There's an interesting point/counterpoint over at Inside Higher Ed this week regarding today's students and their level of work ethic. Senator Ben Sasse wrote a piece in the New York Times about the need for young people to have work experience, which was then rebutted by op-ed writer John Warner, who believes that young people already work hard and doesn't want to hear "kids these days" complaints about this generation of students.
They both make fine points, while each having some flaws in their arguments (namely that they mostly think their own anecdotal experience is applicable to all), but let's look at this topic another way. I'm not sure it's "work" (meaning employment) that is the real problem; rather, it's class "work" (meaning study time) that is the real issue. Sasse thinks parents have coddled their kids, so they no longer know what kind of effort it takes to succeed. Warner thinks students are already too overworked and stressed to devote adequate time to their studies. So let's do the math.
There are 168 hours in a week. Let's say the typical student takes 15 credit hours; that leaves 153 hours outside of class. Let's also assume a student has a fairly rigorous job that requires 30 hours per week. That brings us to 123 hours. (I'm not calculating athletes' schedules, as depending on the playing level, that could vary widely. Therefore, equating to a student job with the hours devoted above seems appropriate here.) Let's also say the student sleeps 8 hours per night (which no college kid ever does, but let's be generous). We are now at 67 hours. Let's devote 30 minutes for two meals a day, which seems fair. That leaves us with 60 hours.
Now let's work in some study time. Let's be VERY generous and assume a student studies for 3 hours every night of the week. That brings us to 39 hours left. Let's even say that every week, there are projects and other larger assignments that take up an additional hour per night, on average. (By the way, I've NEVER met a college student who actually studies this much.) That lands us at 32 hours per week of free time.
Students can use this however they wish. They can go to concerts, plays, or other productions on campus. They can join academic clubs. They can volunteer to help others. And, of course, they could study more.
But what do they actually do? They drink. A lot. They party. They have steady boyfriends/girlfriends. They play video games. In essence, they socialize. These "overworked and stressed" students somehow always find plenty of time to do things that are not related to gaining more intelligence and preparing for their working future.
Countless times in my many years as a professor, I have talked to a student who is struggling in my class. I'll say, "So what are doing to try to raise your grade?" They'll say, "I just don't have time." So I'll say, "Did you eat yesterday?" Yes. "Did you sleep yesterday?" Yes. "Did you hang out with your friends yesterday?" Yes. Did you talk to your boyfriend/girlfriend/parents yesterday?" Yes. And I'll say, "It sounds like you had lots of extra time. Maybe you should devote that time to working on your assignments or visiting a tutor instead." That usually makes them a bit more aware of how they could use their time more effectively and get better grades. If not, there's not much else I can do for them.
So is Sasse or Warner correct? Well, they both are to a certain degree, and they're both missing some key points of analysis. The majority of students today do understand hard work, either in their athletics or their employment. However, those domains have visible incentives that students value, playing time and winning when it comes to sports, and a decent paycheck when it comes to their jobs. Their education and academic skill development is harder to put their finger on. And that is where the "work ethic" slips.
Because they don't see the immediate effect of reading Shakespeare or thinking through a complex philosophical argument or exploring historical events or studying the solar system or anything not directly related to their major (or even things within their major for that matter), they don't put forth the effort we professors would like.
The truth is in the math. Students have PLENTY of time to do the academic work we expect. The problem is getting them to use it wisely.
They both make fine points, while each having some flaws in their arguments (namely that they mostly think their own anecdotal experience is applicable to all), but let's look at this topic another way. I'm not sure it's "work" (meaning employment) that is the real problem; rather, it's class "work" (meaning study time) that is the real issue. Sasse thinks parents have coddled their kids, so they no longer know what kind of effort it takes to succeed. Warner thinks students are already too overworked and stressed to devote adequate time to their studies. So let's do the math.
There are 168 hours in a week. Let's say the typical student takes 15 credit hours; that leaves 153 hours outside of class. Let's also assume a student has a fairly rigorous job that requires 30 hours per week. That brings us to 123 hours. (I'm not calculating athletes' schedules, as depending on the playing level, that could vary widely. Therefore, equating to a student job with the hours devoted above seems appropriate here.) Let's also say the student sleeps 8 hours per night (which no college kid ever does, but let's be generous). We are now at 67 hours. Let's devote 30 minutes for two meals a day, which seems fair. That leaves us with 60 hours.
Now let's work in some study time. Let's be VERY generous and assume a student studies for 3 hours every night of the week. That brings us to 39 hours left. Let's even say that every week, there are projects and other larger assignments that take up an additional hour per night, on average. (By the way, I've NEVER met a college student who actually studies this much.) That lands us at 32 hours per week of free time.
Students can use this however they wish. They can go to concerts, plays, or other productions on campus. They can join academic clubs. They can volunteer to help others. And, of course, they could study more.
But what do they actually do? They drink. A lot. They party. They have steady boyfriends/girlfriends. They play video games. In essence, they socialize. These "overworked and stressed" students somehow always find plenty of time to do things that are not related to gaining more intelligence and preparing for their working future.
Countless times in my many years as a professor, I have talked to a student who is struggling in my class. I'll say, "So what are doing to try to raise your grade?" They'll say, "I just don't have time." So I'll say, "Did you eat yesterday?" Yes. "Did you sleep yesterday?" Yes. "Did you hang out with your friends yesterday?" Yes. Did you talk to your boyfriend/girlfriend/parents yesterday?" Yes. And I'll say, "It sounds like you had lots of extra time. Maybe you should devote that time to working on your assignments or visiting a tutor instead." That usually makes them a bit more aware of how they could use their time more effectively and get better grades. If not, there's not much else I can do for them.
So is Sasse or Warner correct? Well, they both are to a certain degree, and they're both missing some key points of analysis. The majority of students today do understand hard work, either in their athletics or their employment. However, those domains have visible incentives that students value, playing time and winning when it comes to sports, and a decent paycheck when it comes to their jobs. Their education and academic skill development is harder to put their finger on. And that is where the "work ethic" slips.
Because they don't see the immediate effect of reading Shakespeare or thinking through a complex philosophical argument or exploring historical events or studying the solar system or anything not directly related to their major (or even things within their major for that matter), they don't put forth the effort we professors would like.
The truth is in the math. Students have PLENTY of time to do the academic work we expect. The problem is getting them to use it wisely.