The most recent survey conducted on behalf of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) showed that more than half of third-level students worked in part-time jobs, and of those almost a third worked in excess of 17 hours a week.
For some it may help to provide money to subsidise "luxuries" like clothes, socialising or travel, but for many part-time work is absolutely necessary to help pay for the spiralling costs of accommodation and living expenses.
The USI describe the rental increases in Dublin and other urban centres as "alarming" and identifies them as one of the key reasons why more and more students work. "With rent costs continuing to rise and grant increases failing to keep track of this rise, students are forced to work an increasing number of hours to finance their studies. The current maximum maintenance grant gives students only £52 per week," according to John Paul Swaine, welfare officer with USI.
A recent survey carried out by the Student Services Office at DCU estimates the average weekly cost of renting a room in a shared house or flat at £65 - this may not necessarily be in a room of one's own. This is before any consideration is made for other living expenses such as electricity, food, travel expenses or books.
Aonghus Hourihane, president of the students union at UCD, sees the discrepancy between living costs and the grant as a major problem. "From the figures we're seeing at the start of this year's rental period, the lowest figure people would be paying for a room or shared room in a house is £75. Thereafter you have to pay for books, food and you need to have some sort of a social life. The bottom line is if your parents can't afford to give you £100 to £150 a week you can't really afford to come to college in Dublin, and even at that you will probably have to work."
The membership of college clubs and societies for sporting and social activities are suffering from the lack of time available to students. "Our students union carried out a survey last autumn which reported that 56 per cent of students were working for over 35 hours a week - either every evening during the week or long hours all weekend. Last year, the clubs and societies complained that membership had gone down - this kind of thing should be part of the college experience, but for a lot of students it just isn't any more," says Hourihane.
The only possible redeeming feature which Hourihane can see in this situation is that young people are learning the value of money and about having to work to earn it. "The perception that students are a bunch of lazy people who just lounge around going to two lectures a week and drinking for the rest of the time is no longer relevant. It comes down to this: there is no point in the Government providing extra college places unless they take the issue of accommodation seriously and realistically improve the student maintenance grant."
If clubs and societies are suffering and students are not receiving the so-called rounded college experience, what about the other aspect of college - study?
Chris Chapman is head of student services at Carlow IT. He believes that college work can suffer. "It's a question of balance and students have to be realistic about the commitment required by their course. As a very general rule of thumb, courses recommend that you spend at least two hours individual study time for every college contact hour. If you've 25 hours of lectures a week, then are aiming to do 50 hours study, where are you going to find time to socialise or work?"
Chapman accepts that due to financial constraints many students simply have to work but advises that there are measures you can take to try and minimise the negative impact on your studies. "I would advise students to question the type of work they choose to do. Bar or service station work which keeps you there till after 3 a.m. or later is going to effect your concentration in lectures the next day." So students should try to do daytime work at weekends, perhaps, or set a limit on how late they are willing to work.
"Research suggests people doing more than 12 hours work per week are at a serious disadvantage. There is a proven direct correlation between success in your chosen course and your participation in part-time work. The 12-hour cut-off point seems to be where it begins to show a definite effect," says Chapman. He recommends trying to structure your finances and spending so that if you have to work you can cut your hours right back or stop altogether at crucial times like exams. "Some students can be lucky and find work that relates to their course, perhaps if they have done well on a work placement the employer will let them do some part time or holiday work," says Chapman.
Siobhβn O'Dowd, ents officer with TCD students union, worked throughout her drama and theatre studies degree. She worked in a bar three to four nights a week - generally from 5 p.m. till 3.30 a.m. "As far as my course was concerned, it didn't affect my attendance too badly as we didn't have a heavy lecture schedule. From another viewpoint, though, it made it more difficult for me to go and see plays or participate in them - with TCD Players, for instance - because I couldn't attend rehearsals."
O'Dowd says she was grateful and lucky that her parents paid rent, bills and some spending money, but to enjoy college life to the full a little bit of working was necessary. "Working is not all bad, you can have fun, but it is a question of striking a happy medium. In one way, working is good because college shouldn't be about four years of having it easy. It's good to be out in the real world experiencing what that is all about too."
