The Modern Student and Income-Generating Activities
The modern student in a higher education setting nowadays is engaged in either a job or a money-generating activity, claim Geel & Backes-Gellner (2012). The majority of students in higher education institutions are compelled to engage in income-generating activities in order to meet their daily financial necessities. The everyday needs of these students, including their need for transportation, food, and other necessities, must be satisfied, necessitating the existence of additional financial resources. Additionally, there are more senior students than ever before. Most of the working learners are made up of persons in the age group of thirty and above (Carnevale, Smith, Melton & Price, 2015). These groups of learners are either pursuing further education or decided to complete their education. While some of the students are employed in the colleges, others seek employment from other job providers such as restaurants and public institutes among others. Working while learning among students is beneficial since it enables the student supports their needs while learning.
Results and Findings
A college education is not cheap. As disclosed by Rothstein and Rouse (2011), the college tuition fees have been on the rise over the years, as there have been improvements on the quality of education and improved facilities are being established in the higher learning environment. While some can afford the tuition fees of higher learning institutions, a significant number struggles to meet the tuition fees of colleges. Rothstein and Rouse (2011) note that most of the students in college are unable to meet the costs of their learning and rely on subsidies and scholarships to enable them to afford the college education. While most of the students receive subsidized education agreements, others are forced to seek employment to enable them to support their college fees. An increasing number of college students are employed to help them meet the expensive college fees in the higher learning facilities (Pasternark, 2005).
Challenges with College Services
Story, Nanney, and Schwartz (2009) argue that are not only the college fees expensive but also the services provided such as lunch meals at the cafeteria come with additional costs. These services are unavoidable in the campuses and require the students to have sufficient funds to be able to receive them. Meals and drinks are sold at affordable prices in most colleges, but not every student can afford these snack meals. The college institutions have made strides in this area as most of the meals and drinks provided at their cafeterias are subsidized immensely to make them affordable to most of the students (Cohen et al., 2013). As a result, most of the unfortunate student is seeking employment while they are away from school to enable them to cater for such needs. Social issues are also attributed to the increased number of students in the higher learning facilities to be involved in employment while studying. Thomas (2002) explains that the issue of poverty in most families in the society has made it difficult for the students from needy families to support their needs, those of their families and the college needs.
The Rising Costs of Living
The rising costs of living are also influencing more college students to be involved in working while they study. Most of the college students have expenses including but not limited to rent, transport, fees and upkeep expenses, which they are necessary to meet. Pasternak (2005) notes that the economy of most states is improving thus, the standards of living are continually rising. Additionally, there have been improvements in the conditions of life, the quality of food products, and increasing infrastructural upgrades that are adding to the economic rise of most areas. Alternately, the cost of living is becoming higher, and students are forced to have jobs to support themselves. Students in colleges are using their spare time to engage themselves in moneymaking activities to promote their lifestyles while learning (Manthei & Gilmore, 2005). Contrastingly, other students have jobs for purposes of earning extra money to use for their leisure activities such as trips and tours, partying in the clubs, visiting new places among many other interests. An increasing number of students are working to finance their passions and interests (Manthei & Gilmore, 2005).
Gaps in the Study
Most of the studies involving the relationship between students in colleges and the need for an employment offer a narrow scope by focusing on the influences of work among the students while learning without consideration of the effects of employment to the learning of the college students. As disclosed by Kreijns, Kirschner, and Jochems (2003) working while in college, affects the learning process of some of the students in higher learning institutions. The working environment is tedious, time demanding and does not compromise with the needs of the employee. Consequently, the students are unable to meet the demands of the learning environment, as well as satisfy the requirements of the workplace.
Summary
The need to work while in college arises from the lack of sufficient funds to meet the needs of the student. Students are forced to work to be able to support their education, finance their needs as well as provide for their families in some instances. The rising costs of living have perpetuated the situation and made a living in the society quite expensive hence; students are required to work to provide for themselves and meet their daily needs (Geel & Backes-Gellner, 2012). Additionally, the social issues such as poverty require the students to work to sustain their families as well as their education. However, of most concern is the influence of employment of the college students on the learning process that is often not taken into account. Research needs to be done to investigate the effects of working on learning among the college students in higher learning institutions. As beneficial as working is for the student in colleges, there is need to prove its effect on the learning process of the student.
References
Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Melton, M., & Price, E. W. (2015). Learning While Earning. GeorgetownUniversity Center on Education and the Workforce.
Cohen, J. F., Richardson, S., Austin, S. B., Economos, C. D., & Rimm, E. B. (2013). School lunch waste among middle school students: nutrients consumed and costs. American journal of preventive medicine, 44(2), 114-121.
Geel, R., & Backes‐Gellner, U. (2012). Earning while learning: When and how student employment is beneficial. Labour, 26(3), 313-340.
Kreijns, K., Kirschner, P. A., & Jochems, W. (2003). Identifying the pitfalls for social interaction in computer-supported collaborative learning environments: a review of the research. Computers in human behavior, 19(3), 335-353.
Manthei, R. J., & Gilmore, A. (2005). The effect of paid employment on university students’ lives. Education+ Training, 47(3), 202-215.
Pasternak, R. (2005). Choice of institutions of higher education and academic expectations: the impact of cost-benefit factors. Teaching in Higher Education, 10(2), 189-201.
Rothstein, J., & Rouse, C. E. (2011). Constrained after college: Student loans and early-career occupational choices. Journal of Public Economics, 95(1), 149-163.
Story, M., Nanney, M. S., & Schwartz, M. B. (2009). Schools and obesity prevention: creating school environments and policies to promote healthy eating and physical activity. The Milbank Quarterly, 87(1), 71-100.
Thomas, L. (2002). Student retention in higher education: the role of institutional habitus. Journal of Education Policy, 17(4), 423-442.
