Lived Experiences of Management and Accountancy Working Students: Challenges, Coping Strategies, and Academic Engagement

This study explored the lived experiences of Management and Accountancy working students, focusing on the challenges they encounter, the coping strategies they employ, and the ways these experiences influence their academic engagement. The increasing number of students balancing employment and academic responsibilities has highlighted the need to understand better how working students manage dual roles while pursuing higher education. Using a qualitative phenomenological research design, the study aimed to capture the depth and meaning of participants’ experiences from their own perspectives. Nine working students enrolled in Management and Accountancy programs were purposively selected as participants. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological method, which involved identifying significant statements, formulating meanings, clustering themes, and developing an exhaustive description of the phenomenon. The findings revealed that working students experience significant challenges related to time management, stress, fatigue, role conflict, and compromised academic performance and well-being. Despite these difficulties, participants demonstrated resilience and adaptability through coping strategies such as effective time management, prioritization, self-discipline, and self-motivation. Financial necessity and future aspirations emerged as the primary motivations for students to continue working while studying. The study also found that emotional and institutional support systems played a vital role in helping students persist in their studies. Furthermore, participants reported that balancing work and academics contributed to the development of transferable skills, including communication, responsibility, multitasking, and professionalism. Although work responsibilities sometimes reduced academic engagement, students remained committed to completing their education because they viewed it as an investment toward a better future. The study concludes that supportive institutional policies, flexibility, and understanding learning environments are essential in promoting the well-being, engagement, and academic success of working students.