College more than just a study period

Last week, one of the city's prestigious universities advised its students to limit their part-time work obligations during the first year of studies in order to avoid sacrificing study time.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University claimed that it could provide about 5,000 part-time jobs for its students on campus, while establishing a database to monitor the employment situation of each student. Freshmen were advised to take part-time jobs on campus.

Jiao Tong is not the only university in the city to be committed to the restriction of students' part-time work - the aim of which policy is chiefly for the institution to maintain its academic image. However, this "well-intentioned" measure, in my opinion, is neither necessary nor effective.

For one, many students choose to do part-time work off campus, and hence will not raise any alarms on the university's database system. Jiao Tong does not approve of this, but this seems unfair. In an era characterized by fierce competition and the need for practical skills, I don't see any solid reason why students should deny themselves the opportunity to get out of the ivory tower and see the world. Unfortunately, university authorities are not able to look past the time spent on these jobs to perceive the value that such real-world experiences can have for young adults.

The administrators' fears regarding part-time work as a whole are rooted in a belief that students, if not working, will dedicate all of their time to their studies. It is well-known that Chinese high school students are famous for their diligence, when they are faced with the pressure of getting accepted to a good university. However, once they begin college studies, quite a lot of students pursue a much more leisurely daily regimen, especially as they are no longer living at home with their parents. A glimpse into student dormitories in the early mornings and late evenings will show many of them playing computer games, watching television series, or finding various non-scholarly ways of killing time.

Hence, stricter management of the number of students' part-time jobs does not automatically translate into more time spent studying. Inevitably, we see the decades-long debate on the purpose of high education come to the surface. Are college-level studies simply an intellectual exercise, a starting point for a job after graduation, or a way of nurturing a more civilized human race?

Personally, I think the purpose of a four-year campus life is to enable individuals to develop a keener sense of their own values and to expand their worldview. While academic study can, of course, be an important channel in guiding students to achieve that goal, other means, such as part-time jobs and community service, can also be beneficial in enriching their lives and broadening their horizons.

Universities should be reminded that they are not "islands" of intellectualism but bear a connection to society. As such, their function is to serve as a guide to students, who will eventually enter the community as adults. College administrators need to rethink their roles and view themselves less as disciplinarians and more as nurturers of those who will help shoulder the burdens of the real world.