The Impact of Studying While Working in Academic Performance of Selected 4th Year Students amidst the Pandemic

Vol.3, No.1B

Abstract

Bestlink College of the Philippines has been continuously undergoing an online learning system due to the government's implementation of no face-to-face classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online learning in the Philippines has grown rapidly in the past few years. However, the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) caused learning institutions to embrace online learning due to lockdowns and campus closures. In the Philippines, E-learning was already implemented in 2014 under the Republic Act No. 10650, also known as the Open Distance Learning Act. Working while studying amidst the pandemic is a huge challenge for students experiencing it. At Bestlink College of the Philippines, some students work and study simultaneously. Even before the pandemic started, many students juggled work and study to support their financial and academic needs. Combining work and education leads to less time for studying, which negatively influences a student's performance.

The researchers used a qualitative technique in this study. They chose a questionnaire as an instrument to collect the necessary data through the use of Google Forms. This study section was assembled using a basic random sampling technique. To represent the complete data set, a small, random sample of BCP's 4th year working students was chosen, with each member having an equal chance of being chosen. About 400 fourth-year working students were chosen, but only 100 working students were chosen.

The survey conducted by the researchers revealed that most of the respondents at Bestlink College of the Philippines are working students, and 45% are 22 years old. 71% are female, and 97% are single. Among them, 17% are working as service crews, while 40% revealed that they got 1.5 as their highest grade, and 36% got 2.0 as their lowest grade last semester. The respondents also take nine units each semester and 3 hours per subject a week. 

Most working students (74%) claimed that they work full-time, and 6% answered that they work part-time. Furthermore, students on a full-time schedule have a 2-hour overage for each duty but can also balance their academic requirements and tasks outside of school. Despite the conflict between job and academic schedules, selected 4th year-working students from Bestlink College of the Philippines may retain high academic scores while working—the advantage of working while studying is maintaining good academic grades even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the contradiction between employment and academic schedules, students attend classes. According to the researchers' poll, the advantage of working while studying is that working students get information from their job experiences, providing them an advantage over other students.

Students must be more responsible for their careers and academic schedules to be completely organized and have less difficulty. Having a plan for everything, whether at work or school, is one of the greatest methods to simplify working students' lives and reduce stress from large school burdens because everything will turn out clean and organized if students prepare ahead of time. Furthermore, students will always be on time for class or school events. Teachers of specific pupils must be kind and allow them to complete their academic obligations if they fail to pass the exercises in the time allotted. This allows instructors to apply their knowledge while assessing situations and making decisions.