Paid work doesn't seem to exhaust students or hold them back with their studies - as long as it is part-time

The student audience at an afternoon lecture starts to thin out, as those students who have jobs head to their evening shifts. This is not an uncommon phenomenon: the majority of university students work. Their study schedules and work schedules do not always align nicely.

Around 65% of students at the University of Helsinki work alongside their studies.

The majority of them work part-time, between 20 to 34 hours a week. Those nearing the end of their studies work more than those who are just starting out.

The number of students in paid employment varies across faculties and fields of study. Degrees preparing for a specific vocation have the highest ratio of working students. For example, among law students doing their master's about 90 percent are working. 

Those who study general education, like the humanities or political science, however, have a much lower percentage of working students; about 60 percent work during the academic year.

Part-time work can further your studies

The statistics on working students are based on research conducted by Dr Tarja Tuononen, a university lecturer. In her doctoral dissertation in Educational Sciences, Tuononen studied the working habits of students at the University of Helsinki. She has continued her research on the same topic since then.

“Students' ability to balance studies and work varies greatly. Some feel that paid work slows down or interferes with their studies, while others find it benefits their learning,” says Tuononen.

When the employer is flexible and the student is organized and has good time-management skills, part-time work can add structure to the week and provide a welcome change from studying. However, working for an employer can increase stress and strain if time management is already a challenge.

The thirty-five-hour limit

Just how well a part-time job fits into a student’s schedule also depends on the structure of their studies. 

“For example, in educational sciences there are a lot of courses that require regular attendance,” Tuononen says.

Scheduling issues between work and studies come up the most with students in this field, according to Johanna Harju, the head of academic affairs at the University of Helsinki.

According to statistics, paid work does not appear to hold up studies. Students who work fewer than 35 hours a week earn study credits just as quickly as those who do not, nor is there any significant difference in grades.

There does not seem to be a link between working or not working and student burnout. “It is only when students work practically full-time, 35 hours a week or more, that the effects become apparent. The number of completed credits begins to drop,” says Tarja Tuononen.

Naturally, students work first and foremost for money. Depending only on study grants and decreasing housing subsidies makes life financially tight, especially if the student’s family cannot provide support. On the other hand, young adults may not want to rely on ‘the bank of mum and dad’ and prefer to be independent.

A close second to earning money is the desire to gain work experience during studies, as many students are already thinking about life after graduation and future employment prospects.

"If you graduate without any work experience at all, employers might see that as a bit of a drawback," says Tuononen. Work experience in your field is valuable in terms of employment prospects, but any job builds essential working life skills and prepares you for interaction with people from all walks of life. Many students look back fondly on the various odd jobs they took on during their studies, even though the work might have been challenging and physically demanding.

Working at the checkout is a merit even for a minister

Tuononen says experience in various jobs provides perspective and understanding. In Finland, working on the cash register during studies, such as former Prime Minister Sanna Marin did, is considered an asset rather than something to be laughed at.

“If you only work in academia, you could miss out on various opportunities. It would be good for everyone to experience different kinds of working life,” Tuononen says.

She herself has worked in a convenience store and gained valuable work experience in customer service. The job also helped her understand different kinds of management cultures and theories, which she came across later in her studies.

Students who study for a specific profession, such as law students, are the ones who gain the most work experience in their field of study. Moreover, the closer the student is to graduating from a master’s programme, the more they will be working in their own field.

Keep a record of your own skills

In her interviews with students, Tarja Tuononen has noticed that their recognition of the skills and lessons learned at work varies greatly.

“The interesting thing is that it did not matter whether the student had worked in their own field of study or not. Some could list what they had learned and for example draw a connection between their field of study and their work experience as a sales assistant, whereas others could not put into words the skills they had learned from work in their own field.”

That is why Tuononen encourages students to reflect on and keep a record of how different jobs, hobbies and even positions of trust could benefit them in their future careers.

In the eyes of many employers, the ability to combine paid work and studies successfully is already considered a merit in and of itself.

Sakari Bister, a history student in his fourth year, found a new opening when he started work in the University of Helsinki Science Museum Flame last winter. He is working in a job relevant to his own field of study for the first time. And of course the work does also include a lot of customer service.

“I manage the cash register and guide visitors. I also host guided tours in the museum,” Bister says.

Bister has not previously worked alongside his studies. What motivated him to start working was the need to save money and the desire to gain some work experience.

Bister will complete his studies at a slower pace than intended, and the monthly student financial aid is at risk of running out.

Bister struck lucky as his museum job is very close to his field of study. He studies museology as a minor and dreams of a job in the cultural sector, potentially as an event organiser or in a museum.

“When considering employment in the museum industry, it’s good to get your foot in the door. Having experience in the field is really important.”

By working, Bister has learned to operate the cash register and to handle money. He is also comfortable with the culture and unspoken rules of the workplace by now. He has found his own place in the work community. Work has also brought him a new sense of self-confidence.

Bister works one or two shifts a week alongside his studies. On top of that, being the chairman of Kronos, a history student organisation, takes up a fair bit of his time.

“I think of work as an additional course. So scheduling work and studies has worked out pretty well for me,” Bister explains.

Fortunately, the museum offered him work over the summer as well.

Substituting for special needs teachers, being a salesperson for a hotel chain, waitressing — Ada Hallikainen, a second-year forestry student, has notched up many kinds of work experience.

“I have been working ever since I started my studies. But having three jobs started to be too much, so I quit my job as a waitress,” says Hallikainen.

Hallikainen has found a creative way to combine her studies with her paid work. If her work overlaps with lectures, she studies the material afterwards at home from the slides of online courses. She usually doesn’t attend lectures that often anyway.

“The lectures feel quite long to me. So, I might not be able to concentrate the whole time. I usually attend the first lecture and based on that I decide whether I’ll attend the rest. If the lecturer reads everything directly off the paper, I’ll stop attending. But if the lecturer speaks in a way that catches my interest, I will attend,” explains Hallikainen.

This method has proved efficient for Hallikainen. Last autumn she accumulated 40 credits and her course GPA was good as well. Since then, she has slightly slowed down the pace.

Her working hours can range anywhere from zero to thirty hours per week. As a hotel sales representative, she largely has a free hand in determining her shifts.

Hallikainen considers her work to be more of a hobby. It is pleasant to go to work and you get to meet slightly different kinds of people than you would at university. Getting paid is a big plus.

Hallikainen would gladly have a job related to her field of study, but there simply are few jobs available in forestry in the Helsinki capital area. Nevertheless, she believes that other kinds of work experience will be useful in the future too.

“I think employers appreciate experience in business sales and the fact that you can communicate between companies and people, understand the importance of prioritising and get the big picture.”

After graduating, Ada Hallikainen would like to find a job in forest planning, as a way of combining working out in the terrain with working in the office. She is especially interested in working with forest owners.

This article was published in Yliopisto magazine 6/2024 in Finnish. Yliopisto-lehti is a science magazine of the University of Helsinki. It is committed to complying with journalistic guidelines.

The article was translated by the following English undergraduates: Smilla Barkman, Sonja Hägg, Marie Kirkkola, Jenni Korpelainen, Julia Laukkanen, Astrid Lehto, Amanda Riikonen, Minea Ruotsalainen, Outi Tolonen and René Ylennysmäki, and post-edited by John Calton, lecturer in English.