The Effect of Taking Paid Employment During Term-time on Students' Academic Studies

The trend for students to combine work and study has been increasing rapidly over recent years. This has raised the question as to whether the students' studies will be adversely affected by their part-time employment. A survey of 359 students at Manchester Metropolitan University was carried out in March 2000. The results indicate that more students are working compared to survey results from one year earlier. There are adverse effects on study in the form of missed lectures, and students' perceptions are that coursework grades are lower than they would have been had they not been working. Nevertheless, students highlight the benefits of working, which are not only monetary but include the development of skills, greater understanding of the world of business and an increase in confidence, all of which are advantageous to their studies, both at the present time and in the future.