The Work-Study Dilemma among College Students Essay Sample
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The Work-Study Dilemma among College Students
Going to college is a lifetime opportunity that will define the future careers of students. Every learner dream of succeeding in their courses, getting good grades and finally graduating. After graduation, they hope to get a job, repay their loans, and financially support their families. However, students face challenges such as lack of school fees, peer pressure, limited finances, and tight academic calendars (Stewart and Madisonville 13). Consequently, most students often graduate late, obtain dismal grades, and become depressed. Among the problems listed above, this essay focuses on the issue of work-study. Perhaps because they need more money, most students increasingly prefer to work part-time jobs even as they study. While the strategy enables them to pay their bills and live comfortably, it strains their studies. Unless students have the right balance between work and education, they can comprise their grades. This paper proposes three solutions to the problem, namely setting priorities, deferring studies, and effective time management. While these solutions may not be easy to actualize, students who follow them prudently can boast good grades and solve some financial problems.
By setting priorities right, students can decide whether they need a part-time job or not. Often, some students fail to manage their finances well enough. Perhaps if they can write down a budget and spend wisely, their money can last them till the end of the semester. In other words, such students will not need to look for alternative sources of income. Research suggests that most students are poor financial planners (Easton-Brooks 25). They prioritize electronics, fashion, and entertainment, habits that waste their money. Students who lack financial discipline can attend low-cost financial planning classes to gain useful tips on budgeting and saving money. The goal of this strategy is to enable students to manage their money appropriately; they do not have to seek work.
Deferring study until the student is financially stable is another viable solution. While calling off a semester means the student will graduate late, it can help them to earn enough money to enable them to complete the remainder of their education. The strategy assumes that the learner will be saving most of the funds (Stewart and Madisonville 41). The approach has been useful to most students in the United States. During the six months or so that they decide to work fully, they can earn up to 300 dollars. They can choose to commit maybe 100 dollars to savings every week. After six months, they will have enough money to last them till they complete school (Jack n.p). However, they still have to observe financial discipline so that their effort will be in vain.
Time management, while on campus, implies that financially challenged students can both work and study. All they have to do is to allocate their studies enough time by having a realistic timetable (Easton-Brooks 31). For example, if they work 8 hours a day, they have another 16 hours. They can use 6 hours for sleep, 6 hours for schoolwork, and the remaining two hours for intensive studies. By revising on time and knowing the expectations of their lecturers, the work-study students can still excel in school just as their counterparts who learn full-time. Like the other two solutions, students need discipline and commitment to balance work and study.
Overall, most low-income students are torn between working and studying. While completing school on time is a priority for many learners, harsh economic realities often hamper them. As a result, some learners opt for work-study programs. However, it is also important to note that some students are just poor financial planners. Therefore, to resolve the work-study dilemma, students can manage their time well, defer some semesters and work, or spend wisely.
Works Cited
Easton-Brooks, Donald. Ethnic Matching: Academic Success of Students of Color. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2019.
Jack, Anthony Abraham. "I Was a Low-Income College Student. Classes Weren't the Hard Part." The New York Times, 10th September 2019.
Stewart, Irene, and Aaron Maisonville. "Successful students understand their finances." A Guide for Successful Students (2019).
