Capacidad de transporte con un vehículo personal

The four major themes that emerged during the data analysis stage were (1) reasons why students engage in paid employment, (2) the negative impact of employment on academic performance, (3) positive outcomes of paid employment on academic

performance, and (4) managing employment, college, and other demands. A discussion of each theme follows.

Theme 1: Reasons Why Student Engage in Paid Employment

All students who were interviewed stated reasons why they engaged in paid employment while they were enrolled fulltime in college. The need to support self, obligation to self and family, the desire to gain independence, the need to gain experience for post-graduation careers, and financial needs were all reasons stated by students. When asked the reason for engaging in paid employment while enrolled in college, Participant 11 who had a GPA of 2.18 and worked 35 hours weekly believed it was time for her to become less reliant on her parents and become independent. Similarly,

Participant 12 who worked 75 hours weekly in three jobs and maintained a GPA of 2.7 stated, “Once I left my mother’s house I was no longer her responsibility so I had to become independent. I had to work to pay my bills.” Participant 2 also expressed the need to be self-sufficient as a reason for engaging in employment while enrolled in college fulltime. She remarked that it became increasingly difficult for her to rely on her parents for support so she believed finding employment while in college was not an option for her.

Working while you’re studying, everybody doesn’t have the opportunity to um, you know, get scholarships and you know, live off mom and dad. And then there’s others who want to move off campus because of so many restrictions, you know on campus…so you definitely want to get a sense um, of empowerment that, hey, you can do this. Because you want…if you decide to even move off campus then you have to support that off-campus living.

Having obligations to an offspring, Participant 5 stressed that her role as a mother placed added pressure on her to support her child financially while another participant stated that he did not have a family to support him, so he had to fend for himself. Likewise,

Participant 3 commented that she owed it to her family as she is the first grandchild that will graduate from college and she wants her sibling to follow into her footsteps.

Another reason that students expressed was that they wanted to gain experience related to their post- graduation career opportunities. Participant 1 stated, “I need to gain the experience before I graduate and have some kind of background in my field to go off with before I go into my career.” Participant 4 a senior student reported that she is close to graduating and she believed it is important to be able to provide evidence of work experience to her prospective employers. When asked “Have you thought about giving up employment while you are in college?” Participant 7 remarked, “The main reason I stay at the job is because when I’m able to get out in the work force and get my degree, I’ll already have enough experience in the industry.” Participants 1, 4, 7, and 11 who were all employed in the hospitality industry also engaged in paid employment to gain experience in the hospitality industry while they are in college. Geel and Gellner (2012),

Guo (2014), and Pollard et al. (2013) found that paid employment adds value to the students’ future careers, and provides students with a bank of knowledge, skills, and experiences that they can apply to their personal development and future careers. Another reason that students expressed for engaging in employment while enrolled fulltime in college was to satisfy financial needs. All twelve participants expressed or implied that they engaged in paid employment while enrolled in college to fulfill

financial needs. Participant 7 (male) who had a GPA of 2.00 and worked 35 hours weekly stated, “… I pay my rent, my light bill, my car notes and groceries aren’t free so I have to eat. I’m pretty much self-sufficient.” Participant 7 further remarked, “[It is] either [work for money] or living under a bridge, or moving back home.” Participants 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 mentioned or implied because they had little or no financial support from their families, and they were determined to complete their undergraduate degree, they had no choice but to work for an income during their college life. Similarly, Participant 10 who had a GPA of 2.37 and worked 40 hours weekly commented that the death of his breadwinner resulted in the need for him to support himself financially. Participant 2 stressed that he had to find a job while he is enrolled in college because he needed money to pay his utility bills, rent, and car note.

The finding of financial needs and obligations as reasons for working and studying concurrently are consistent with prior studies conducted by Hall (2010) and Tessema et al. (2014) who found some students engage in paid work experiences to pay their way through college. Green (2001) stated “that [students] gained … money for personal and school expenses” (p. 329) because of working in paid jobs while they are in

college. All twelve participants expressed or implied that they engaged in paid

employment while enrolled in college for financial reason as well as the desire to gain experience for future employment.

Theme 2: The Negative Impact of Employment on Academic Performance