LETTERS: The living expenses of college students are quite high now. They need at least RM20 a day for food.
The more affluent the area, the higher the cost. Club activities, reference materials, and recreational activities with friends all cost money. This puts more burden on students' daily expenditure.
Reducing needless overheads is not the best course of action as it only addresses short-term expense issues.
It is no surprise that many students resort to working part-time to supplement their income. In fact, as a result of the rising cost of living, part-time employment among college students has become the norm. It is understood that more than 70 per cent of college students are considering part-time jobs.
It has been long debated whether or not college students should work part-time. There was a — "Should college students get a part-time job or not? Why? — on Quora, which prompted 41 respondents to join the discussion.
Seventy-eight per cent of the respondents agreed that college students should get a part-time job, seven per cent remained neutral and 15 per cent disagreed.
It is acceptable for college students to work part-time as long as it does not affect their academic performance.
The part-time jobs can help students integrate quickly into society by applying what they have learned in college.
Students can develop leadership skills, punctuality, interpersonal relationships, teamwork and other skills.
Additionally, they can expand their social experience during the semester breaks. Students can interview departments of interest in advance to determine their suitability.
If students plan to continue their education or launch a business after graduation, they can also take advantage of this chance to study and gain expertise.
Senior students are better suited for part-time employment than junior students. This is because junior students must first adjust to the pace and milieu of college life.
Senior students, on the other hand, have been attending college for a longer period of time, are more familiar with the layout and environment on and around the campus, and are better equipped to plan their time and protect their personal safety.
However, students must find a balance between their studies and job. Studies are more important.
Students will eventually enter society to find jobs, so it is reasonable and beneficial to adapt to this in advance by taking up part-time employment.
LIM YI MING
Faculty of Business and CommunicationUniversiti Malaysia Perlis
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times