Balancing study and paid work: the experiences of construction undergraduates in an Australian university

A questionnaire survey was undertaken among third year students enrolled in the University of Melbourne's Bachelor of Property and Construction (BPC) programme. The survey explored students' experiences in balancing paid work with study. Hours spent in paid employment were at least as long and, in many cases, were in excess of hours spent at university. While work was not perceived by students to pose a difficulty for attending lectures and tutorials, students indicated that their paid work made it difficult for them to engage in independent learning activities, such as using library resources or preparing for classes by reading beforehand. Two scales, previously used in other countries to measure students' burnout and engagement, were tested. Both scales were found to be valid and reliable in that the factorial structures found in previous studies were confirmed and acceptable internal consistency reliability coefficients were generated for each of the scales' component factors. This opens the way for more in-depth multivariate analysis to determine the linkages between work hours, work-study conflict and students' burnout or engagement with university life.