“I couldn’t afford to be at uni if I didn’t work,” says Mathilda Wilde, who graduated from the University of Manchester last year. “The loan didn’t cover my rent.”
Wilde worked two jobs – one as a lifeguard and one as a waitress for a catering company – during her studies; both were on zero-hour contracts. “I was under 21 so I was earning about £6.50 an hour and often working 5am to 3pm,” she says. “I was always envious of friends who could just concentrate on their studies.”
Oxbridge students are actively discouraged from working during term time, but others have no choice. More than two thirds of students rely on maintenance loans but they don’t cover all living expenses, which means those who don’t have financial support from their parents are forced to take on work.
“For many, wages from part-time work are the only way they can make ends meet,” says Sir Peter Lampl, founder and chairman of the Sutton Trust. “It’s tough and it’s often the students’ academic work that loses out.”
This year, many freshers will be asking a familiar question: how much can they work during term time before it impacts their degree – and what kind of jobs are most suitable?
Find work through your university
The best and most understanding employers tend to be universities themselves. Many have part-time jobs in cafes, bars and shops on campus. You can also work on an ad-hoc basis as a guide on open days and during freshers’ week. These will be at least minimum wage and are likely to offer a healthy number of hours to fit easily around studies.
Longer term, part-time jobs tend to provide a steady, albeit lower income. However, you may need to consider how flexible your hours will be. Wilde says that although she liked meeting people in the city, the work was often unreliable. “Once I didn’t get a shift for two months and it was too late in the year to get a new job. I was really short of money,” she says.
Be careful what you sign up for
Hannah Brown runs Manchester University’s “job shop”, which offers advice to students and advertises posts. She says “more and more students” are looking to work at university, but should be careful. Her team don’t advertise anything over 20 hours a week and their advice is not to work more than 15. “We always advertise flexible jobs and avoid anything commission-based,” she says.
Before you commit to a job, make employers aware of your timetable. “There have been numerous times where I’ve been put on the rota for a shift at the same time as a lecture or seminar,” says Josh Chapman, a third-year journalism student at Sheffield Hallam. “That can be difficult, because you miss out on information and teaching.”
Prioritise your health
Remember that you’re paying to be at uni and get a degree, so don’t waste that by running yourself into the ground. “Last year, I kept getting really run-down and ill,” says Chapman, who thinks that club and bar work can mess with sleeping patterns.
Meanwhile, jobs in retail and childcare – such as school pick-ups – offer more sociable hours. Wilde, who graduated with a first, says studying before shifts is better than being too tired to do it at the end of the day. “I had less time to play with so if had work at 1pm, I’d get up at 8am and get four hours of studying in before I went.”
Seek out career-relevant work
Students from wealthier backgrounds can use their time to do relevant voluntary work and get involved in extracurricular activities. This is one reason why socio-economic background is such a big predictor of job market success. However, Juan Garcia, employability and development adviser at Queen Margaret University, thinks part-time work that complements study can “greatly enhance” students’ employability after they graduate and they should seek paid internships.
For those who achieve this, working is one way to get ahead. Onwa Wonci, 24, went to the University of Chichester and worked 20 hours a week for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. She says it wasn’t easy but she was committed. “They offered me a grad scheme in my final year,” she says. “I wouldn’t have a job now if I hadn’t gone through those struggles.”
