As summer approached, Ben Weaver didn't look for a full-time job. He could stay in the one he already had.

Weaver, a journalism sophomore, began working at Hideaway Pizza, 577 Buchanan Ave., upon arriving in Norman three years ago. He now manages the restaurant, balancing work and school as he pursues both experience and a degree.

"A lot of people here at the Hideaway, they pretty much work full time," he said.

About 70 percent of college students work while attending school, according to the U.S. Department of Education. While most take part-time jobs to meet expenses, about 20 percent work full time while also working on a college degree.

Others may take out student loans, but Weaver said he prefers to stay out of debt.

"Why not make the money now?" he said.

Don Wood, director of the Norman Economic Development Coalition, said students make up an important part of the area workforce.

"Employers, I think, are not reluctant at all to hire someone who is trying to further their education with a degree," he said.

Wood practices what he preaches. His assistant, Maureen Hammond, is both a full-time employee and an OU student.

"She's a better employee because she's working on a degree," he said.

Hammond, a native of the Beaumont suburb of Grove, Texas, began working on a degree in psychology in 2000. She's now a junior.

"What has been nice about it is that I've been able to apply what I've learned to the real world," Hammond said.

Hammond takes most of her classes in the evening or online, although sometimes a course she needs is only available during the day.

By skipping lunches and using the time to attend class, however, Hammond is able to fit school into her day.

"Having flexibility helps," she said.

The Norman area has an unusually well-educated workforce, with just more than 44 percent possessing a four-year degree or higher. The state average is about 26 percent.

Of the area's 74,461 workers, about 23 percent, or 17,463, are working part-time.

According to a 2004 study by the OU Center for Economic Management and Research, only 2.8 percent of area workers said they were working part-time because of school. Almost 31 percent said they would work full-time if they could.

Wills Brewer, fine arts sophomore, works about 30 hours a week at Hideaway Pizza and Campus Corner Market, 211 W. Boyd St. He said it isn't that difficult to find time for both work and school.

"You've just got to make time for both of them," he said. "You've got to realize your limits."

Statistics suggest that students are increasingly finding ways to make it all work out.

Retention rates, the percentage of entering freshmen who remain in school, have increased steadily over the past decade.

In 1994, about 79 percent of the year's incoming class stayed for a second year. About 43 percent graduated within five years and 50 percent finished in six.

Five years later, in 1999, figures from the OU Office of Institutional Research and Reporting show 80 percent remained after the first year, while 46 percent graduated within five years and more than 56 percent graduated in six.

For the class that entered the university in 2004, almost 85 percent stayed for a second year.

Cheryl Jorgenson, assistant provost and director of Institutional Research and Reporting, attributed part of the increase to new, more convenient ways to take classes.

Online, intersession and summer offerings have increased over the past decade, she said.

In addition to making it easier to take classes, Jorgenson said such offerings also make it easier for students to complete their degrees.

She said there has been a noticeable increase in interest in health professions.

"There are only so many anatomy sections we can teach," she said. "They've started offering some anatomy sections in the summer to help more students through the pipeline."

Summer enrollment has remained relatively stable, with 7,993 students at the Norman campus in 2005, Jorgenson said. That's an increase from the 7,502 summer students in 2001, but less than the 8,200 students taking summer classes in 2003.

She said that in fact summer enrollment at OU has remained relatively stable over the past 30 years.

Jorgenson said the economy most directly affects summer enrollments. A poor economy results in fewer available jobs, and fewer jobs means more students diverting their energies into summer classes.

Summer enrollment is only a fraction of fall and spring enrollment. Fall 2005 enrollment was 26,994, while there were 25,317 students enrolled in spring 2006.

Students like Olivia Cuenca, fine arts sophomore, may account for some of the decrease. She said she will work on a variety of projects but will not take formal courses before school starts again in August.

In the meanwhile, she'll keep working at the CVS pharmacy, 700 W. Main St., where she is a cashier and photo lab technician.

"I like doing the photo lab if everything goes smoothly," Cuenca said. "It's kind of a good way to stay in the field, plus I get to look at people's photos all day."

Weaver said he enjoys his job as well. Sometimes, he likes it better than school.

"Making myself come to work is a lot easier than making myself do school work," he said.

The rigors of his job usually force Weaver to reduce his hours to about nine each semester. During the summer, he doesn't intend to take any classes.

Still, he said, he'll have an advantage over others without job experience.

"You see kids who get out of college without ever having a job," he said.
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