Do most University students have part time jobs?

[Talland 2016]

My daughter worked at the Co op and applied for a vacancy near Uni at another Co op
She also did waitressing when home for holidays especially over Christmas including Christmas Day
Final year she did Wetherspoons and transferred between branches
She worked all of the 4 years of uni

[Hooray4Disney]

I would encourage your DS to get a job over the Summer, rather than first year at Uni. DS works at Pizza Hut and replenishes his bank account in the holidays. He did not do a store transfer in his first year as we all felt it was important for him to socialise, make friends and manage moving out of home.

In his second year, he is talking about a store transfer. It is financially hard, if both parents earn over the threshold - we were £1600 short for the Uni accommodation, which we have paid this year. I almost resent the fact that married parents are penalised and expected to pay for their child’s education, as the loan is nowhere near enough money.

However, DS saved enough money for his food and going out for his first year. We top it up, if he asks and also send down food packages and pay for the odd Dominoes as a treat! He had budgeted and managed really well.

[not2old4disney]

I worked the whole time I was at uni - I had a pretty full on course as well, I was in lectures/classes most days from 8.30am till 5pm but if I didn't work theres no way I could have gone to uni.

[ali-s]

DS intended to get a job, he worked part time for the two and half years before he went to uni. But he's found his course is full time( Zoology), he has an hour to spare on Thursday afternoons and evenings and weekends are taken up with essays and studying.
His friend is doing a sports related course and has so much free time you wonder how they can charge the same tuition fees.

[neilhd]

Originally Posted by Hooray4Disney

I almost resent the fact that married parents are penalised and expected to pay for their child’s education, as the loan is nowhere near enough money.

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I have the same feeling. They are adults in every sense of the law, yet what they are entitled to depends on the parents - and with no real regard for the financial state of those parents. Just because you're a married couple doesn't mean you have money to burn. Mortgages, debts, outgoings and other children to pay for simply don't matter. Yet alone luxuries. I'm sure nobody would say "oh shame you have to miss a nice holiday abroad to pay for your child at Uni", but you may have other children too - and now they have to miss out.

It's ridiculous that even the massive debt they come out of Uni with isn't actually enough to cover what they need.

Glad my DD didn't go, but my DS probably will. Luckily, as the youngest, we'll have no others to worry about by then so financially it would be easier for us.

[florida2010]

I work at a University and its very mixed to be honest. If at all possible if you want to get the most out of studies then doing part time work isn’t always the best thing to do. Often part time jobs want people to be flexible and juggling this with a changing timetable can become a big issue. Do you work and cover some of your bills or do you miss out on really important academic time? No set answer to be honest.

We have lots of overseas students who are not permitted to work as overseas visitors and I’m sure being focused in their academic work more works out better.

Its a big commitment and often seeing students drop out - one main reason for this is committing too much to the part time job and income - actually defeats the whole point of the academic experience in the first place.

The cost can be somewhat crazy and if you have multiple children to help through Uni it never gets easier.

Both having multiple children going through Higher Education and working in the sector I can see both sides of the situation. No easy answer other than what works for one individual doesn’t for others.

[storm]

All DD friends have part- time jobs. Some only work during the holidays others during the term. DD has given up her retail part-time job as she's a student teacher with full-time school placement October until May. She will continue working in the holidays as an early years educator as the company who employ her are super flexible .
She stays at home so the money earned is just for her every day expenses.I refuse to fund her wine

[florida babe]

My son is in his second yr and studying law so pretty full on. He hasn’t got a job but worked full time in Amazon over the summer. We give him £70 per week for food and socialising and we also buy his clothes. I’m happy to do this as long as he works hard!

[Imagineer2802]

I was a cleaner for my four years of uni...hated it, but good money and flexible hours. The flexibility was really good..as a trainee teacher we had placements in schools every year which obviously don't allow for other jobs, and I was lucky enough to just be allowed the time off for them (unpaid of course) and then carry on when my placements were over.

[Lell]

My daughter is in her second year living away from home. She didn't work during her first year as she saved loads working the summer before she started. This year she has a job as a Barista. We pay half her accommodation.