It’s a well known story across college campuses in Ireland; every Friday evening, a mass exodus of students leave the cities and go back to their hometowns for the weekend. However, the majority of these students are not going home just to spend time with their families. Many of them will spend their weekend free time at a part-time job, earning money to support themselves during the academic year.
Most students accept this situation as a reality of attending college, but what if we take a step back to examine how it affects students’ university lives?
Aside from providing valuable knowledge to take forward into the world of work, college is an experience designed to develop a young person’s identity and maturity. Does working during term time affect this development?
Case Studies
Isobel*, a Global Media student at the University of Galway, spent the last semester working in a busy Galway pub while also on her course-mandated placement. She spent between 24 and 28 hours a week working for zero pay at her internship. On the weekends, she worked up to 24 hours at the bar, putting in late night shifts.
Adapting between the two shift schedules was difficult for Isobel. Although she enjoyed both placement and her bartending job, she felt it had an effect on her capacity to learn on her internship.
“I do think I would have been able to do more if I hadn’t been so wrecked. [My placement] wasn’t very strict on starting times and stuff, but there were two different days that I was so tired that I slept through my alarm and got in around 11 or 12.”
*Student’s names have been changed to protect against backlash from their employers
Jess, an international student from America, chose to study at the University of Galway because the tuition fees were lower compared to at home. She assumed that the cost of living in Ireland would be similar to other European countries. “I didn’t really realise just how expensive groceries, food, drinking and experiences were.”
She works a part time job in Galway, and although the extra income means she can afford more fun experiences, Jess feels like she’s always playing catch up when trying to manage everyday tasks, “I have to put my chores on the back burner which does trickle into every aspect of my life. It’s harder to feel prepared for classes when I have no food in my house because I haven’t made it to the grocery store yet.”
Aoibheann attends Mary Immaculate College in Limerick studying Childcare. She travels 2.5 hours home to west Cork every Friday, after 20-25 hours of lectures or unpaid placement during the week. She works at a nearby hotel, covering Friday evenings, an eight or nine hour shift on a Saturday, and a few hours on a Sunday morning before heading straight back up to Limerick for another week of college.
Aoibheann feels she could not afford to attend college if she did not work during term time.
She doesn’t think that she’s having the same college experience as other students.
“They don’t have the stress of working to live in college and trying to balance studies and work.
Working so much has a negative impact on Aoibheann’s mental health, and she misses out on time with family.
“It’s difficult traveling up and down every weekend only to spend a few hours at home because you have to work the whole weekend.”
While those case studies focus on just three university students, wider surveys of the student population paint a similar picture.
The Higher Education Authority’s (HEA) most recent Eurostudent survey found that 40% of full time, undergraduate students work consistently during the semester.
N.B. Any references to ‘students’ from this point forward is intended to mean students who work during term time.
SIN conducted their own, smaller scale survey that was sent to various student groups, both in the University of Galway and in other universities.
Our survey results found that 64% of students work between 10 and 20 hours a week. It’s worth noting that 6.5% of those surveyed said they worked 25+ hours a week on top of a normal week of study.
Hours spent in lectures and study varied more broadly across the survey. Most students attended lectures and undertook private study for 10-25 hours per week.
The HEA study found that those employed during term time spend 3.34% less time on private study than others.
Instead of reducing the student culture to just the numbers, SIN asked students to share their experiences and feelings around working during the academic year.
The results were eye-opening.
54.1% of students felt they were not having the same college experience as students who didn’t work. 19.7% were unsure.
When asked what exactly was different about their university life, many students felt they were missing out on valuable time spent with friends or studying. Students also highlighted feeling exhausted and burnt out, having to face into a weekend of working after five days of college.
One student felt they were missing out on more than just social events, “My classmates can do unpaid internships or voluntary work that directly relates to their career goals which I do not have the capacity to take on.”
Another felt like they could never fully turn off: “I’m always switching from student to worker, I’m never fully immersed in one. My ‘free time’ is spent working. I don’t have the luxury of time to think and digest and reflect on what I’m learning.”
“I guess the difference for me is that others can go home to families on the weekend, whereas I have to stay to work,” a different student said.
49.2% of students felt that working during term time had an overall negative effect on their mental wellbeing.
36.1% said it had a positive effect. When asked to elaborate, many of those who voted positively said that if they did not work, they would be too stressed about finances to enjoy themselves in college. “It’s tough having less time, but it’s also tough having less money so either way a similar mental wellbeing result,” said one student.
Some students outlined the sense of fulfillment they get from working a part time job. It provides an escape from the college world, which can often be stressful, and opens up new opportunities for socialisation. One student said that their job “provides an outlet beyond academics to succeed.” They added that their job was “practical, hands on and allows me to chat with others.”
49% of students said that working during term time had an overall negative effect on their academic results. Many respondents reference missed deadlines or classes because they had to work.
“If I’m falling behind it’s definitely harder to catch up. If something is due at 12am and I have work from 5-11pm, I must upload it so much earlier which is stressful especially when I don’t have it done,” one respondent outlined.
Exam season is particularly difficult, as students struggle to get time off to focus on study.
One student said that they “worked really hard during semesters to build up holiday pay and a savings fund to cover me during exam seasons.” However, this is not always possible, and the student noticed that exam results during periods where they could get work off were ‘undeniably better.’
41% of respondents indicated that working during the semester had neither a positive nor a negative effect on their grades. Many of them outlined that a packed weekly schedule pushed them towards being more productive during their free time. This student put it frankly: “Sometimes the pressure creates diamonds, other times we get cooked.”
So what next? Will rising costs of living push more and more students into term-time employment? It’s clear that many students enjoy the sense of freedom that comes from working and being independent. What stands out is that most students are working out of necessity, not out of choice. Whether things will change for our young people in the future lies in the hands of our representatives, both at student and governmental level. Working students’ voices deserve to be heard.
Sally Collins is a second year Global Media student at University of Galway. She is originally from Dunmanway, Co. Cork, and when she's not writing or creating content, she's usually enjoying a good book in one of Galway's many cafés.