Waitng tables may not be the stereotypical college experience, but a new study suggests that part-time student workers may hold better GPAs than those without jobs. The study, titled “More is More or More is Less?” was published in this month’s American Sociological Review by Assistant Professor of Sociology Laura Hamilton of UC Merced. It found that the greater the financial contribution from parents, the lower their children’s college grades were. Whether it be stocking textbooks at the campus bookstore or serving cups of joe at Perks, students may want to get part-time jobs to help them better utilize their time and finances.
According to Hamilton, unlimited funds from parents can lead to expensive activities such as partying. By only having a single priority — academics — students tend to procrastinate even more than they would if they had more items on their plate. A 1997 study by the Association for Psychological Science found that procrastination led to greater stress, illness and inferior work. Students become less serious about school and more focused on having fun. Hamilton also mentioned that some parents advocated the party scene, arguing that college was more about fun than academics. As reported by the Core Institute in 2005, roughly 31 percent of students skip classes due to alcohol use — 22 percent will also fail a test for the same reason, and 159,000 will drop out. With misdirection from parents, students are more liable to being caught up in shotgunning beers every weekend and thinking that mediocre grades are acceptable.
Oddly, Hamilton found that students receiving the most money from parents also were more likely to graduate. This implies that many students are “satisficing” — a spoonerism used by Hamilton that combined “satisfaction” with “sufficing” — to describe the laissez faire attitudes of wealthy students. This applies for those students whose parents give them as much money as they ask for, as some students’ parents only grant them enough to cover rent and tuition. At UCSD, academic probation and disqualification begins at a GPA of 1.5, and students can only receive a degree with a cumulative GPA of 2.0. Many students stay just within these bounds to keep the parental cash flow coming. Some wealthy parents do have connections waiting for their children immediately upon graduation, but regardless, parents should have a backup plan — they should encourage their students to do well, spend wisely and get a job.
The best way students can make a financial contribution and learn money management is to get a job. A 2008 study by the Journal of Population Economics found that students with part-time jobs had the highest GPAs out of all students. These students worked part-time – 20 hours a week or less. Four-year college students who worked had an average GPA of 3.13, whereas students not working at all had an average of 3.04. The cut off was at 20 hours — any more and the average was 2.95. Students utilize money management, and by juggling costs, can accurately view college as a real-world investment.
Any movement towards financial independence — not just landing a job — can increase one’s drive for good grades. Hamilton found that student grants, scholarships, work study and student employment had no adverse effects on GPAs, yet parental aid and student loans did. Hamilton suggested that this was due to the absence of immediate consequences from parental aid and loans, whereas the others have minimum GPA requirements. Students most likely feel they have “earned” the grant or scholarship and want to justify it by earning stellar grades. This then makes college an investment for the student, rather than the parent. Because there are no set requirements, parents giving blank checks to students makes college appear as a “gift,” and the student may feel entitled to a free education. The problem then lies with how the money is given — with no standards, students are free to just “satisfice” rather than excel. The worst grades in the study were also from students whose parents established little to no rules and expectations. Cash, thereby, would come in at any circumstance — students need to feel in control of their future and by this manner, understand that they alone are in charge.
Hamilton’s study combined with the study by the Journal of Population Economics comes to an all-important conclusion — part-time jobs are a beneficial. On one end, students who receive unlimited aid and are encouraged to focus on the “fun” aspect find themselves with too much time and too much financial wiggle room. On the other end, students receiving little to no financial help take full-time jobs that overwhelm them. The balance lies in between; a part-time job gives a slice of monetary independence and promotes time management. Waiting tables may yet be the next catalyst for better grades.
