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working during your degree

Hi guys, are you planning on working while you study? Do you think you'll manage? I want to do biomed at one of the London unis and I am a little worried whether I will have time to work?

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You won't have time during the week realistically. Weekends maybe depending on how organised you are during the week. I worked weekends in my first and second years but didn't manage it in my final.
Reply 2
Original post by alleycat393
You won't have time during the week realistically. Weekends maybe depending on how organised you are during the welek. I worked weekends in my first and second years but didn't manage it in my final.

Oh that's too bad :frown:. How many contact hours did you have?
I'm doing biochem at Uni of Nottingham, I'm only in first year and I haven't had time for a job. saying that I am quite lazy and disorganised so I guess if you got all your work done in the week you might have time at the weekend.
Reply 4
Original post by shiva300
I'm doing biochem at Uni of Nottingham, I'm only in first year and I haven't had time for a job. saying that I am quite lazy and disorganised so I guess if you got all your work done in the week you might have time at the weekend.

So you def don't have time to work during weekdays? Man I was hoping to work evenings and weekends :frown:. It may sound stupid but how many days a week do you attend uni? Monday to Friday or do you have any of those days off?
Original post by karzen
Hi guys, are you planning on working while you study? Do you think you'll manage? I want to do biomed at one of the London unis and I am a little worried whether I will have time to work?


I wouldn't recommend it unless you need the money. You want to give your studies the best possible chance at succeeding and working a part time job will only distract you amongst the other gazillion things you can do as a past time at uni.
Reply 6
I did a 4 year life sciences honours degree and worked 25 hours in first and second year (week nights and weekends), 15 hours in third year and 12 hours in fourth year (mainly weekends by this point because I was busy with sport during week nights)

It's definitely possible and much easier than people starting uni think.


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Original post by karzen
So you def don't have time to work during weekdays? Man I was hoping to work evenings and weekends :frown:. It may sound stupid but how many days a week do you attend uni? Monday to Friday or do you have any of those days off?


Definitely not weekdays, I get one day off a week which for me this semester luckily is friday! I have between 2-6 hours a day at uni but there is so much work to do, you have to do about the same hours at home as you do in lectures really if you want to do well, and essays etc. on top of that. Obviously it depends on the individual and your course, you might be able to juggle it so you can manage:smile:
I did Law and really needed to work but just didn't have the time due to the workload (ridiculous amounts) now I'm switching courses, I'm hoping my workload will be dramatically lower so I can work evenings / weekends.
It just depends on your workload, and how you manage your time.
Reply 9
Original post by LSD
I did a 4 year life sciences honours degree and worked 25 hours in first and second year (week nights and weekends), 15 hours in third year and 12 hours in fourth year (mainly weekends by this point because I was busy with sport during week nights)

It's definitely possible and much easier than people starting uni think.


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Man thank you so much! I was planning on working both evenings and weekends and all the holidays that are school-free. I am from outside the UK and really need to work to even go to uni in UK. So that's really reassuring.

But do you think it's possible if I have to have really good grades? I mean I want to go into GEM after biomed so it had to be at least 2.1.
Reply 10
Original post by soanonymous
I did Law and really needed to work but just didn't have the time due to the workload (ridiculous amounts) now I'm switching courses, I'm hoping my workload will be dramatically lower so I can work evenings / weekends.
It just depends on your workload, and how you manage your time.

I get ya. I am willing to do anything to find time to work and still manage to do well at uni. I can cut the going out and joining the societies part, I amstaying in a private accommodation with a friend of mine so all I really care about is getting at least 2.1, working and spending some time with my friend.
Original post by soanonymous
I did Law and really needed to work but just didn't have the time due to the workload (ridiculous amounts) now I'm switching courses, I'm hoping my workload will be dramatically lower so I can work evenings / weekends.
It just depends on your workload, and how you manage your time.



Which university ?
Reply 12
Original post by shiva300
Definitely not weekdays, I get one day off a week which for me this semester luckily is friday! I have between 2-6 hours a day at uni but there is so much work to do, you have to do about the same hours at home as you do in lectures really if you want to do well, and essays etc. on top of that. Obviously it depends on the individual and your course, you might be able to juggle it so you can manage:smile:

Thanks, that's reassuring :biggrin:. So you have about 15 hours of contact time, is that right?
Reply 13
Original post by karzen
Man thank you so much! I was planning on working both evenings and weekends and all the holidays that are school-free. I am from outside the UK and really need to work to even go to uni in UK. So that's really reassuring.

But do you think it's possible if I have to have really good grades? I mean I want to go into GEM after biomed so it had to be at least 2.1.


I was on the deans list for being top of my year in second and third year, averaged at least a high 2:1 every single year, finished overall with a high 2:1, did a 4 month Wellcome trust funded summer placement between 3rd and 4th year while still working my part time job. I also graduated my BSc and went straight into my PhD 3 months later. Anything's possible but it depends what kind of person you are. I like money, I like having money so I can have whatever I want. I started uni with the intention of never being a typical skint/poor student living off a loan so I worked the whole time.


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Original post by karzen
I get ya. I am willing to do anything to find time to work and still manage to do well at uni. I can cut the going out and joining the societies part, I amstaying in a private accommodation with a friend of mine so all I really care about is getting at least 2.1, working and spending some time with my friend.


If you're not too fussed about socialising, making new friends, going out, joining societies etc, then you should be fine! There are lots of people who do it, as long as you can manage your time well it'll be easy:smile:
Original post by binarythoughts
Which university ?


Kent
Reply 16
On top of that as I am from outside the UK I am not entitled to any help with living costs and I intend to go to King's which also doesn't offer help for EU students. So I either work or don't go to uni. I've also been thinking of using extra to apply to UCL as they have more diverse student support.
Reply 17
Original post by soanonymous
If you're not too fussed about socialising, making new friends, going out, joining societies etc, then you should be fine! There are lots of people who do it, as long as you can manage your time well it'll be easy:smile:

It's safe to say I am not Lol. Give me some good study buddies and that's all I want. Besides, maybe a friend or two and I am good to go :smile:. I don't really do clubbing, I am pretty boring lmao. But thank you so much, it really means a lot.
Reply 18
Original post by LSD
I was on the deans list for being top of my year in second and third year, averaged at least a high 2:1 every single year, finished overall with a high 2:1, did a 4 month Wellcome trust funded summer placement between 3rd and 4th year while still working my part time job. I also graduated my BSc and went straight into my PhD 3 months later. Anything's possible but it depends what kind of person you are. I like money, I like having money so I can have whatever I want. I started uni with the intention of never being a typical skint/poor student living off a loan so I worked the whole time.


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Well that's really really impressive. You made my day, I had been very worried about this aspect of going to uni. Can I ask what uni you went to?
Reply 19
Original post by karzen
Well that's really really impressive. You made my day, I had been very worried about this aspect of going to uni. Can I ask what uni you went to?


I went to university of Glasgow in Scotland, still there now doing my PhD :smile: my jobs were in SPAR and Primark, retail is a pretty easy one to do throughout uni!


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