I. ABSTRACT

The transition to hybrid learning has been fraught with difficulties, particularly for working college
students (Bashir et al., 2021). This Hermeneutic Phenomenological study attempted to describe
and interpret the lived experience and the emerging lifeworld of working college students amidst
hybrid learning. Data were investigated from seven college students through interviews,
observations, and documentary analysis. They were purposely selected provided they were
currently enrolled and employed part-time in any food industry in Cavite, Philippines. The study
revealed 47 significant statements constituting eight emergent themes, which include: 1)
Maintaining the School-Work Balance, 2) Keeping Abreast with Technology Trends, 3) Social
Engagement: A Pathway to Progress, 4) Learning Has No Limits, 5) Tired but Still Inspired, 6)
Self-Motivation is Essential to Success, 7) Faith to Walk with God, and 8) A Determined Soul is
Unstoppable. These themes were then organized according to essential elements of a lifeworld,
such as relationality, corporeality, spatiality, temporality, and materiality. In turn, these themes
were used to develop a list of best practices articulated by the participants. The implications were
discussed, further recommendations were made for working college students, and suggestions for
future research.