Work Hours Added to More Students' "To Do" Lists

NEWS

It's not just students at community colleges that work full-time while attending classes. More and more four-year college students are trying to fit full-time or 21-30 hour work week schedules into their lists of "To Do's."

This can impact student engagement on campus – from participation in student organizations to study groups to social events. And academics sometimes take the back burner, too, as students try to earn extra cash and not rely as much on loans.

College officials recommend striking a balance and also looking for jobs that provide work experience. Working a part-time job can help students do better academically, as juggling responsibilities often helps them make smarter use of their time.

Read more about how students are handling their work lives while staying in school here:
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,640198849,00.html

VIEWS

• Have you and your student discussed working expectations/needs for the upcoming semester? Work-study may already be part of her financial aid package. Or perhaps she has another campus job already lined up. If not, consider talking about it now so that you and your student are on the same page.
  
  
• Sometimes students believe they can work a great deal while also handling a college academic load. If they are new to college, it's important to help them realize that college academics are not the same as high school academics. More self-responsibility and out-of-class study time is required. They'll need time to work on group projects. And, depending on their major, they'll need to spend time in the lab, design studio, etc. Help them be realistic about their academic load and how it can co-exist with work responsibilities.