Aaron Willet, 22, a business management senior from Coatesville, Pennsylvania, works at Perkins and the ITS service desk on campus.
He also sprints for the university’s track and field team while taking 18 hours of courses. Working in these kinds of jobs helps with multitasking, people skills and quick learning, Willet said.
“Some nights I work from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.,” Willet said. “The next morning, I will work from 7 to 11 a.m. and go to class from 11:20 a.m. to 2:25 p.m. Then I have track practice from 3 to 5 p.m. I go back to work from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.”
Willet said he is not working his way through college, but he wants to be able to afford extras, like tattoos, trips and gifts.
“I get a grant that covers room and board, but that’s literally it,” Willet said. “No food, no extra stuff. So I work a ton to kind of live in luxury. I want to be better than okay. I want to say I work because I want to live lavishly, but really, I work to pay bills and be okay. I want to not have to worry about anything.”
Kenzie Burgess, 19, a child development freshman from Atoka, Tennessee, said working while in college has helped define her career path.
“I work with kids every day, so that has helped me figure out that I want my major to be in child development,” Burgess said. “Plus, my job connected me with encouraging coworkers who help me through a lot.”
Students working in college need to work for a modest number of hours to avoid stress and to keep academic goals.
“It depends on how many hours the student is working, as well as whether the student is organized with good time management skills,” said Pamela Cogdal, a clinical coordinator of Clinical Mental Health Counseling Practice in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Research and an expert in career development. “It can be a positive experience if the student has good self-care techniques.”
