Getting involved in clubs and societies is a great way to explore your interests, make new friends and develop skills for the workplace. But with the cost of college and accommodation soaring, more and more students are holding down part-time jobs and commuting long distances. Are they being excluded from this important side of college, and what is being done about it?
At RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland), Prof Celine Marmion spent four years as the academic lead on the university’s student leadership development programme, and also served as deputy dean for student engagement.
“There’s been a sea change in higher education since Covid,” Prof Marmion says. “Before the pandemic, everyone came to lectures. During the lockdowns we moved online and recorded lectures so that they could be accessed any time.
“But we found that this meant that attendance dropped, as students could watch the material back online. We stopped recording the lectures to promote greater in-person attendance.”
RM Block
[ ‘I was commuting from Meath for three hours a day, so I know that it can be hard’Opens in new window ]
Student success isn’t just about academics and results. Students learn so much about themselves through what Marmion calls, “the hidden curriculum” – getting involved in clubs and societies, the students’ union and the college media, as well as socialising over a coffee between lectures, heading to the library together and learning from each other in smaller groups.
There’s a strong body of evidence that students who get involved in college life are less likely to drop out. But many of the generation who benefited from the social side of college, are the same people who make policy decisions around housing, transport and finance that are making student life more difficult. It’s all a bit rich.
Shane Murphy, president of DCU students’ union, says that students are working longer hours and commuting longer distances than previous generations, and this is having a knock-on effect on their college experience.
“The idea of the student as someone who goes to class during the day and parties in the evening is dying,” he says. “Besides the fact that my generation is quite health-conscious, we also can’t afford to go out and drink any more.
“We surveyed over 6,000 students in the academic year, and 46 per cent said that they are working between 11 and 20 hours a week, with another 16 per cent working 21 hours or more. More than half said that they can’t devote their time to being a student. The scariest statistic was that 35 per cent of students didn’t have enough to cover their weekly costs, and three in 10 regularly worry about feeding themselves.”
Third-level student clubs and societies and students’ unions are responding by holding more commuter-friendly events during the daytime. “It’s not viable to ask students to attend lectures from 9am-5pm, stick around for meetings or events in the evenings and then spend up to two hours commuting home,” says Murphy.
“Equally, some may respond that students can’t attend daytime events due to lectures, tutorials and labs, but with work or study after classes, they don’t have time in the evening either.
“Students have not chosen this lifestyle. It’s a result of a lack of investment in affordable student accommodation, a lack of investment in reliable public transport, and the rising cost of living. The Programme for Government promised to work towards the abolition of the student contribution; instead, we’re told it will go up, but also that it might fall again.
“On top of this, Bus Éireann have hiked bus fares, including from Cavan to Dublin, affecting many of our commuting students. There are real and lasting consequences for students without ready access to family wealth, whereas those whose parents are in a better position to financially support them get a leg-up.
“When asked, employers say that the most important aspects of candidates are professionalism, communication and those other skills you develop outside of academics,” says Murphy. “There are students who have to wake at the crack of dawn, endure a long commute, go to classes, maybe try and get enough money for their lunch, trek to work from 6-11pm, fall into bed and then do it all over again the next day. It’s a 15-hour workday between labs, lectures, tutorials and work. They don’t have the energy to do anything else, let alone have scope for personal development.”
Most third-levels are working hard to put supports in place, and to ensure more space for the student voice.
At RCSI, for example, Prof Marmion has overseen a significant change in how students and staff work together. These include allowing undergraduate students to apply for funding to run research projects with staff, organising leadership training for students in clubs and societies, and creating smaller learning groups to allow students to connect with one another.
While the third-level sector and students are adapting to a new way of doing things, Murphy – as well as the wider student movement – says there’s an urgent need for more purpose-built, affordable student accommodation.
“It’s not that students shouldn’t have to work,” Murphy says.
“There are benefits to working part-time as a student. But it shouldn’t be so many hours, on top of commuting. There’s a growing awareness of the importance of the student experience, and the colleges and students’ unions are doing a lot to improve the student experience. But it is exponentially more difficult to be a student now.”
