FROM WELCOMING UNSTRUCTURED FREE TIME TO AVOIDING IT - Research Findings on College Students’ Leisure Experiences

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by kopisore

Study examining leisure experiences during unstructured and structured free time for college students employed on campus. Using semi-structured interviews (N=34) collected in spring and fall 2017, the research team transcribed, coded, and analyzed responses collaboratively. Results show that leisure experiences vary by students’ leisure skills and knowledge across both unstructured and structured time. Findings identify directions for future research on how employed college students negotiate leisure during free time.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Literature Review

College student free time and employment

Contradictory findings in employment research

Leisure, unstructured time, and leisure skills

FROM WELCOMING UNSTRUCTURED FREE TIME TO AVOIDING IT Katherine A . Jordan Ohio University Denise M . Anderson Clemson University Leisure experience during free time has many benefits yet employed college students have limited available free time. Utilizing semi-structured interviews (N=34) during the spring and fall of 2017, this study explored free time experiences of college students employed on campus. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed by a team of three researchers. Findings revealed that leisure experiences during both unstructured and structured free time varied based on leisure skills and knowledge. The findings highlighted areas in need of future research regarding how college students employed on campus negotiate leisure experiences during free time. Please direct inquires about this manuscript to: Katherine A. Jordan, [kajordan1@ohio.edu](kajordan1@ohio.edu) College Student Affairs Journal, Volume 39(1), pp. 14-27 ISSN 2381-2338 Copyright 2021 Southern Association for College Student Affairs All rights of reproduction in any form reserved. 15 College Student Affairs Journal Vol. 39 No. 1, 2021 A traditional college student’s (underage 24; Center for Institutional Effectiveness, 2004) “work” is typically thought of as academic work, but due to increases in college tuition, cost of living, and time to degree, college student work also means paid work for many students. For instance, 43% of full-time undergraduate students were employed in 2017 (College Student Employment, 2017) . Since many college students are responsible for academic work and employed work, the impact of employment on college students needs tobe better understood. Researchers have suggested that college students who worked between 10 and 20 hours on campus remained more involved with the campus community and reported higher levels of academic success and persistence compared to those who worked off campus or were unemployed (Astin, 1993; Bozick, 2007; Elling & Elling, 2000; Gleason, 1993) . On-campus employment research has generally focused on the relationship between employment and student outcomes such as GPA, campus involvement, and hours worked. However, other relationships such as free time and leisure experiences are also worth exploring since research suggests that college students who are uninvolved in structured activities experience boredom and develop negative leisure behaviors (Panek, 2014; Shinew & Parry, 2005) . These experiences might also contribute to campus engagement, academic success, and persistence to degree completion. Since previous research has shown that on-campus employment might be more beneficial than both off-campus employment and unemployment in terms of academic success and extracurricular involvement, this study, as a part of a larger study, explored experiences with on-campus employment, extracurricular involvement, and leisure experiences during structured and unstructured free time. Literature Review College students reportedly have more free time, specifically time outside of academics, extracurricular activities, and employed work, than they have had in the past (Babcock & Marks, 2010) . Full-time university and college students spend on average four to six hours a day on “other” and “leisure and sports” activities (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014) . However, employed students arguably have less discretionary free time than their unemployed peers. For instance, 43% of traditional full-time college students were employed at least part time in 2017 with 15% of those employed working less than 20 hours per week and 27% working 20 or more hours per week (College Student Employment, 2017) . The amount of free time availability and how it is used varies based on academic obligations, employment hours, and whether they are employed on or off campus. Research regarding college student employment and free time use is contradictory. Astin (1993) found that students who are e

FAQs

What method was used to explore college students’ free time and leisure experiences?

The study used semi-structured interviews (N=34) conducted in spring and fall of 2017, followed by transcription, coding, and analysis by a team of three researchers.

What did the study find about unstructured and structured free time?

Leisure experiences during both unstructured and structured free time differed based on students’ leisure skills and knowledge.

Why does the paper say college student employment needs better understanding?

Because college students’ work often includes paid employment alongside academic responsibilities, and the impact of employment on students should be understood more clearly.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by kopisore