The Relationship between previous work or internship experience

and Graduate students academic performance.

DIFEI WANG

University of Prince Edward Island

1701 words
 Introduction

After getting a bachelor degree, many graduates can not wait to put what they have

learned into practice. However, after they accumulate a certain amount of work

experience, some of them will continue on to graduate studies because of lack of

knowledge or higher position. Whatever the reason, a popular phenomenon is that a large

amount of graduate students have work or internship experience. This article will discuss if

their previous work or internship experience will show a positive effect on their further

higher level study. There is not any ethical issue demonstrating in the study. From a

sample of 4700 students in University of Prince Edward Island, 16 students in 2018 Master

of Education agree to participant in this study. Most of them ever have work experience,

and they also give their responses online.

 Literature Review

The whole world is developing constantly. People, as one of element of promoting the

development, should also enrich themselves continually. This is the reason why so many

people choose to take a graduate degree after they have been worked for a period or

experienced a short internship. In fact, their previous working experience have positive

effect on their further study on many aspect including: excellent academic score, decision

making, as well as time management.

Previous work or internship experience benefits master students’ academic performance.

Many master programs need relative work or internship experience to apply. Such as

Mater of Education, Master of business. According to the article of Hughes (2017) said that

“ University environments have been described as everything from a ‘bubble’ to an ‘ivory

tower. Unfortunately, moving straight from your bechelor’s degree to a master’s degree

can result in a narrow perspective of today’s complex professional landscape”. This

means, knowledge students learn in university may fail to support students’ master study.

They should to enrich themselves and broaden their viewpoint through internship or work,

and gain some knowledge which is necessary for master program. In addition, work

experience will help master students’ oral communication skill which good for students’

presentation more or less. According to Kim’s study(2006),”[students] considered formal

oral presentation and listening comprehension the most important skill for academic

success in graduate courses, and pronunciation of English and note-taking skills the least

important.” This means, students with formal oral communication skills and listening which

can be gain through work or internship will perform better in graduate course.

Work or internship experience will not only help students perform better, but also help

them to make decision and solve problem when they face “multiple choice”. To be more
specific, decision can be make according to the previous experience. As an article

said,”[w]hen people must decide whether to back up their computer’s hard drive, cross a

busy street, or go out on a date,…..people can call only on their own encounters with such

prospects, making decision from experience”(Hertwig, Barron, Weber, Erev, 2004). Thus,

students can learn a lot of useful experience which can assist them to make decision in

study from workplace. Moreover, during work or internship, people will face many

problems unavoidably. They have to solve independently. This means, students who have

work or internship experience will equip problem solving and making decision ability.

Finally, time-management is also an ability that graduate students can learn from

previous work or internship experience. According to a study shows that “time-

management practices may influence [academic] achievement ”(Britton, Tesser, 1991).

This said, lack of time-management ability will have negative effect on students’ academic

performance. In contrast, students who can arrange their time in order will get a relative

higher score on their academic. Hence, time-management is critical for students in

learning. Time-management is also an important ability in workplace.As Owen (2001)said

that time-management is one of qualities employee should be possessed. Therefore, if

students have a period of work experience, even though internship experience, this will

benefit to their further study. They will arrange their study time and entertainment time

reasonably, so that they will not abandon their studies for fun.

In conclusion, graduate students should have some work or internship experience. This

kind of experience will help them on their academic performance. Additionally, they can get

problem solving and making decision skills from the experience. Graduate students will

also not delay for handing on homework because they have learned time-management
skill from previous work or internship experience. Therefore, it is better for students who

want to apply for graduate program to have a work experience.

Methodology

The samples select from 4700 students in University of Prince Edward Island to identify

the relationship between previous work or internship experience and graduate study. 26

Students in 2018 Master of Education program were asked to take part in the research. 16

of them accept to participant. In this survey there are 11 related questions.

1. Do you have work or internship experience? Nominal

A. Yes B. No

2. If yes, how long is it?(Interval)

A. 1-6 months B. 7-12 months C. Between 1-2 year

D. Between 2-5 year E. More than 5 year

3. Please list your work or internship experiences (Open question)

4. how would you rate your performance in your master program of study?(Interval)

A. Perfect B. Good C.Medium D. Just so so E. Nor very good at all

5. To what degree do you believe your academic performance in your masters is

related to your pervious experience?( Ordinal or Interval)

a.strongly disagree b.disagree c.neutral

d.agree e.strongly agree

6.To what degree do you think your work experience will help you?(Ordinal or

Interval)

(1)Writing essay

a.strongly disagree b.disagree c.neutral

d.agree e.strongly agree

(2) Listen Class

a.strongly disagree b.disagree c.neutral

d.agree e.strongly agree

(3)Reading textbook

a.strongly disagree b.disagree c.neutral

d.agree e.strongly agree

(4) Oral presentation

a.strongly disagree b.disagree c.neutral

d.agree e.strongly agree

(5)Time-management

a.strongly disagree b.disagree c.neutral

d.agree e.strongly agree

(6)Making decision and problem solving

a.strongly disagree b.disagree c.neutral

d.agree e.strongly agree

The questionnaire focus on the graduate students who have work or experience.

For the reason of private protection of respondents, the survey happened online.

Students could answer question anonymously and truly. Base on the students

respond, the relationship will be posted in a chart. 18 students responded that they

have previous work or internship experience. Only 2 of them said they have no

work or internship experience. In the 14 students who have the educational related

experience, only two of them worked not in educational area. 30% of them work

between 1-6 months, and the rest focus on more than 5 years. According to

students responded, 11 students with work experience though they performance

good in their master programs, and they believed this is related with their previous

work experience.(Table 1)

Table 1

work month/academic performance Perfect Good Medium Just so so Not very

good at all

0 month

1-6 months

7-12 months

1-2years

Between 2-5 years

More than 5 years

They also though their experience help them in academic performance, time-

management, and making decision in different degree.(Table2-4)

Table 2. Academic performance

 strongly disagree disagree
strongly disagree disagree
neutral agree
neutral agree
strongly agree
strongly agree

29% 14%
36%

57% 29%
36%

2.1writing essay 2.2 Listening classes

strongly disagree disagree

Strongly disagree disagree
neutral agree
neutral agree
strongly agree
strongly agree

14%
29%
43%
29%
71%
14%

2.3 Oral presentation 2.4 Reading text

Table 3 Making Decision and Problem Solving Table 4 . Time management

strongly disagree disagree strongly disagree disagree

neutral agree neutral agree
strongly agree strongly agree

14%

45% 43%
57%
41%
 Finally, two students worked as teacher accepted my interview, and give their opinion

about how do they think their previous experience help them in the master program.

Results

According to students feedback, the more work experience students have, the better they

feel their academic performance. In addition, graduate students who take master program

related with their previous work or internship experience though that they could

performance good in their further studies, and this is related with their previous

experience. The previous work or internship experience help them most on oral

presentation, time management. However, they do not think such experience will help to

reading text.

Oral Presentation

According to interview with two students, they all felt that working as a teacher help them

fearless to stand in front to speak. They also trained to think logically. They also felt that

they do not the learn any presentation skill because they have learned when they worked

as a teacher. Therefore, previous work or internship experience can help graduate

students to keep a clear logic and professional presentation skills which is critical for a

presenter.

Time Management

Two interviewers’ opinion to time-management are positive. They are all can hand on

their homework on time and even early. Until now, they do not find any difficulties to finish

homework on time. Even they have more time to have a short-time tour. Thus, work

experience has a positive effect on time-management. Graduate students can control their

time if they have work experience, even though 1-6 months.

 Conclusion

In conclusion, work experience will help students to take a further study on many

aspects, like oral skills, and arrange time. The more experience students have, the better

their feel academic performance. Thus, there is a positive related with work experience

and academic scores.

References

Hughes, J. (2017), What you can gain from work experience before master’s studies.

Retrieved from:https://www.masterstudies.com/article/What-You-Can-Gain-from-Work-

Experience-Before-Master’s-Studies/

Kim, S. (2006), Academic oral communication needs of East Asian international graduate

students in non-science and non-engineering fields. English for Specific Purpose, 25(4),

479-489.

Hertwig, R. , Barron, G. , Weber, E. , Erev, I. (2004), Decisions from experience and the

effect of rare events in risky choice. Psychological Science, 15(8), 544-539.

Britton, Bruce, K., Tesser, A. (1991), Effects of time-management practices on college

grades. Journal of Educational Psychology ,83(3), 405-410.

Elaine Owen (2001) What key skills do employers need? Journal of Geography in Higher

Education, 25(1), 121-126. DOI: 10./1018/03098260123650