High-schoolers who are less likely to complete college work

Students who work more than 15 hours per week in high school Show lower rates of college completion, suggests a new study assessment of the damage of high school work intensity. Photodisc/Getty Images

Researchers found that by age 29 or 30, more than half of high school students who are less than 15 hours per week had a Bachelor's degree completed had worked.

Photodisc/Getty Images

Researchers found that by age 29 or 30, more than half of high school students who are less than 15 hours per week had a Bachelor's degree completed had worked.

The study, which is published in last month's issue of the journal developmental psychology, supports other recent research that high school students who work long hours are probably to show increased problem behavior and reduced school involvement has found.The new study, conducted at the University of Michigan, used data from a national survey of high school seniors called Monitoring the Future Project. The survey has followed more than 68,000 students, beginning with the class of 1976. Researchers found that by age 29 or 30, more than half of high school students who are less than 15 hours per week had a Bachelor's degree completed had worked. But for every five additional hours worked more than 15 hours per week, students experienced an 8% decline in college completion. Only about 20% of those who had worked 31 hours or more per week in high school completed college.But other factors in addition to long hours of work would be to blame? "There Is a debate about whether all these things linked to more hours working the debt of the work or the debt of other previous things that drug use forecasting, do badly in school and longer working hours "says lead researcher Jerald Bachman, a professor and research scientist at the University of Michigan. For some students, work can be an escape an already not academic record, says Steve Schneider, a school counselor at Sheboygan High School in Sheboygan, Wis. Students that intense work hours "are those students who usually have not been successful in the classroom anyway" he says.The ability to start making money also seems seductive but could hurt students later says Julie Hartline, a school counselor at Campbell High School in Smyrna, GA. She says that her responsibility to beyond that adolescent mind-set to her students that they can make more money later if they "stick this out."But keeping a routine filled with six or seven hours at school, time spent on sports and extracurricular activities, and then for another five or six hours on a job, followed by homework, a substantial pressure on students who then feel tired and have trouble focusing the next morning. "It is more than just attitudinal withdrawal, it becomes almost a physical withdrawal, "Schneider says. "The ultimate withdrawal would," I'm just not come to school tomorrow. " "Although part-time work a beneficial learning experience for students, counselors can say it is important to help students priority to keep them from falling behind, and parents and employers both message must take as a student seems to be slipping."There may be times when the children do not make wise choices, "said Schneider. He says that if a student wants to suddenly more hours at work, it's OK for parents and employers to step in and ask "what are you to have these hours?" and "are you sure you want to do that?"For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ 's. Report corrections and clarifications, contact standards Editor Brent Jones. For consideration of publication in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and State for authentication. View our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.