For student jobs, five to ten hours a week hits the sweet spot

Life as a student is not just about books, lectures, and exams. For many students, paid work is also a part of their daily routine.

But striking the right balance can be difficult. A student job can coexist with a degree programme — but it can also take up so much time that the risk of dropping out increases.

A new statement from the Minister for Higher Education and Science Christina Egelund offers an indication of what that balance looks like in practice.

The ministry has calculated the annual dropout rate among students in higher education and broken down the figures according to how many hours students work per week.

The dropout rate is lowest among students who work between five and ten hours a week. In this group, 9.8 per cent drop out. For comparison, the dropout rate is 13.6 per cent among students with no paid work, and it is 17.3 per cent among those working 20–25 hours per week. For students working more than 30 hours a week, the dropout rate is 30 per cent.

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Students with disabilities

Christina Egelund stresses that it is not possible, based on these numbers alone, to conclude that working hours are the sole cause of dropout. Many factors can influence both how much students work and their risk of dropping out, including academic preparedness, motivation, and social background.

And that point is important, says Bella Marckmann, senior consultant in the unit for higher education at the Danish Evaluation Institute (EVA).

For some students, having a job is simply a necessity if they don’t have substantial savings

Bella Marckmann, senior consultant in the unit for higher education at the Danish Evaluation Institute

»You need to be aware that there may be a selection effect at play. There may be students who do not have a job, but who nevertheless have a greater risk of dropping out of their studies,« she says, and continues:

»This could, for example, be students with a disability or other challenges that mean they need to spend more time studying and do not have the energy for a job on the side.«

This said, it does make good sense that a high number of working hours may be linked to a higher dropout rate, according to Bella Marckmann.

»If you work a lot, there is competition for your time. It can become difficult to prioritise your studies to the extent you should, and in the worst case, that can lead to dropping out,« she says.

Social imbalance

Student jobs also cover many different types of work, says Bella Marckmann.

There is a big difference between whether the job is relevant to your studies or not, and in how much energy it demands. A degree-relevant job may take up a lot of time, but it can increase motivation and give students a sense that their studies are useful.

Bella Marckmann reckons that, for this reason and with all else being equal, there is a stronger link between a non-degree-relevant job and the risk of dropout than there is with a degree-relevant job.

»This is not something that I have data on, but it would be my hypothesis,« she says.

This is the reason why there is also a social and financial imbalance in the relationship between student jobs and the risk of dropping out of your degree.

It is in the first years that you need to find your routines and properly settle into your studies. After the first year, you can find a great study-relevant job

Bella Marckmann, senior consultant in the unit for higher education at the Danish Evaluation Institute

»In Copenhagen, the supply of student housing that is affordable on the Danish government SU student grant has not increased. So for some students, having a job is simply a necessity if they don’t have substantial savings. And that group does not have the option of waiting for the perfect study-relevant job. They need to just take what they can get to a greater extent,« she says.

If students are forced to work many hours from the very start of their studies, this in itself can make the transition to student life more difficult, Bella Marckmann thinks.

»If from the outset you have to work 15–20 hours a week while also learning how to be a student and perhaps moving to a new city, this can further increase the likelihood of dropping out,« she says.

Prioritise the beginning of your studies

If Bella Marckmann were to offer specific advice to students attempting to find a balance between study and work, it would not be about finding an optimal number of hours, but about prioritisation and timing.

»If you can, try to prioritise your studies at the beginning of your study programme. And try to plan any work so that it does not constantly clash with teaching, group work, and exam periods,« she says.

READ ALSO: You should ask for more pay on your student job

Group work, and attendance are, according to Bella Marckmann, an important part of getting off to a good start on many programmes. You therefore quickly run the risk of getting disconnected if your job often means that you do not show up.

»It is in the first years that you need to find your routine and properly settle into your studies. After the first year, you can then find a great degree-relevant job, once you have learned how to be a student,« says Bella Marckmann.

This article was first written in Danish and published on 16 February. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.