Working during uni

I start uni soon but im currently working. What should my working hours be? Like what seems doable and acceptable, as I still wanna work while being at uni.

Thanks !!

Reply 1

BCU Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I start uni soon but im currently working. What should my working hours be? Like what seems doable and acceptable, as I still wanna work while being at uni.
Thanks !!

Hi there!

I currently work one day a week at my retail job. As I have two full days of uni, I like to have a few days to work independently and then a day or two where I can rest too.

I would recommend you to always prioritize your uni work, but you could work more than just the one day. Maybe aim for 12-16 hours a week to start with, and could possibly increase or decrease your workload as you get used to uni. I also work as a student ambassador at uni, which is less regular hours but I can easily fit this around my studies for some extra cash.

I've now finished for the year so I'm picking up extra hours, so there's always peaks and troughs.

Good luck with starting uni!

Emily 🙂
Student Rep

Reply 2

Chronoscope

Volunteer Section Leader

Original post by Anonymous

I start uni soon but im currently working. What should my working hours be? Like what seems doable and acceptable, as I still wanna work while being at uni.

Thanks !!

Hey!
I worked during second and third year of uni. Mostly I do/did evenings or weekends. It's really what you can cope with without affecting your studying and if you're employer is willing to be flexible. Don't forget you'll need to fit in things like life admin, travelling to work, shopping, cooking etc.

For example, in second year I was doing around 3 shifts a week, I did more hours during reading weeks/holidays etc. Make sure to submit time off for Christmas/Easter in advance if you want to go home though.

In third year which is basically done now, I had to cut it right down to just weekends, as I had so much group work and coursework to do it would have been overwhelming otherwise.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 3

Anonymous #1

Original post by BCU Student Rep

Hi there!
I currently work one day a week at my retail job. As I have two full days of uni, I like to have a few days to work independently and then a day or two where I can rest too.
I would recommend you to always prioritize your uni work, but you could work more than just the one day. Maybe aim for 12-16 hours a week to start with, and could possibly increase or decrease your workload as you get used to uni. I also work as a student ambassador at uni, which is less regular hours but I can easily fit this around my studies for some extra cash.
I've now finished for the year so I'm picking up extra hours, so there's always peaks and troughs.
Good luck with starting uni!
Emily 🙂
Student Rep

Thank you! I was thinking of 12-16 hours too but was super unsure! Appreciate this 🌟🌟

Reply 4

Anonymous #1

Original post by Chronoscope

Hey!
I worked during second and third year of uni. Mostly I do/did evenings or weekends. It's really what you can cope with without affecting your studying and if you're employer is willing to be flexible. Don't forget you'll need to fit in things like life admin, travelling to work, shopping, cooking etc.
For example, in second year I was doing around 3 shifts a week, I did more hours during reading weeks/holidays etc. Make sure to submit time off for Christmas/Easter in advance if you want to go home though.
In third year which is basically done now, I had to cut it right down to just weekends, as I had so much group work and coursework to do it would have been overwhelming otherwise.

So it seems like I’ll be changing my shifts quite a bit! I appreciate you sharing this information!! Thank you 🌟🌟

Reply 5

UCLan Student

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I start uni soon but im currently working. What should my working hours be? Like what seems doable and acceptable, as I still wanna work while being at uni.
Thanks !!

Hi there!

This really depends on your degree, if you have a degree that doesn't require as much self-study time, you could probably do a few shifts a week! It definitely depends on your degree, the hours of your job etc!

I currently work a few hours a week and I'm studying medicine which is quite a heavy degree!

I hope this helps,
Rebecca, UCLan

Reply 6

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I start uni soon but im currently working. What should my working hours be? Like what seems doable and acceptable, as I still wanna work while being at uni.
Thanks !!

Hi there,

I would also agree that this depends on what you are studying and how often you will be in uni with your course. Some courses require you to be in uni every day, some only a couple of days in the week so when you know this you will have a better idea of how many hours you can realistically work.

You will also have weekends off of course so even if you were in uni every day and you still wanted to work you could do, however I would say make sure you have time to rest too as it is important to get this time to yourself! This will mean you will perform better at uni if you are not burnt out from being busy every day. You could look into getting a job which would allow you to work evenings too as you could do this after uni which would mean you get more days to yourself.

I would say that a realistic amount of hours to work a week would be around 12 as this would give you a decent amount of money but would also allow you time to go to uni, study, see your friends and have some time to relax too. You could try and get a job as a student ambassador as this is really flexible and allows you to pick up some shifts around your uni hours which is good for some extra money and you can do as much or little as you want.

I hope some of this helps,

Lucy -SHU student ambassador :smile:

Reply 7

StudentRoost Rep

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I start uni soon but im currently working. What should my working hours be? Like what seems doable and acceptable, as I still wanna work while being at uni.
Thanks !!

Hi there,
Many universities recommend that you don't work more than 20 hours a week during term time (unless you're an international student on a Tier 4 VISA, in which case you have additional restrictions). I'd recommend looking at part time jobs that you can flexibly fit around your studies, if you're unable to fit your current role around uni work. On campus jobs are usually perfect for this, as there are often temporary or seasonal opportunities available.

Hope this helps.

-Nicky

Reply 8

WrexhamUniReps

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I start uni soon but im currently working. What should my working hours be? Like what seems doable and acceptable, as I still wanna work while being at uni.
Thanks !!

Hi there 👋,

It completely depends on your type of course and any other personal hobbies, etc.

Suppose you are doing a course that contains placement hours it, your timetable will be quite heavy. However, by making yourself a timetable weekly and managing your time wisely, you may be able to have a job that is flexible with your course type. Another thing to consider is that universities often offer jobs that are 0-hour contracts that work well around studies.

Make sure you allow yourself time to relax!

I hope this helps.
Hannah - MH Nursing Student
WrexhamUniReps

Reply 9

Uni of Southampton Students

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I start uni soon but im currently working. What should my working hours be? Like what seems doable and acceptable, as I still wanna work while being at uni.
Thanks !!

Hi there,

I think working while studying at university is definitely feasible with good time management. I would recommend you to always ensure that studies and university work is your primary focus. You should take into consideration your degree and its academic workload, terms of your job and your preferences. This will help you to find the right balance that works for you.

Personally, I found that working 10-12 hours per week during my first year was manageable. Something that really helped me was making a weekly plan to balance lectures, assignments and work.

Part-time jobs that are flexible in terms of hours and days of work are usually the ideal choice for students. Jobs on campus, such as student ambassador roles or working for the students union can be a good option.

Please always remember to take enough rest and make time to enjoy with your friends or pursue hobbies.

I hope this helps!

If you have any further questions, please feel free to post your questions and I will be happy to get back to you as soon as possible.

Thank you,
Akshita Gupta
(University of Southampton Student Rep)

Reply 10

CardiffUni Rep

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I start uni soon but im currently working. What should my working hours be? Like what seems doable and acceptable, as I still wanna work while being at uni.
Thanks !!

Hi there,

Having worked many student jobs, I think that the best options are flexible jobs. Then you can take time off to visit home, do exams or enjoy freshers week without being hounded to go in to work. I've recently written this blog on the best flexible jobs for students, most of the options are relevant for all students, though the blog is specific to Cardiff. I hope that helps!

All the best,
Jaz - Cardiff student rep