Reflective Report
Part time jobs for students have become the everyday norm in the society. This has become especially popular with the increasing tuition fee and the rising number of foreign students in the western countries. At one point or another, every student is faced with the dilemma of taking up a part time job or straggling with the little allowances provided by their parents. Unfortunately to some, it is not always an option but a necessity for survival. In the beginning, most students view it as an opportunity to better their lives and have very little vision for the struggles to be faced in the future. For some, it eases the burden of survival and thus they finish their education with more maturity and understanding of the employment sector. Unfortunately for most, it affects the quality of their grades. Others may even lose sight of their education goals and fail to complete their degrees.
The reason I choose this topic is because I can relate to every aspect of it. I have faced the hardships of part time employment as a student and have seen fellow students struggle with the same. It is an issue that has raised very little discussion in the community and I feel that time is here for it to be in the discussion arena. Students often enter into these contracts with very little knowledge on how to achieve maximum benefits. In my opinion, if this issue was addressed in the school counseling system, students would make better informed decisions without disregarding their education.
Limitations while conducting my thesis
This study could only be deemed as relevant if only it included continuing students. This meant that students who had already completed their studies could not participate in it despite their rich knowledge on the topic. Also, deferred students could not also contribute despite their representation in showing the other side of the so thought flowery side of the topic. This made my study very difficult to perform since I had large access to one side of the study despite the study entailing both the positive and negative side.
Problems encountered while writing my thesis
Part time students are very busy in the university community. Due to their tight schedules due to the work and school pressure demands, finding time for interviews was very challenging. This increased the time taken in conducting the study which I had not anticipated for. This challenge forced me to devise different methods of tapping and gathering information unlike the unconventional easy methods. In addition, since some students were not so proud of their education progress some were reluctant to provide accurate information.
How I conducted my thesis
My thesis consists of a two parts. The first is the performing a study and the second involved online research relevant in this topic. Performing the real life study was the most involving part of the study since I had to network in the university to find relevant candidates for my study. The university community is very large and to meet the target for my study, I had to dedicate very many hours and phone time while reaching them. I also used my class mates to refer on going part time students who I could not reach personally.
The second part of the thesis was more forgiving and less involving compared to the first. All that was needed was a laptop and after a few hours in the search engine, I finally found the relevant materials relevant for my study.
Working on my schedule
Meeting my deadline
The time allocated for the whole thesis completion could not have been enough for me to exhaust all the topics under discussion. Since I needed a good grade for this project, I had to find a way to fit in the entire work load that entailed my thesis. I found very little hours for relaxation and socializing since every minute and second was dedicated to pursing the knowledge on the said topic. I also found myself working till late hours of the night and waking up very early in the morning but it all was for a good cause. Despite the sacrifices made I felt satisfied in my dedication and hard work since it is my belief that hard work is the gateway to prosperity and success.
Thesis content
In order to exhaust all areas in the study I divided the study into several sections. The first was the company overview, then the literature review, and finally the research methodology. This was designed to address all areas that would make the thesis stand out and also informative and educative. Inclusively, the thesis was mainly to address the advantages and disadvantages of part time jobs for students. It was framed to assist on going students while they made the decision whether to engage in the activity or not. It would act as a guideline and advisory material that will show them of the road ahead that they might venture into. The research methodology section is also very important since it show cases the technical part of conducting studies that hold relevance in the industry.
In conclusion, despite the benefits that part time students have compared to ordinary students after completing school, the challenges seem to outweigh the benefits. In my opinion as a person who has exhausted this topic, I would only advise students who really need the money to engage this activity. For those who chose to choose this path, they must be prepared to face the challenges addressed in my thesis as well as dedicate their time to meet the demand in school and work. However, despite the stereotypes and studies given, it is alright to take risks. This is because if taken, it will be very rewarding but if something goes wrong, students should be ready to face the consequences addressed or even worse.
