4 Ways That Student Employees May Change in the Summer

By Tamiera Vandegrift on May 27, 2017

Once the academic year ends and summer kicks off, the temperature heats up while students cool down. After fighting through deadline after deadline and exam after exam, college students are ready to enter a well-deserved three-month hiatus.

What does this mean for the college students that are employed over summer break, or the employers that choose to hire them?

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Summer jobs are a hot commodity among college students, especially if they aren’t already registered for summer classes. Working through the summer is an excellent way for students to earn and save money for the upcoming academic year, as we all know how expensive college can be. However, once the academic year is over, things become a lot more relaxed and that definitely has an effect on students.

Read on to see how student employees could change now that summer is here.

Their schedules might become more relaxed

While classes were in session, it was a real challenge to find a balance between school and work. Now that the pressure of lectures and exam dates has been removed, students are now free to work longer shifts more often. Students will likely request more hours now that they have more leisure time.

However, they may also start to spend time preparing for graduate school by getting ready to take the GRE, or they might still be enrolled in classes. Fortunately, summer classes are typically more laid back and less time consuming than classes scheduled during the normal academic year. You might be able to see more and more of your student employees in the workplace and have productivity boosted tenfold.

Their schedules might become tighter

Even though summers typically mean the temporary end of academics, it could also mean the beginning of more obligations and responsibilities for college students. If they are not already registered for summer classes, students could also have internships and other stepping stones to their dream career on their mind. The best way for a college student to have an easier time landing a position in the career of their dreams after graduation is to work hard and find connections during their time in school. There is no better time to do this than during the summer when classes are out of session and students have a lot more time on their hands.

It is also possible that these internship positions will pay students so they might be more in favor of letting go of their current job for the time being, especially if this current job is not related to their career goals in any way. At the same time, some students might be taking the summer to catch up on academic research for an honors thesis or research project related to their major. Every college student is different and it is possible that they will have different obligations and schedules over the course of summer break than other students who might have more free time.

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They might leave

Summer is a time for students to wind down from the stresses of academic life and take a short break to focus on themselves, their passions, and their mental health. With that being said, it is possible that students will want to go back to their hometown for the entirety of summer break until classes are back in session in the fall.

Some places of employment allow for students to take extended vacations, but others won’t. Either way, it is a good idea to have a chat with student employees before summer begins to determine what their summer plans are and whether or not they intend to remain employed over the course of the vacation. It is better to be prepared than to end up understaffed and overwhelmed.

Their work ethic might change

After a stressful year of academics, it is pretty common to see college students burn out at some point. After all, you can only keep your “A” game on for so long. You might see your student employees start to slow down in the workplace, or even start to slack off on tasks.

While this definitely is not acceptable, it is hard to place blame on these students. After two semesters of harsh deadlines, long nights of studying, and a seasonal residency in the campus library, it is no wonder why some students end up crawling to the end of the semester. With that being said, it might be reasonable to expect students to request time off, not to allow time for other responsibilities, but just to take a breather.

Image via: www.pexels.com

When summer rolls around, college students are likely to have a ton of different plans in mind, whether it be returning to their hometown, taking up summer courses, pursuing an internship, continuing at their current job, or more. The best way to be prepared is to expect the unexpected and make sure that you remain in communication with your student employees in order to know their plans and prepare in advance.

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