Lazy Students? A Study of Student Time Use

We set out a two-period optimising model examining the economic forces determining allocation of time by students between study, paid work and leisure. We show that, provided the intertemporal elasticity of substitution is less than one, high prospective earnings will be a disincentive to study. Data collected from four English universities in 2000 and 2001 show this effect to be present. Lower study time is associated with higher prospective earnings.