The Similarities and Differences between Working and Non-Working Students at a Mid-Sized American Public University

Using data collected as part of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), this study examines differences between the grades, time spent preparing for class, involvement in co-curricular activities, time spent socializing and overall enjoyment of their college experience of working and non-working students at a mid-sized public university. Several demographic correlates of student employment are also examined. Throughout the paper, specific attention is focused upon the differences that exist between students who work on-campus and those who work off-campus. Results show that there are very few differences between working and non-working students. As the number of hours that student work increases, however, the number of hours that they spend socializing decreases. Seniors and men also tend to work more hours than first-year students and women. Introduction It has been established by academics in a variety of disciplines that the proportion of high school and college students who work while school is in session has been steadily increasing since the 1960s (Henke, Lyons and Krachenberg, 1993; Stern and Nakata, 1991). According to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (1998), 51.7% of students at four year colleges in the United States were employed in some capacity in the mid-1990s (cited in Riggert et al. 2006). Stern and Nakata (1991:38) attribute rising student employment rates, in part, to the increased costs of college tuition relative to family income, the decreased availability of subsidies for college students, an increased desire for students to be financially independent and a reduced willingness among parents to foster the dependency of their children attending college. In their paper, Riggert et al. (2006:64) go as far as to say that "student employment is no longer an isolated phenomenon; it is an educational fact of life. " One purpose of this study is to test the effect of employment upon working students' grades. The second purpose is to examine several demographic trends concerning student employment. The third purpose of this study is to conduct exploratory research concerning the effects of employment upon working students' preparation for class, involvement in co-curricular and social activities and overall enjoyment of their college experience and likelihood. Specific attention is focused upon the differences that exist between students who work on-campus and those who work off-campus. Review of the Literature There have been a host of academic studies that consider the effects of paid employment upon the performance and behavior of both high school and college students. In this section, the findings from past studies concerning the effects of employment upon the academic performance of college students are outlined. A small number of related employment trends from past studies are chronicled, as well. Two Models of Student Employment In his seminal paper entitled "Reconsidering the Relationship between Student Employment and Academic Outcomes: A New Theory and Better Data", Warren (2002) outlines the differences between the zero-sum and the primary orientation models of student employment. The zero-sum model of student employment explains that any time that students direct toward paid employment takes away from the time that is available to study for school. Thus, the expectation is that the greater the number of hours that a student works, the lower his/her grades will be. The primary orientation model of student employment, on the other hand, assumes that the intensity of paid employment only matters when it coincides with a disinterest in academics. As such, the expectation is that motivated students are generally able to balance paid work and their scholastic responsibilities. The Effects of Employment upon Academic Performance Numerous empirical studies have sought to test each of these theories and the findings are mixed. …