Abstract:

The transition to hybrid learning has been fraught with difficulties, particularly for working college students, (Bashier et al., 2021). This Hermeneutic phenomenological study attempted to describe and interpret the lived experience and the emerging lifeworld of working college students through interviews, observations, and documnetary analyses. They were purposively selected provided that they were currently enrolled and at the same time employed on part-time basis in any food industry in Cavite, Philippines. The study revealeed 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.Those 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 in developing a list of best practices as articulated by the participants. The implications were discussed, and further recommendations were made for working college students along with suggestions for future research.