By IRIS JHON

Staff Writer

Students are increasingly likely to work while in college. Since 1984, the fraction of college students ages 16 to 24 who also work full- or part-time has increased from 49 to 57 percent according to a Citigroup survey of 1,000 students last year. While the hours may take away from socializing or from studying, research by the  U.S. Department of Education found that students who work up to 15 hours a week have significantly higher GPAs than students who don’t work. 

At some schools, work-study money may be paid directly toward your tuition fees. Why do students choose off- campus jobs instead of on-campus jobs? One reason would be hours. In an on-campus job, students are limited to eight hours a week. With a off-campus job, students can ask for more hours without their employer telling them “no” right off the bat. 

More hours means more money. Are students really enjoying having an off-campus job more now a days? For one thing, there’s the transportation issue. You’ll need a reliable ride or a decent public transportation system to get to an off-campus job. 

And even if you already have a good car, then there is the added expenses on making sure your car works all the time. Filling it with expensive gas takes away alot from your paycheck. 

Transportation costs could quickly erode any hourly paycheck boost you get from moving your job search off campus. You’ll also likely be expected to work full shifts. 

Some employers will work around your schedule and will make it easy when having to pick your shifts. For some students, working on campus is the perfect opportunity for a number of reasons, like not having to pay for gas, having only a few hours, etc. 

For other students, the possibility of looking for an off-campus job can help them in their field of study in the future, and the paycheck will be decent. So the real final question will be: what kind of job is better for college students?