Being a student is expensive, there’s no denying that. While there is the ever running joke that all students live off of ramen noodles and are perpetually broke, it’s also possible for you to work a part-time job alongside your studies to help pay your rent on time and to be able to treat yourself to VKs in the club every week.
For some people, getting a job at university isn’t so much a choice as a necessity, in which case this article probably is not for you and you should get searching for jobs ASAP! This was definitely the case for me. Although I’m very fortunate to receive some financial support from my parents, and receive a student loan, I knew that I wanted to get a job at university in order to be able to enjoy a social life and save up some money for after I graduate.
If you are weighing up whether to get a job at university or just stick to your summer job back home, here are some of the most important things you need to consider.
Location
While I am incredibly lucky to have found a job that allows me to work from home, during my first year of university I was desperate for extra cash and landed myself a job in leaflet distribution. I cannot stress enough how much this job sucked. I would have to haul myself out of bed at five am, get the bus into town then walk to the city centre, where I would stand for four hours in the freezing cold as I watched people around me duck into the forgiving warmth of the H&M right next to where I was standing. And my goodness, I hated them for it. One time, while on shift, I even got spat on. In the middle of a pandemic.
If you’ve made it through my ramble, you will have got my point that location is important. If you don’t have a car at university, you will have to either walk or get public transport to work. That can be costly in both time and money, so it is vital to include this in your decision making. If your town doesn’t have a great public transport network, or your place of work is far away from any bus stops, you may even have to get a taxi or an Uber.
Safety is also something to take into consideration. If you are working late at night, can you get home safely? You don’t want to be left having to walk home alone in the dark after work as, sadly, the world is still a very dangerous place, particularly for women. Sometimes, you could even end up paying a whole hour of pay towards getting yourself a lift home, in which case, that job probably isn’t a very cost effective option.
Does it fit into your studies?
I know, I know, I sound like your parents right now. But this is something you need to consider. While you may be seriously strapped for cash and need a job, it’s important to get one that fits around your studies and still allows you to do your best academically. If the point of getting a job is to get you through uni, what’s the point in getting one that results in you failing your degree?
Can you get a job on campus?
Pretty much every university will have a whole range of jobs available on campus. This could be working as a bartender or wait-staff in your student union bar, working as a student rep for halls or for your degree course, or even working as a barista in the Starbucks or Costa where you spend all your money during term time.
Working on campus means that you won’t have a long commute to work and, usually, they will be understanding of the fact that you are a student and may offer some shift flexibility around exam periods. It’s also a great chance to meet other students, as everyone knows that some of your best friends in life can be made at work chatting about the customers and complaining about your boss.
My experience
My experience working while at university (leaflet distributing aside) has been pretty positive. I work three afternoons a week as a freelance journalist which I absolutely love, so my advice would be: If you can find a job you are passionate about, your life will be infinitely better. However, I know that not everyone has that luxury and I am in a small minority. As a final year, I won’t deny that I have found it stressful balancing my job with my degree. But working from home means that I don’t spend time commuting to work or have long shifts on my feet tiring me out.
Overall, although I’ve sometimes had to miss out on social events and have spent many a late night scrambling to finish my assignments, I would recommend getting a part time job at university. It will look good on your CV, will teach you to manage your time better, is great preparation for life after you graduate, and it is also great to have extra cash.
Plus, when you finish your shift, you will have money to spend going out with your friends and eating cheesy chips at 3am. Isn’t that what uni is all about?
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