EARNING AND LEARNING : A STUDY OF NUS UNDERGRADUATES

Abstract

In Singapore , where human resource is our most valuable asset , it is only logical that the government would want to upgrade the quality of its labour force and one of the best ways is to give emphasis to the education of its people. As a result , the quality of university students is a major concern with the government. However , employment during study has been known to have negative effects on students and this phenomena of working during schooling is rather prevalent among NUS students. More than half of the sampled population ( 200 ) of NUS students are working in part-time and vacation jobs. Therefore, it is useful to examine the kind of relation that employment has with university education. What drives students to work part-time and what effects does working has on these students? It was found that most students who work while studying come from poorer social background where socio-economic status is low. Female students more than male students were more likely to work. Where there is positive perception of work , students are more likely to work while students who have positive perception of university education are less likely to work. There are positive effects of working on more items compared to negative effects. Working students tend to be more active in non-academic activities and have a more positive self-perception. As for the grade results of students , working has minimal negative effects. However , work does have a negative association with educational aspirations.