Undergraduate student experience and perceived outcomes of term-time paid and unpaid work

Abstract

This paper presents findings from a survey on undergraduate students’ term-time work at a Canadian research-intensive university. The study examines which students work, how much they work, why they do it, and the self-reported impacts of paid and unpaid work on their studies. Our analysis of survey data shows that over half of the respondents worked. More women than men worked, more domestic than international students, and more students from lower socioeconomic status families worked. Hours of work were strongly correlated with students’ financial needs. The more students worked, the less time they spent studying and on other academic activities or attending classes, tutorials, or labs. Further analysis will focus more on what difference the kind of work makes to effects on studies.