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Get rid of 20-hour student work week
By Whitney Hancock
October 1, 2007 | In college, most students agree that
we have a work-to-live state of mind. This is an unfortunate
but true reality in the life of a student. Even more
unfortunate, perhaps, is the fact that students are
limited to a 20-hour work week for on-campus jobs.
This is simply an unnecessary regulation.
Utah State University offers many on-campus jobs.
This is a great opportunity for students, keeping them
close to campus, not overworking them, and promoting
academic success in harmony with working life. On-campus
jobs allow students an opportunity to work in an environment
among their peers, sometimes in their area of study,
even closely with professors in some cases, providing
excellent networking possibilities.
But the 20-hour limit is simply not enough to alleviate
the financial stress of our realities. The cost of living
and learning as a student is astronomical, and it continues
to rise each year. Increasing tuition and housing rates
take their toll on the student body. Many are financially
supported by parents or guardians. But many are also
financially independent.
While on-campus jobs can create great opportunities
for students, because of the 20-hour limit, many students
have to look elsewhere to ensure financial stability.
We generally live paycheck to paycheck, and if a poll
were administered campus-wide, a surprising number would
admit to having to work multiple jobs. It all comes
down to this: in many cases, 20 hours is simply not
enough at university wages.
The whole idea behind the 20-hour limit is that students
will be able to have sufficient time to focus on their
studies. But by enforcing this 20-hour limit, too many
students feel the need to have second or even third
jobs, creating more stress and less time. This need
to have multiple jobs requires even more time and dedication
than the student might have to give, totally negating
the motivation behind the regulation itself. But we
students do what we must do in order to get by.
If the university would rid itself of this 20-hour
regulation for on-campus jobs, students wouldn't feel
the need to look elsewhere for work as well. A simple
solution might be to increase wages. But let's be realistic
here. Just get rid of the 20-hour work limit. Let the
students decide what they can handle.
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