Many students question whether they should look for a part-time job while they’re studying. While the possibility of having extra money seems like a no-brainer, there are other things to consider when choosing to work while at university or not. Here are a few things to get you thinking whether working is for you!
Flexibility
While you’re studying, your university work should come first and you should never end up missing lectures or seminars to go to a part-time job. Therefore, it’s a good idea to look for a job with flexible hours and check how many hours they want you to work before you start! Retail work can be especially good for this as rotas can usually be fit around your schedule.
Similarly, evening work such as in bars and restaurants can work well, although this does tend to include late nights which is something to think about! If you have a 9 am, it’s maybe best that you aren’t working until 2 am.
Time management
Another thing to consider is the amount of work you have to do outside of your timetabled hours. For example, you might only have between 6 and 8 contact hours but if you’ve got a tonne of work to do independently, it’s important that you factor that in too. Plus, remember you’re a student, so you want to make sure you have time to spend with friends. It’s important to know your limits and not bite off more than you can chew!
Making Friends
A benefit of a part-time job is that you end up widening your social circle and interact with people you possibly wouldn’t otherwise have met. Having a diverse group of friends can really help you develop as an individual and learn new things, so having the opportunity to meet lots more new people in a different environment to university can be rewarding.
Money
It’s no secret that plenty of students struggle for money. Usually, it’s the first experience of having a large sum of money in one go and it can take some time to develop a budgeting scheme. Additionally, the high cost of accommodation sometimes means that student finance barely or only just covers the rent.
Obviously, you’ve still got food to buy and possibly some course-related materials too, therefore the idea of being able to earn a little bit of extra cash seems super enticing.
Depending on how much you work, earn and spend, it also gives you the opportunity to start trying to save money aside too and it’s really best to get cracking on that early! So, as long as you’ve considered the practical sides of having a part-time job – whether it fits around your studies and you’re able to manage it, then having a job can be a good idea.
It’s good for your CV
Even if your part-time job has literally no direct links to a career you’re interested in, it can still be a great CV booster and look good to employers.
If you work alongside studying for your degree, it displays qualities such as being a self-disciplined individual, being good at time management and clearly someone who is a hard worker!
- Topics
- Part-time work
About the author
