Balancing Life, Work and Studying in Student's Life

Students engaging in part time work while studying is becoming increasingly common. A study conducted by Lucas & Lammont 1998, found that students who work part time could develop skills such a teamwork, communication, customer care and practical skills. “Work-Life Balance does not mean an equal balance. Trying to schedule an equal number of hours for each of your various work and personal activities is usually unrewarding and unrealistic. Life is and should be more fluid than that” (Bird 2003).

Balancing Studying And Working

Working part time while studying can have major impacts on students. Working part time leaves less desired time to study ( Manthei and Gilmore, 2005). Researchers Jogarathnam and Buchanan (2004) found that students who are working part time while in full time education are more likely to suffer from stress. While Hovdhaugen (2015), found balancing studying and working can have a destructive effect in the physical and mental health of working students and it can also have a negative impact on their academic performance. It is believed that working students are more likely to miss lectures and achieve lower grades than students who do not work (Curtis and Shani, 2002). An impressive study was conducted by IReach Insights in April 2019. The study consisted of 445 college students in Ireland. This study found that 55 percent of students were skipping class to go to work. This figure has increased by 22 percent since 2017.

Financial Difficulties Encountered By Students

In an ideal world a student will be just that, with no pressure to pay their way through third level education. However, studying full time is expensive and often falls on the parents of the student to carry that burden. The averages cost of college fees €3,000 per year, this does not include the cost of transport, accommodation, books, printing, etc. One of the most recent rising costs currently in Ireland is rent. In Athlone, traditionally a student friendly city, rent is estimated to be between €300- €500 per month and in Dublin, average rent for a student is estimated to be around €600 - €1500. At the time, of writing this figure is only increasing. An Irish Independent survey has revealed rent increases of up to 11.5pc year on year for university-owned and on-campus accommodation. This in many ways forces students’ hands and means they often have no choice but to work despite the fact they are also studying. Barron and Anastasiadou (2009) conducted a study which consisted of 232 students. Out of the 232 students, 150 have part time employment. It was found that 60 percent of students worked part time due to financial reasons. In the survey conducted by I Reach Insights which comprised of 445 students found that 74% of students have part time employment to cope with financial stress. This research also showed that 58 percent said financial or debt-related worries were having a negative impact on their experience at third level education. As well as struggling with high rent rates, student face difficulties in the workforce such as low wages, reduction in employee benefits and employers taking advantage of students expecting long and flexible working hours. A lot of students would work part time in places such as restaurants, pubs and hotels. These service industries view students as attractive candidates as students can work flexible hours, paid less wages and brings many good qualities to their workplace such as quickness to learn, willingness to train and good communication skills (Barron and Anastasiadou, 2009). An interview-based research in the UK was conducted, it consisted of 30 students. The research found that 93 percent of students felt the main reason they partake in part time work, was to reduce the risk of financial difficulties e.g. debt (Evans, Gbadamosi and Richardson, 2014).

Advantaged Of Working Part Time And Studying

Impact of Social Life

Socialising is a very important aspect of a any person’s life. Humans have evolved to be social animals and removing the social aspect from a person’s life can result in serious deprecation of one’s mental health [reference]. It is important to note that someone does not have to be alone to be lonely, and while it may be strange to suggest that working and studying can result in loneliness, it is not unheard [reference if you can]. If a person is studying all week and then working during the weekend, particularly if it is a job that does not require social interaction then a person could find themselves lonely very quickly. Socialising with friends made at college has many benefits but they can only be achieved if the student actually has time to socialise. An impressive study conducted by Barron and Anastasiadou, 2009 found that a working student can spend up to 30 hours working part time per week. Couple this with the 40 hours that they are scheduled to be studying, then we find that there is little time to socialise. It can, therefore, be dangerous for a person’s mental health if they find that they have no time to pursue hobbies and make friends outside of working and studying. A study conducted by Gloadamosi (2014) consisting of 92 students found that students didn’t have any personal time and there days consisted of college/study/work. Students who are in full time education and working part time tend to take on too many roles. Role stress theory suggest that individuals who take on too many roles can be harmful to their health and wellbeing (Home, 1998, cited in Fluehr, 2013). A study conducted in 2009 found that women who participated in too many rolls experiences mental health issues. (Glynn, Forte, and Cohen, 2009, cited in Fluehr, 2013). There can be conflict between the resources and time they have which results in high stress levels which can eventually lead to mental health issues (Rothbard, 2001, cited in Fluehr, 2013). A study by Ward (2005), found that practice placements were “quite demanding and potentially stressful” for students (Ward, 2005).