WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT WORKING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS?

A CHALLENGE FOR GUIDANCE

Abstract

The social dimension of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) considers the inclusion of student diversity as a fundamental element of equity and quality in higher education, resulting in the flexibility of training and the creation of alternative ways to facilitate access, permanence, and graduation; therefore, it also seeks to respond to the needs of working students. The purpose of this research is to analyse the characteristics of students who combine their academic activity with paid work, seeking to understand their profile and identify significant patterns that affect the reconciliation of both activities. A quantitative methodology has been used, analysing the data from the questionnaire survey on Living and Study Conditions of UB Students (CViE-UB), in which 2005 working undergraduate, master's and doctoral students participated. The results show a student body with a high academic and work load, with conciliation difficulties and schedule conflicts, even though they maintain patterns of regular class attendance. Higher intensity paid work is more present among male students, older and coming from a low educational capital of family references. In addition, a higher intensity of study and work is associated with lower emotional well-being. These results point to a non-conventional profile of students with barriers that hinder their educational trajectories, reaffirming the importance of developing guidance policies aimed at working students to facilitate their lifelong learning.