Should I get a part-time job at university?
Part-time jobs at university: yea or nay?
If you are considering getting a job alongside your studies at university, you’ve come to the right place. Student jobs are an excellent way to ready yourself for the world of work — it’s a great decision for many students. But it’s also not an easy decision to make.
You are likely asking yourself many different questions:
● Will I enjoy working?
● Is there a job out there that suits me?
● What if it gets in the way of my studies?
● Do I really need the money?
To help answer your questions and aid in your decision-making, we’ve put together this list of pros and cons to working while studying. Read them below!
The pros:
There are student jobs for every kind of person. It’s not all barista and shop assistant work: there are opportunities for honing the career-defining skills you are developing at university too. Whether it’s freelance, shift work or something else, there’s likely the perfect student job to suit you!
Getting a job while at university is also great experience for when you do enter the working world full-time. By balancing your personal life with your professional life and studying as the main focus, you will learn a lot about life and who you are as a person. Not to mention, you will be honing a craft and working for something you believe in.
The elephant in the room is, of course, money. You may need it, or you may not. It may be that your family or university is supporting you with spending money, rent, food, bursaries and the like; however, there is no harm in earning a little extra cash for yourself and upping your budget. For some, even if they do not need to work to support themselves, earning while at university is a great way to build confidence and self-reliance.
Working also helps keep you in a routine, so that when the term ends, or it’s the weekend, you always have big things pencilled into your schedule. Routine is a good way to ensure you live a safe and stable life: something hugely important while at university. Routine looks different for different people but often means waking up at consistent times, getting enough sleep, ensuring to get out of the house at least once per day, doing enough exercise and, ultimately, feeling positive about oneself and the life one is building.
For international students, getting a job is a brilliant way to meet people, absorb yourself into a new culture and even develop further language skills. They always say that in order to learn a language effectively, you need to live it. And so, by being around locals in their natural environment, instinctively we pick up colloquial expressions, body language and understanding of culture. That’s not to say it needs to be done, but there is no harm in getting to know the ways of the place you live, however temporarily.
The cons:
If you’re on a visa, you may not be permitted to work in the UK. If your visa states the following, you are unable to work in the UK: ‘No work’ or ‘Work prohibited’. If you are able to work in the UK, you can’t work more than the number of hours per week you are permitted. This is very important — it would be a breach of immigration conditions and actually a criminal offence. But, if you are studying at degree level, you should find that the visa states that you are permitted to work a maximum of 20 hours per week during term time. That’s still plenty of time to work outside of studying hours!
Another potential drawback to getting a job while studying is that you could take that time to relax and recharge between days and terms. University takes a lot out of you and some students prefer to spend their downtime doing precisely that: laying low and resting. Ultimately, only you will know whether working is a good way for you to spend your extra time or not.
While working, you might miss out on experiences with friends or visiting family if they schedule activities or trips at times when you are busy. Working always means one thing — the need for good time management. That includes prioritising your organisation skills and planning around your schedule. You can plan ahead to ensure you don’t miss out on significant events and experiences while you are working.
When it comes to choosing whether to get a job while at university or not, only you can make the right choice. Take into consideration the pros and cons above, as well as what it is you hope to get out of your time at university. If it’s an increased sense of responsibility, a little extra money and some experience in the working world, then go for it!
For more student tips and information, take a look through our Student Advice articles. Or, if you’re looking for your next accommodation in London, browse the quality flats available with Beaumont House.
