A recent article in the Wall Street Journal reports that only 44% of college students worked either part- or full-time in 2013, which was the lowest percentage of students working since 1985. Interestingly, however, research from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that students who worked part time on average have a higher GPA than those who didn’t work: Researchers found that freshmen students at four year colleges and universities who worked between one and 20 hours a week had an average GPA of 3.13, while those who didn’t work had an average GPA of 3.04. It’s important to note that freshmen who worked over 20 hours a week had a significantly less average GPA – just 2.95.

In addition to a slight academic advantage, however, there are many other reasons why students should consider working while in college, particularly on-campus. Consider the following:

• Convenient. It is so easy getting to work! No commute, no time stuck getting to and from work, and no extra car/transportation expenses all add up to lower stress.
• Scheduling. Need to work a little? Need to work a lot? It can be easy to hold either one job or a few jobs on campus, picking up a few hours here and a few hours there. Also, on-campus employers understand student schedules so when there is an exam or project to work on, getting time off is easier.
• Variety. On-campus jobs are available in accounting/payroll, information technology, academic departments, library, residence halls, dining services, and much more. You can get varied work experiences throughout your years at PUC.
• Finances. You can choose to have all or part of your on-campus earnings applied directly to your tuition payments.
• Connections. Working on-campus puts you in touch with other students, faculty, and staff. With some on-campus jobs, it seems that you meet everyone! These connections can be very useful when it’s time to send out reference letters to future employers or graduate schools.
• Skills. An on-campus job can help develop important professional skills such as time management, teamwork, customer service, and many more.
• Weekends. Many on-campus jobs are during the week, which leaves the weekend wide open for spending time with friends, campus ministries, and studying.

As of October 2013, there were 1,326 active student jobs on PUC’s campus taken by 833 students. So think about joining about half the student body and working on campus! Yes, you might earn more money working off-campus, but that job will come with its own price tag.

For information about current student jobs available on-campus, visit the Student Employment section of the PUC website.