Photo by: Claire Pelley
For many college students, the concept of “work” simply means doing assigned homework for courses they are taking. However, for other students “work” means just that: a paying job before, after and sometimes even in-between classes. Then homework.
It’s hard to tell just how many students at the University of Denver consider work to be more than essays and exams. While it would be difficult to keep track of all the DU students who hold off-campus jobs, the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics found that, in 2005, about 42 percent of full-time students at private four-year colleges nationwide had jobs outside of school.
While an extra income is necessary for some students to pay the estimated $45,408 cost of attending DU, being an employee as well as a full-time student certainly has its consequences.
Some of those consequences are positive, and students find they can benefit from working in college. Besides the obvious advantage of earning money to pay for tuition and other college expenses, having a job also offers an opportunity to build a résumé and fine-tune time management skills.
Nicole Wong, 20, a junior who works 15 hours a week in a government job to help pay for college, has become adept at managing her time. Not only does she work a 9-5 on Friday, but she goes back and forth to her Denver Tech Center office in between classes as well.
“It’s made me plan better. I know that I have to get my homework done at night because I won’t have free time during the day,” Wong explained, “If I weren’t working I think I’d be just as tired.”
However, trying to juggle a full course load as well as a job can also be stressful for students who may find themselves with too much to do. Many working students find that their jobs cut into time for academics and friends.
“There are positives and negatives [to having a job],” said Javier Ogaz, 19, a junior who works to help pay his tuition. Ogaz works 16 to 20 hours each weekend at the Apple store in Park Meadows in addition to being a Johnson-McFarlane Hall resident assistant.
“It’s a good experience, but I never have a minute to just sit down,” Ogaz said.
Because of the potential strain on a student’s academic achievement, the DU Office of Student Employment recommends that students with off-campus jobs work no more than 20 hours per week.
Work-study positions also rarely require a student to work more than 20 hours each week, and students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA in order to continue receiving the federal work-study stipend. The Office of Financial Aid estimates that about 450 DU students received a work-study award last year, and hope that number will increase this academic year.
However, if the U.S. Department of Education statistics are applicable to the DU campus, a majority of students don’t have to worry about balancing a job with their academics. Oftentimes, this luxury allows students more free time to become involved in campus activities.
Caroline Hoberecht, 18, a freshman, is one such student who doesn’t need to work through college. “My parents pay for tuition,” said Hoberecht, “but I do a lot of other things during school. I’m involved in figure skating, which I do almost every day.”
“The combination of skating and homework really adds up.”
Even without the pressure of a job, students have plenty of commitments and responsibilities. Still, those Pioneer in the working world have an extra burden: they are not just working at their education, they are working for it.
