Many students work excessive hours to pay their living expenses while they are in college. By the time they are finished with classes for the day, change and grab something to eat, there is little time in between to get their schoolwork done. Although students usually find a way to get the work done, they may find it impossible to squeeze in a much-needed appointment with their professor or adviser if they are having academic difficulties. Some students will make the time, often taking time from work, while others know the bills will not be paid if they do.
Students who need to work often have limited choices as to when they can work. Most go to classes during the day and work at night. Work can hamper their interactions with peers at a time in their lives when they want to be out meeting and interacting with people and making life-long connections. Their ability to join campus clubs, associations, sororities, fraternities and other groups may be limited due to time constraints from work. The more hours a college student works, the less time she has for making social connections.
According to U.S. Department of Education data collections, students who work more than part time see a decline in their GPA contrasted with non-working students. The decline increases with the amount of hours worked. Further, students who work more than 15 to 20 hours weekly may be less likely to complete their degree. The federal government began asking students across the country detailed questions about their employment beginning in the mid-1990s. Students cited heavy and conflicting work schedules as causes for restrictions on the number of classes they could take and limited class choices.
It's unlikely that full-time students working more than 20 hours weekly have the luxury of studying or completing assignments on the job. Generally, students without a balance of work and school go from class to work and arrive home, exhausted, and start the homework shift. The alarm clock wakes them the next morning and the cycle continues. The more students become sleep deprived, the more stress and anxiety they feel to keep up with everything.