[Lukizatrus]

Hey altogether,

I am happy having received (and of course confirmed) an offer to read PPE at Balliol College (against all odds being a foreign student and currently staying abroad).

Yet, I have a question concerning financing etc.:
For me it is not easy to get the necessary means for paying the fees etc. Therefore, I am thinking about jobbing in the term holidays.
Linked to this there are two points:
Is it possible (in the sense of manageable because of the study-load) to have a part-time job next to studying in order to earn some money?
The terms occupy only 6 of 12 months in the year. Do you have to do a lot of 'homework' (essay writing, reading, learning) in the holidays or is it actually well feasible to accept a holiday job?

Thanks a lot for your answers and greetings,
Lukizatrus

[Mystic123]

No to a part-time job during term. I know a couple of people who do it because they've got college bar jobs or something like that, but I couldn't do it and manage my workload and have a social life, which I'd much rather have. Trying to read for and write 2 decent essays a week while working and having a life isn't possible in my experience. The uni discourages it for a reason.

I did have a job every vac up until final year though. Of course you have work to do most vacations, except possibly straight after exams, but then it's normally easier to manage your time.

[Lukizatrus]

Thank you for this statement.
Are there any more experiences with jobbing and studies?

[nexttime]

You have 'collections' (mock exams) at the beginning of each term and of course put anything that resembles an 'exam', even a mock one, in from of an Oxford student and they immediately go psychotic. Hence most people do tend to work quite hard in the holidays, limiting the opportunity for jobs outside of the summer.

Personally, i would only work for the last 3 or 4 days of the vac so fit in jobs easily enough. Finding such temporary employment over easter isn't all that easy, and even christmas is difficult for some people, though.

Summer is another question though - less work and a much longer holiday means things like paid internships are common amongst the PPE/E&Mists, and other subjects. A good opportunity to earn money there.