Flagler College Student, Neil Boyle, 21, often feels as if he is a walking zombie at school.
Boyle is part of a growing trend of undergraduate college students who work part-time jobs to help finance their education. Eight out of 10 students work while pursuing an undergraduate degree, according to the National Post Secondary Student Aid Study. Many of these students work hours that infringe upon time that they could be using to focus on success at school.
Boyle works late hours on Sunday night at Reebok in St. Augustine. Some shifts require him to stay on the clock until 12 a.m. He says the next day at school isn't usually productive.
"I'll wake up the next day and find it difficult to get out of bed," Boyle said. "When I finally do get going, my body isn't rested enough and I find that I have trouble focusing and getting things done."
That is just Boyle's routine on Sundays. In many instances, his boss has called him in to work additional hours that he had sanctioned off for school.
"Last semester during midterms, my boss had me working 35 hours a week," Boyle said. "I brought my books to work so I could study but my boss didn't let me. So I ended up doing poorly on my midterms with only two hours of sleep in two days"
Like Boyle, I work 25 or more hours a week, often late hours, during school. So it isn't difficult for me to understand the hardship of balancing school and work. In fact, all too often I find myself struggling to get my school work done while trying to please my employer by simply holding onto my shifts
So the question poses itself: Are college students working too much?
Will Givens, a Flagler College junior, works a job at a local pizza parlor in St. Augustine. He says that its necessary for him to work because he needs to be able to pay for the things that his parents can't cover for him.
"I feel obligated to work because in this economy, I don't want to put an extra burden on my parents," Givens said. "But I need to have money to take care of my food, social life, and of course cigarettes."
A catch-22 situation presents itself to working college students: Either work and sustain oneself as much as possible but let one's school performance suffer. Or, don't work, rely on the parent's ever money producing teet, and focus one's efforts on school. Either way, performance at school will be affected or there will be a money deficiency coupled with the fact that an extra burden may be placed on one's parents.
The next question arrises: What can be done to mend such an issue?
Luke Landes, writer for US News' Consumerism Commentary, believes that careful money management can help college students better balance their lives. In an article titled, "8 Ways to Save Money in College," he suggests that students should try to live off campus.
"Some colleges may not allow this, but while attending those that do, you may find that it costs less to rent an apartment near campus than it costs to pay for on-campus housing," Landes said. "If rent can be shared among a number of roommates, students or their parents can save more money."
Borrowing text books, asking for student discounts whenever possible, and limited credit card use are additional ways that students can use to save money. In terms of holding a job, Landes says, "There will be many decades for working, but only a few years of college."
I will opt to keep my job for now because it helps to keep me away from loans that I will inevitably have to pay off after college. However, some students, like Boyle are forced to take out loans on top of holding a job because it is the only way to financially survive.
"If I don't take out my $7,500 a year loans, not only won't I be able to help my parents pay for tuition, but I would most likely only be able to survive with the most basic needs," Boyle said. "I'm in college, I want more than the basic needs."
Lucky me, having parents that are willing to pay for my tuition with their own money. The least I can do is hold a job so that I can pay for my gas, food, beer and other extracurriculars myself. Will my performance at school be at risk? Yes. Should I probably work less? Yes. However, like many other college students in my position, I need my job.
The final answer to it all? Save money.
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