Eugenia Evseeva & Mariia Domashchenko. Report on Education Problems

Eugenia Evseeva, Mariia Domashchenko

Report on the Survey of Main Types of Services and Employment for a Full-time Student

The issue of the survey is the one, which most full-time students have to face during their studying. Many students start working because they need to earn their living. In this way, work is rather a necessity than a caprice. This case is not typical for Ukraine, however. In USA, for example, young people, who graduate from college and go far away their home to get high education, are obliged to care about themselves independently. In other words, parents are not obliged to help them financially. In our country, parents in most of the cases  support their children for a very long time, even after the graduation. This peculiarities occur due to our traditional system of kinship ties, which govern over personal attainments in all life spheres.   The situation, when a full-time student has to work, is rather problematic, firstly, because young people are not motivated and do not have enough time to study properly. Secondly, without a diploma of high education and a possibility to work full day, students have to take low-paid, low-qualified jobs (for example,a waiter or a promoter).

However, necessity is not the only reason why full-time students search for a job. Some of them are willing to gain working experience, and that is why, some students are ready to work even without salary, being engaged in different kinds of internship, volunteer work, etc. Even though such unpaid work is a source of working experience, it is also a sign for government. To find a good job after graduating from high school students must have working experience, practice, which, ideally, has to be provided by educational institutions. Before graduation from the university students should come through  internship, which can be regarded as the work experience and be registered in the employment history.

The last motive why full-time students go to work, is often concealed, because concerns psychological issues.  it is probably the desire for self -actualization or implementation of the obtained knowledge ( in the case if their occupation matches the field of specialization) and the desire for independence (crisis of the 21st year), when financial independence helps a young person to separate from parents’ influence.

Whatever are the reasons why full-time students work, this situation results in following problems: negative influence on academic results, exploitation at work, and high pressure and stress.

Basing on all of the above-mentioned factors, a survey related to the research topic was held in the National University “Kyiv-Mohyla academy” during 30 March, 2013 and 31 March, 2013  among students of Faculty of Social Sciences and Social Technologies. The purpose of the survey was to discover the students’ opinions about their employment while studying full time at their university of Kyiv- Mohyla academy.  The study was conducted by means of questionnaire spread among the students in electronic form. There were 3 questions of multiple –choice and 8 open questions.  They concerned the information about the forms and duration of part- time employment, difficulties which students faced, and their suggestions about various improvements in the system of high education. The main findings were as follows. All the recipients have been employed during 5 - year period, two of them worked for free (were volunteers). 70% worked part-time, and other 30% had full-time jobs. But the more important issue of our research is to discover the reasons which influenced students’ decisions to seek employment and their ability to combine their work with studies.

When asked about the reasons, why they worked, most students mentioned money (60%). Half of them mentioned earning extra money to be independent from parents, and others needed money to earn their living. Those two, who worked as volunteers, mentioned that they worked in order to gain experience, and because it was interesting. The importance of achieving experience was also mentioned by 40% of those, for whom money was one of the stimuli. Only 1 person expressed an opinion that working was needed to start a successful career.

As for the kind of job students performed, it was diverse. 50% were administrators and managers in different spheres (PR, CRM, management in governmental organizations). 20% were copywriters. There was also a person, who owned a business, and a stock jobber. The character of these jobs was also different. 55% mentioned that their jobs were very creative, there were no routine tasks. 20% said that their jobs were very routine, and other 25% claimed that their jobs were both.

Considering students' ability to combine work and studying, for 45% it was very hard to combine the latter, and for 55% it was not problematic. Students mentioned that the hardest times were when there was a lot of things to do for both work and studying. Respondents also mentioned conditions, which facilitated their work: being a volunteer, setting priorities and the 4th year of studying, when there is not much studying.

Answering the question, who has to be responsible and has to help students to combine work and studying, 40% said that it is Deen's responsibility. 45% blamed employers, and only 15% took responsibility on themselves.

The fact that students’ experience of different jobs (full-time, part-time, and remote), influenced their answers on the question, if distance work is the only option for students willing to work. Half of students stated that there are various alternatives, and others said it is the only option.

To sum up, even though it is sometimes hard to combine work and studying, all the full-time students had an experience of working. Some if them even worked full-time. The most important motivation for them was money, but several people even worked for free in order just to gain experience. The variety of jobs they performed, shows that it is possible for a student to find a job while studying full-time. These jobs also included creativity, which is an indicator of higher quality jobs, and decreases alienation.

It is also important to pay attention to the fact that half of the respondents do not see any possible solution, apart from working on a freelance distance work. However, those of them, who worked on a freelance job, claim that other options are also possible.

Another important issue is who is responsible for providing comfortable conditions for students to let them combine working and studying. Most students see the problem outside: in the Deen or in the employers. It indicates two kinds of problems, which have to be solved on local and society levels. Firstly, Kyiv-Mohyla academy does not contribute to students' work. The timetable is often incompatible even with studying process, not to mention work. Secondly, employers often are reluctant to hire students, because of their studying. As a result, we can observe a conflict of interests between high school and employers.