Final: Working Students Balance a Busy Lifestyle

 

            Full-time college students with jobs have busy schedules that they have to balance throughout their college career. It leaves little free time for the student, and it can be extremely stressful for him or her.

           

Heath Pratt, a Health and Exercise Science junior at the University of Oklahoma, works about 30 hours a week as an IT Technician at OU’s Price College of Business. He uses his job to pay for necessities while he goes to school.

“Everybody needs money to pay for the things you want and the things you don’t have like food and gas,” says Pratt.

           

According to the Oklahoma State University Policy and Procedures, “Approximately two hours (100 minutes) of out-of-class preparation are expected for the average student for each hour in class.”

           

Dr. Joyce Allman, associate provost of academic advising at OU, uses this formula for OU students as well to recommend a plan for working students.

           

“We recommend that if a student is taking a 12-hour [school] load, they don’t work more than 10 hours a week because then that’s comes to a 46-hour work week between work and school,” says Allman, “That gives the student time still to look at their personal life.”

           

According to an article titled “ Is Your Teen Ready for a Job?” on life.familyeducation.com, “Working 13 to 20 hours a week is associated with lower grades.”

           

Dr. Allman understands the point made by the article.

“The students typically think they’ve got latitude when it comes to going to school, they don’t have latitude when it comes to showing up for the job.” Allman says, “Therefore, they show up for the job and not show up for class and the next thing you know, the grades are suffering because they’re working too many hours.”

Cameron Ibbetson, a Petroleum Engineering junior at OU, quit his job at Rib Crib to focus on academics after transferring to OU two years ago.

“I knew that if I was working and going to school at the same time, I wouldn’t have been able to excel in my classes,” Ibbetson said.

A study led by Gary R. Pike, an associate professor at Indiana University-Bloomington, explained in an article on insidehighered.com titled “The Impact of Student Employment,” says that students who work 20 hours a week had a negative impact on their grades. It did, however, say that those students tend to be more engaged than non-working students. Pike attributed that to the development of strong time management skills.

Pratt remains positive when looking at his situation.

           

“You lose a lot of free time when you have a job and you got to sacrifice quite a bit, but it works out in the in the end,” says Pratt, “If you devote enough time to study and enough time to work, you’ll be happy because you got the money and you got the grades.”

Links: 

Oklahoma State University Policy and Procedures: http://www.okstate.edu/osu_policies/2-0209.html

"Is Your Teen Ready for a Job?" on life.familyeducation.com: http://life.familyeducation.com/teen/jobs-and-chores/36446.html

"The Impact of Student Employment" on insidehighered.com: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/08/work

VIDEO: Zach Machen RUNS: 2:02

SOP Redo

Owen Field in Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

PWOP Redo

My roommate's desk

Degrees of Rotation Finalizing Preparation

Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center - the site of fourth performance of Degrees of Rotation

 

            Degrees of Rotation is undergoing the final stages of preparation for its showing.

           

            The showcase of four OU Dance graduate students starts at 3 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. on Apr. 28. It will take place in the Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center in Room 3002.

            Preparations began in the beginning of the Fall 2011 semester, and the final decisions are being made on what goes into the show. Rehearsals have been ongoing and costumes, music, lighting and edits are all being finalized.

            Charlotte Hart is a choreographer and coordinator for Degrees of Rotation. She says that organizing rehearsals is always hard.

            “In many ways, the most difficult task [for Degrees of Rotation] is the coordination of rehearsals between choreographers and dancers,” says Hart, “All in all, it can be a kind of juggling act between everyone’s schedules.”

           

            Kyle Williams, a Petroleum Engineering junior at OU, thinks the event is great for the school.

            “The event will be very important to the school,” Williams said, “It’s just a good showing of gratitude towards their hard work throughout the years.”

The audience sizes have increased every year for the event, and Hart expects this year to be no different.

            “We’re expecting record breaking crowds this year, and hope to not have to turn anyone away,” said Hart.

AUDIO: Zach Machen RUNS: 0:17

Kyle Williams explains the impact of Degrees of Rotation.

Preparations In Ending Stages For Seussical

Rupel J. Jones Theatre - the site of the first Seussical at the University of Oklahoma

 

Preparations are in their closing stages for opening night of Seussical at the University of Oklahoma.

The show opens on Apr. 27 and runs through May 6 at the Rupel J. Jones Theatre. Showtime is 8 p.m. every night, except for Sundays Apr. 29 and May 6. Sunday matinees are at 3 p.m.

Rehearsals have been underway since Mar. 12, and there have been specific rehearsals to learn songs, choreography and to run through the script. There are three dress rehearsals before the opening performance.

Scenic, costume, lighting, projection and sound preparations are in their final preparations as well.

Sandra Bent is in charge of audience development for the OU School of Drama.

“The production staff and crew work on their positions to perfect before opening night,” Bent said.

Theron Smith, a Journalism junior at OU, anticipates a great show.

“I think it will be a great event. The Performing Arts Center does a really good job with everything they do over there,” Smith said.

Music for the play is by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and the book is by Lynn Aherns and Stephen Flaherty.

Big Event Preparations In Their Final Stages

The North Oval at the University of Oklahoma - where groups met up for the start of the 2011 Big Event

            Preparations are finishing up for the 13^th Annual Big Event at the University of Oklahoma.

                       

Volunteers putting on the event are organizing their Kick-Off Week for Apr. 9-12. Throughout the week, students can stop by to sign their release waiver and receive a free t-shirt.

           

The student organization in charge of the event is finalizing the matching of volunteers to job sites. 

Rachel Tyrrell is the chair of the organization.

“We are in the middle of confirmation calls to the job sites to make sure we are all on the same page with times, location and who is providing lunches,” said Tyrrell.

The organization bought $3000 worth of supplies to be used during the event, and still have more to buy this week.

“There are always last minute changes and issues that arise, and every night we have a list of problems that we have to fix regarding volunteers who have attended Kick-Off Week,” Tyrrell said.

Daré Obasade, a Petroleum Engineering sophomore at OU, plans to attend the event this year, and is looking forward to giving back to the community.

“In an event like this where thousands of students get together, you get to meet new people while you’re also giving back,” Obasade said, “You get to help out and you also get to have a great time.”

The Big Event starts at 9 a.m. on Apr. 14 and runs throughout the day. Over 5,000 volunteers who are OU students, faculty and staff will commit the day to community service for the Norman and greater Oklahoma City metro area.

AUDIO: Zach Machen RUNS: 0:47

Daré Obasade talks about his anticipation of the Big Event.

University of Oklahoma Student On The Path To Academic Greatness

J.C. Fischer is a student at the University of Oklahoma currently taking 18 hours in fourth semester, and is already credited for 83 hours.

He has three majors: finance, accounting and religious studies.

“I was originally a business student because it was practical and also something I was interested in. But after a couple electives, I added religious studies because I am very intrigued by how people think and what motivates them to think that way, and I think that having that knowledge will help in my professional career,” Fischer said.

He plans to graduate with all three majors in May 2014.

At Flower Mound High School in Flower Mound, Texas, he earned an A in every class that he took. He has earned an A in all college classes but one. During a group project, he was unaware of plagiarism within his group and it caused Fischer to obtain a B in his MIS class.

He is naturally a very competitive person, and he says it is a big reason why he takes on such a heavy course load.

“It’s important to me to score higher, or as well as, everybody on just about everything; which is what drives me to take more classes or to do well on different projects and assignments,” says Fischer.

When he’s not fulfilling his need to compete with achieving in school, he finds the time to go to the Huston Huffman Fitness Center and play basketball - his favorite thing to do.

“I spend most of my free time up at the Huff, that is the rec. center, playing basketball or working out. It’s a good place where I can interact with people and make some friends, and also get some competition on the courts – running up and down every night,” says Fischer.

Ryan McClanahan is Fischer’s friend and roommate for the last seven months. He notices Fischer’s competitiveness first-hand whenever they go to the Huston Huffman Fitness Center.

“When J.C. isn’t in class because he has so many hours that he takes, we normally go to the Huff and play basketball,” McClanahan said, “He gets really competitive – that’s just his nature. He hates losing and he always wants to win whether it’s playing cards, or basketball or at school.”

Fischer also goes to the gym about three or four times a week. He has a workout routine that he says takes about an hour and a half each day.

John Spoon is Fischer’s workout partner and accompanies Fischer through every workout. He says the same motivation he has in the classroom carries over into the gym.

“His drive to get in shape motivates me and we kind of feed off each other in that sense,” says Spoon, “He is constantly striving to be in superior physical shape.”

In addition to being a competitor, Fischer says he takes so many classes because he really enjoys learning new things and being a student.

He is a member of the JCPenney Leadership Program on campus with the Price College of Business. According to the program’s website, it “provides high performing undergraduate business students with opportunities to develop their leadership potential through a variety of learning experiences and interactions.”

He plans to study abroad in Italy over this summer to see the world and further his educational experience. 

J.C. Fischer in his fourth semester at the University of Oklahoma. He has three majors, 83 hours credited, is taking 18 hours this semester, and will graduate in May 2014.

SLIDESHOW: Zach Machen RUNS: 1:42