The Impact of Working Part Time on UiTM Puncak Alam Students

Prepared by:
ARIEFATUL TAHIRAH BINTI MD SIRAT
2013197271
NUR SYAHIRAH BINTI LUKMAN
2013177943
NUR AZUREEN BINTI SAMSURI
2013192443

Prepared for:
Mrs. Kiranjeet Kaur Dhillon
English Lecturer for Report Writing (EWC661)
UiTMPuncakAlam

25 May 2015
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table Of Contents i

List Of Tables And Figures ii

Acknowledgement iii

Terms Of Reference iv

Abstract v

1.0 Introduction 1

2.0 Methodology 3

3.0 Findings 4

4.0 Conclusions 12

5.0 Recommendations 13

Appendix

i
 LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Figure 3.1 The involvement in part time work and the 4

reasons.
Table 3.1 The involvement of the respondents in the type 5
of occupation for part-time work.
Table 3.2 Working place as a part-time worker 5
Figure 3.2 The percentage of respondents on their normal 6
working hours as a part-time worker
Figure 3.3 The current range of CGPA while working part- 7
time
Table 3.3 The amount of hours used to study in a day 7
Figure 3.4 Problems faced when part-time workers 8
worked overtime
Figure 3.5 Ways the part-time workers overcame their 9
academic problems
Figure 3.6 The percentage of money spent on things 10
Figure 3.7 Experiences gained from working part-time. 10

ii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

There are several kind-hearted individuals who had always helped us in completing this
report for the EWC 601 course. First and foremost we would like to thank our EWC 661
lecturer, Mrs. Kiranjeet Kaur Dhillon for her comments, wise advise and guidance in the
preparation of this report.
We are also grateful to have our helpful classmates because they were always there to help
us in sharing different opinions and feedback that gave us some improvements in completing
this report.
We also would like to voice out our appreciation to all the respondents of our research.
And not to forget the most important, which is our family, for their support in terms of moral
and also for finance during the preparation of this report.
Without all of these commitments and support, this report would not have materialized.

iii
 TERMS OF REFERENCE

On 23rd of March 2015, Ariefatul Tahirah binti Md Sirat, Nur Syahirah binti Lukman and Nur
Azureen binti Samsuri from the Faculty of Business Management, UiTM Puncak Alam were
instructed by Mrs. Kiranjeet Kaur Dhillon, the Report Writing lecturer (EWC 601) to write a
report on the Impact of working part time on UiTM Puncak Alam students and to submit it on
25th of May 2015.

iv
 ABSTRACT

Most of the students nowadays are working part time while studying in the universities to
supplement their finances. Many of the students in UiTM Puncak Alam are also working part
time to support their financial situation while studying. Thus a study is conducted to
determine the impact of working part time on the students. The objectives include to
determine the reasons UiTM Puncak Alam students work part time, investigate the effects of
working part time while studying in the university and identify the advantages of working part
time for the future while studying. It was found that 58% of the respondents worked to
increase their own finances with 40% working as a designer or freelancer and 34% working
from home. Apart from that 48% of them overcame their academic problems by preparing a
schedule for their studies and 34% of the respondents gained more knowledge from their
work. Working part time did not have any effects on the majority of the respondents as they
were able to maintain a CGPA of between 3.2 and 3.5 probably because they spent 3 4
hours on their studies in a day and they prepared a schedule for their studies. It is
recommended that students should work part time in order to increase their soft skills and
increase their confidence.

v
 1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Most of the students in University Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Puncak Alam need to earn
cash to support themselves while they complete their degrees. Students working part-time
will get more experience which will help them in their future permanent jobs. If a student
manages to find a job that has things related to his course in the university, he is lucky
because he can learn more about the job. Working part time while studying in UiTM Puncak
Alam has been put forward as a problem and the effects on students educational
achievements need to be investigated. Working part time can improve or help students to
develop particular personal characteristics including responsibility, time management and
better achievements in their studies and CGPA. Students can learn to be responsible and
they have to come to work on time depending on their working hours a day. In addition,
students can learn to value money. It will make them realize that it takes a lot of time and
effort to make a better living, and this experience will help them to be confident in life.

1.2 Problem statement

With the increasing cost of living in Malaysia, it is not surprising that working part time has
become a necessity for university students. Students need the money to pay their house
rent, food and household bills, education, and lifestyle. These students who work part time
may encounter problems with their academic. Thus this study is aimed to determine the
reasons UiTM Puncak Alam students work and the problems faced if any.

1.3 Objectives of the study

The objectives of the study are as follows:

To determine the reasons UiTM Puncak Alam students work part time.
To investigate the effects of working part time while studying in university.
To identify the advantage of working part time for the future while studying.

1
1.4 Significance of the study

This study is conducted for students, lecturers and management of UiTM Puncak Alam so
that they are able to determine the reasons, the effects and the advantages of UiTM Puncak
Alam students working part time while studying. The potential benefits that it would bring are
students can be exposed to how they manage their time and finances. This study is
necessary because the respondents can learn how to manage their time and finances wisely
and it is necessary to know whether their working time affects their performance in the UiTM.
This research is important to students because they need to manage their time to complete
their assignments. It is also important to lecturers to know how well their students perform
academically and whether it will bring a good or bad impact.

1.5 Scope and Limitations

The study involves 50 respondents who are UiTM Puncak Alam students from various
faculties and the instrument used to obtain data is a questionnaire. The limitations faced
include difficulty to find respondents who have a part time job as many of them have their
own business; lack of time in finding respondents as they are barely in campus; difficult to
obtain the feedback from the questionnaire as they are around at odd times, and finally
misunderstanding the questions asked.

2
 2.0 METHODOLOGY

2.1 Research Instrument Used

The instrument used to collect the data was a questionnaire. This tool was used to survey
the impact of students working part time while studying in UiTM Puncak Alam. The
questionnaire had 14 questions and elicited information such as reasons they worked, any
problems faced and how they overcame them.

2.2 Research Respondents

The respondents were 50 UiTM Puncak Alam students from various faculties. There were 20
male and 30 female respondents. 31 respondents were aged between 23 27 years old, 18
were between 18 22 years old and 1 was between of 28 32 years old. 34 respondents
were from the Faculty of Art and Design, 9 were from the Faculty of Business Management,
5 were from the Faculty of Health Science 2 were from the Faculty of Hotel and Tourism.

2.3 Research Procedure

Fifty questionnaires were distributed to respondents from the various faculties on Thursday,
9th April 2015 at UiTM, Puncak Alam. The respondents were students who were working
part time while studying. The respondents were given one week to answer the questionnaire.
All the respondents answered the questionnaires.

2.4 Data Analysis

The data were analysed from frequency count into percentages. They were then transferred
to suitable tables and charts.

3
 3.0 FINDINGS

3.1 Reasons for working part time

The reasons why they work part time

12

10

0
Yes No Help family Increase my As a hobby To gain
increases finances and experience
finances savings

Yes/No Reaseon

Figure 3.1 The involvement in part time work and the reasons

The entire fifty respondents or 100% worked part-time. The main reason for working part
time as shown in Figure 3.1 was to increase their own finances with 58% of them agreeing to
this. The second reason was to gain experience with 24%, followed by to help their family
increase their finances with 8% and finally as a hobby with 4%.

3.2 Loans

58% of the respondents had taken a loan from Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi
Nasional (PTPTN).

4
3.2 Types of Occupation

Table 3.1 The involvement of the respondents in the type of occupation for part-time work
Occupation Percentage (%)
Designer/ Freelancer 40
Barista 18
Cashier 14
Office Assistant (Skim Khidmat Pelajar) 8
Photographer 6
Waiter 6
Part-time volunteer 4
Promoter 1
Barber 1

40% of the respondents worked as a designer or a freelancer. 18% of them worked as

barista, 14% as a cashier, 8% as an office assistant at Skim Khidmat Pelajar and 6% worked
as a photographer and waiter respectively. Besides that, 4% of respondents worked as a
part-time volunteer in events and only 1% worked as a promoter and barber respectively.

3.3 Place of work

Table 3.2 Working place as a part-time worker
Place Percentage (%)
Home 34
Cafe 30
Anywhere (Not Fixed) 16
Office 6
Shopping Mall 4
Fast Food Restaurant 4
Gallery 2

34% or majority of the respondents worked from their home while 30% worked at a caf,
16% worked in several paces which were not fixed because it depended on their jobs, 6%
worked at an office and 4% worked at shopping malls and fast food restaurants respectively.
Besides that, only 2% of them worked at a gallery.

5
3.4 Working Hours

Normal Working Hours

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
Weekdays Weekends Not Fixed 3-5 hours 6-8 hours 9-11 hours 12-14 hours
Hours

Hours/Days

Figure 3.2 The percentage of respondents on their normal working hours as a part-time
worker
34% from the respondents have a normal duration of working hours which is 6 until 8 hours.
18% of them worked on weekdays when they had free time, 16% did not have a fixed time,
14% worked 3 to 5 hours, 8% worked on weekends and 9 to 11 hours respectively, while the
rest 2% worked 12 until 14 hours in a day.

6
3.5 Effects on CGPA

Effects on their performance (CGPA)

2% 6%
12%

22%

58%

2.0 - 2.3 2.4 - 2.7 2.8 - 3.1 3.2 - 3.5 Above 3.5

Figure 3.3 The current range of CGPA while working part-time.

58% of the respondents had a CGPA ranging from 3.2 to 3.5; 22 % of them had a CGPA
ranging from 2.8 to 3.1; 12% had a CGPA of above 3.5; 6% had a CGPA ranging from 2.4 to
2.7 and only 2% had a CGPA ranging from 2.0 to 2.3

3.5 Amount of hours spent on studies

Table 3.3 The amount of hours used to study in a day

Hours Percentage (%)
1 2 hours 34
3 -4 hours 54
5-6 hours 12

54% of the respondents spent between 3 and 4 hours to study in a day, while 34% spent
between 1 and 2 hours and 12 % spent between 5 and 6 hours.

7
3.6 Involvement in university activities or societies

Most of them or 68% were not involved in any university activity or society compared to 32%
who joined university activity or society. These included the Association Event Management
Students (AEMS) Society, Jawatankuasa Perwakilan Kolej (JPK), Sekretariat Mahasiswa
Fakulti (SMF), PSSLM, Student Representative Council (MPP) and Skim Khidmat Pelajar
(SKP).

3.7 Problems faced when working over time

Problems faced when working overtime

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Not enough time to Not enough time to Stress Emotional distress Others
complete sleep
assignments

Types of Probems

Figure 3.4 Problems faced when part-time workers worked overtime.

The main problems faced when the respondents worked overtime were 48% did not have
enough time to sleep and 20% were stressed. Besides that, 12% of them did not have
enough time to complete their assignments and 16% said others which included did not have
enough social time with family and friends or they did not have any problems when working
overtime. Finally, 4% of them were emotionally distressed.

8
3.8 Ways to overcome academic problems faced

How to overcome the problems faced

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Prepare a schedule Do not procastinate Meet lecturer Get help from Others
frequently friends/classmates

Types of problems overcome

Figure 3.5 Ways the part-time workers overcame their academic problems

48% of the respondents overcame their academic problems by preparing a schedule for their
studies while 30% of them got help from family or classmates. Besides that, only 14% of
them overcame the problems by not procrastinating followed by 6% who would meet their
lecturers frequently while the rest 2% remained positive.

9
3.9 Money Spent

Money Spent

14%
26%

On family
On lifestyle
On studies
38% On savings
22%

Figure 3.6 The percentage of money spent on things

38% or the majority of the respondents spent their money on their lifestyle while 26% saved
their money for the future. 22% of them spent their money on studies and the rest 14% spent
it on their family.

3.10 Experience gained from working part time

Experience gained from working part time

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
Self confidence More knowledge Gain new Make friends Good in manage Leadership and
and experience finances entrepreneur
communication opportunities

Types of experience gained

Figure 3.7 Experiences gained from working part-time.

10
34% of the respondents gained more knowledge from their work while 26% of them gained
experience in leadership and entrepreneur opportunities. This was followed by 20% who
gained new experience, 16% who gained self-confidence and communication and 2% who
gained experience by making new friends and becoming good in managing their finances
respectively.

11
 4.0 CONCLUSION

The following are the conclusions of this study:

The main reason for working part time was to supplement the respondents income.
The majority of the respondents worked as a designer or freelancer for 6 to 8 hours
and they mainly worked from home.
Working part time did not have any effects on the majority of the respondents as they
were able to maintain a CGPA of between 3.2 and 3.5 probably because they spent
3 4 hours on their studies in a day and they prepared a schedule for their studies.
The majority of the respondents gained more knowledge from working part time as
well as experiencing leadership and entrepreneur opportunities

12
 5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS

The following are the recommendations why students should work part time as provided by
those who were working part time:

0
Become more Able to handle Increase soft Increase Able to Able to work in Others
matured finances skills confidence communicate a team
with others
easily

Suggestions

Students should work part time to increase their soft skills and increase their
confidence.
Students should work part time to make them able to handle their finances, able to
communicate with others easily and able to work in a team.
Students should work part time to make them become more matured.
Students should work part time to make them able to manage their time in studies
and life.

13
Appendix
Sample Questionnaire

We are from students of Bachelor of Event Management in semester four. We are conducting a
survey entitled Working part time while studying in University and the effects on students
performance. We appreciate if you could answer the following questions in this questionnaire.
Thank you.

Gender
Male Female
Age
18 22 years
23 27 years
28 32 years
Above 33 years

Marital status
Single
Married

Faculty: __________________________

1) Do you work part-time?

Yes No

2) What is the main reason you work part time while studying? (Tick only once)

Help family increase finances

Increase my finances and savings
As a hobby
Gain experience
Others: _______ (please specify)

3) Do you have any loans?

Yes No (If YES, please state the type of loan: _______________)

4) What do you work as in your part time job?

__________________________________________________

5) Where do you work?

__________________________________________________

6) What are your normal working hours?

__________________________________________________
7) What is your current CGPA?

2.0 2.3
2.4 2.7
2.8 3.1
3.2 3.5
Above 3.5

8) How long do you take to study in a day? (Tick only once)

1 2 hours
3 4 hours
5 6 hours
More than 6 hours

9) Are you involved in any university activity/society?

Yes No

What kind of activity/society? ________________________

10) What are the problems faced when working overtime?

Not enough time to complete assignments

Not enough time to sleep
Stress
Emotional distress
Others: please specify _________________________

11) How do you overcome the problem faced?

Prepare a schedule
Do not procrastinate
Meet lecturer frequently
Get help from friends/classmates
Others: ____________________________________

12) Where do you spend your income on which is obtained from working part time?

On family
On lifestyle
On studies
On savings

13) What are the experiences gained from this occupation?

_______________________________

14) Please give suggestions on why students should work part time? (Tick 2 options)
Become more matured
Able to handle finances
Increase soft skills
Increase confidence
Able to communicate with others easily
Able to work in a team
Others: ______________________________