Working students have different college experiences

Most students try hard to score high on those Core tests, but not many of us even think twice about what it took the student directly to our left who are working full time to pass the same test.

This year’s tuition at Whitworth was $27,100. That doesn’t include what it cost to live on campus, buy books, eat and fill up the gas tank. Some students are finding it difficult to finance their educations and take it upon themselves to work multiple jobs in addition to being a full time student just to scrape by.

Senior Adam Hancock, a student who is not currently working but is attending Whitworth full time, believes that students who are working full time to pay for their educations are going through an expected norm of their college experience.

“I think that the stereotype of working nights and then staying up late to some extent is a part of the college experience,” he said. “It’s rough, but you probably learn more and have a more educational experience if you do.”

Wendy Olson, director of the financial aid department, on the other hand, does not feel that students who work multiple jobs get more out of their education.

“They don’t have enough time to appreciate all that Whitworth avails,” she said.

Senior Robyn Best, who currently works one job and goes to school full time, agrees that these students are missing out on the full college experience. Best said she feels that students with multiple jobs just don’t have the time to experience all that Whitworth has to offer.

‘There is so much more to Whitworth that students should have to the opportunity to experience,” she said. "Having a job leaves you less time to be able to get involved on campus.”

Best knows the feeling of being both types of students. She said that her personal transition from being a full-time student last academic year to a working full-time student this academic year has been a difficult one.

“It’s been difficult transitioning to a new schedule, but the longer I go the easier it gets,” she said.

Even though students who work multiple jobs in addition to going to school full time seem to be limited in the time they have, the crunch of time is still present even for students like Hancock, who just go to school full time.

“My major is so crazy and time consuming and I wouldn’t have time to do anything but work and go to class,” said Hancock, a music education major.

Contact Alex Bistrevsky at alex.bistrevisky@whitworthian.com.

• Facebook Comments
• Site Comments

1 comments

Kim

Fri Mar 6 2009 19:17

I'd have to agree, being one who works and goes to school BUT also lives off campus, I don't get the full experience at all. I don't have the same relationships as everyone else does and my social life with other students on campus is pretty much non-existant. I work to pay for what I have to of school, my car payment, insuarnce, cell phone bill gas and maintenance on my vehicle, but thankfully my parents are letting me stay home rent free until I am done with school.

But, I do feel like I am on a losing battle socially but educationally...I feel like I am doing fine. I have my scheduale set packed and it's routine so I don't miss or forget anything.

Add comment


I am not posting spam. I understand posting spam or other comments that are unrelated to this article will cause my comment to be flagged for deletion and possibly cause my IP address to be permanently banned from this server.

Enter the characters in the image above:

log out