Can you work whilst doing your PGCE?

My mother doesn't want me to do a PGCE (for many reasons I won't waste our time going into). I'm sure that if I don't do it now I'll not be able to afford to do it in the future, so I either do it now or end up in a job I don't want to do, OR working as a teaching assistant which, although good, is not what I want to do and is not as financially viable for me.

She thinks I should do an apprenticeship, level 2 TA. But...then I'll be stuck living at home, and I refuse to do that for longer than I have to.

Also, I just think that having got my BA(Hons) I should be doing, and want to be doing, more than settling for less. (I love TAs and look forward to volunteering with them before I start my PGCE, and I look forward to having one of my own, but I don't want to be one long-term).

Edit:
To keep her satiated, and because I'll have to sort out transport, it might be useful working a couple of hours at the weekend. Will it be feasible? How many hours might be too many? How much time will be spent on the workload for the course, outside of classes?

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 1

DerivativeName

Sorry, your title doesn't seem to match your post? You didn't mention jobs or anything.

Anyway it seems like you really want to do a PGCE so do it!

Reply 2

MrsDeWinter

Original post by DerivativeName

Sorry, your title doesn't seem to match your post? You didn't mention jobs or anything.

Anyway it seems like you really want to do a PGCE so do it!

You're right :') I've edited the question to ask what I endeavoured to find out.

Reply 3

bwilliams

Original post by MrsDeWinter

You're right :') I've edited the question to ask what I endeavoured to find out.

The PGCE is a professional degree and so, unlike others, will be full time with extras. A timetable for university sessions will be something like 9-5 on a Monday-Friday basis. There is likely to be presentations or group work and this would involve you meeting your group to prepare and study outside of this time. Similarly, your assignments and written academic work will also need to be completed outside of the timetabled day.
The rest of the time will be spent in school. This is going to, obviously, be Monday-Friday. However, you need to understand that there will be a considerable amount of work to do on the weekends. You will have admin to do for your evidence folder during your placement, planning and prep for teaching and also your university written work is likely to spill over into the time you are on placement.

I would strongly recommend that you do not work in order to fulfil a successful and worthwhile PGCE year. If you must, it would need to be no more than half a day on the weekend or evening. Baby sitting works well for some students, for example.

Reply 4

Finito

You're put in a placement for the most part and it would take up a lot of your time already.

Reply 5

SarcAndSpark

Honestly, working during the PGCE will be difficult- once you are on placement, you're in school full time, and usually doing some kind of work at the weekends. It's also really draining, and most people find that they need some downtime.

I'd suggest instead trying to find a decent job for the summer beforehand and saving up some money so that you have a financial cushion during the PGCE if you need it.

Reply 6

lozzielizzie

I wouldn’t work unless you have to. Am currently on teaching training and had a part time job between September and start of this year. I stop as it was too much to be doing both and needed to have time for myself as well as all the time spent completing the work. I was always tired, as it was a very early start job on weekends in order to have time during the day to do stuff I wanted to do. I don’t have the money coming in now but feel better in myself as now not so tired and have my weekend to use as I wish.

Can you work whilst doing your PGCE?

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