part time jobs and uni

is it hard to balance a job and uni?
dentistry specifically

Reply 1

is it hard to balance a job and uni?
dentistry specifically

Hi @handsome-gypsy ,

I studies BSc (Hons) Forensic Science and was able to work along side my degree. Many universities have jobs within campus, meaning it's very flexible. i.e. ambassador role. Most universities have a Job/Career advisor section, which you'll be able to talk to as they may be able to find jobs nearby, or tailor jobs and/or work experience related to the degree you will be doing.
I think it is possible to do both, it requires a lot of time management and recognising priorities within the year.

I hope this was able to help a bit.

Best Wish
Kaprice R [3rd Year - BSc (Hons) Forensic Science]
LSBU Rep

Reply 2

StudentRoost Rep

Official Rep

Original post by handsome-gypsy

is it hard to balance a job and uni?
dentistry specifically

Hi there,
Hopefully somebody who has experienced working while studying your specific course can advise further but it's certainly possible to balance a part time job with uni. I'd recommend looking into part time jobs that you can flexibly fit around your studying. On campus jobs are usually perfect for this and temporary or seasonal vacancies are usually available.

Hope this helps!

-Nicky

Reply 3

ARUStudents

Official Rep

Original post by handsome-gypsy

is it hard to balance a job and uni?
dentistry specifically

Hi @handsome-gypsy,

It is possible to have a part time job whilst studying at university. The key for me has been to get a job that is flexible and figure out how to balance my time. You can try looking at part time jobs around the area and see if anything seems like they could provide you that flexibility. Weekend jobs are usually a pretty good start. Also most universities provide an employability service to support you in getting a job, and universities also usually have jobs around campus. You could also see if your student union also has any jobs (as they are separate from the uni).

I hope this helps 🙂

Susannah, ARU

Reply 4

handsome-gypsy

Original post by ARUStudents

Hi @handsome-gypsy,
It is possible to have a part time job whilst studying at university. The key for me has been to get a job that is flexible and figure out how to balance my time. You can try looking at part time jobs around the area and see if anything seems like they could provide you that flexibility. Weekend jobs are usually a pretty good start. Also most universities provide an employability service to support you in getting a job, and universities also usually have jobs around campus. You could also see if your student union also has any jobs (as they are separate from the uni).
I hope this helps 🙂
Susannah, ARU

Thanks so much!

Reply 5

WrexhamUniReps

Official Rep

Hi there.

I think I have achieved a balance of work and study so I can reply to your question.

When I was in university I worked as a student ambassador, this part time job is not very busy in comparison, most of the time it is based on my time, I sign up for work myself, so when I have a lot of assignments I don't sign up for any work and just study at home, but when I'm busy I'm very actively involved in the activities. Although the income from this job is not as stable, I usually feel that I have achieved a work-life balance.

During holidays I apply for a more formal job, such as an internship in a company. Because I have more free time during the holidays, I spend all my time doing formal work and putting into practice all the knowledge I have learnt at university.

I think dentistry is a difficult profession to learn, so if you're willing to work at university, ask your school's career department and I think they'll offer you that opportunity. On the other hand, if you don't really want to work at university, besides asking the career department, I think it's also a good idea to ask the company directly on the job search apps, but make sure to clarify your working time with the company, such as working more on weekends, or working on the days you don't have classes, so that's a way to achieve a balanced study life and work.

These are my thoughts on your question, I hope it solves your problem.

Yu
Wrexham University Student Rep - 3rd Year Media Production student

Reply 6

handsome-gypsy

Original post by WrexhamUniReps

Hi there.
I think I have achieved a balance of work and study so I can reply to your question.
When I was in university I worked as a student ambassador, this part time job is not very busy in comparison, most of the time it is based on my time, I sign up for work myself, so when I have a lot of assignments I don't sign up for any work and just study at home, but when I'm busy I'm very actively involved in the activities. Although the income from this job is not as stable, I usually feel that I have achieved a work-life balance.
During holidays I apply for a more formal job, such as an internship in a company. Because I have more free time during the holidays, I spend all my time doing formal work and putting into practice all the knowledge I have learnt at university.
I think dentistry is a difficult profession to learn, so if you're willing to work at university, ask your school's career department and I think they'll offer you that opportunity. On the other hand, if you don't really want to work at university, besides asking the career department, I think it's also a good idea to ask the company directly on the job search apps, but make sure to clarify your working time with the company, such as working more on weekends, or working on the days you don't have classes, so that's a way to achieve a balanced study life and work.
These are my thoughts on your question, I hope it solves your problem.
Yu
Wrexham University Student Rep - 3rd Year Media Production student

Thank you so much!

Reply 7

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by handsome-gypsy

is it hard to balance a job and uni?
dentistry specifically

Hi,
Whilst I don't study dentistry myself, I have found that most student are able to balance part time work with their studies. I'd say the key is to find a flexible job. The university itself may have some part time jobs open to students and these tend to be the most flexible as they understand that student might not want to work in exam seasons ect.
Hope this helps,
-Jasmine (Lancaster Student Ambassador)

Reply 8

Tracey_W

Original post by handsome-gypsy

is it hard to balance a job and uni?
dentistry specifically

Hi

Yes it is possible to balance both university and working part-time jobs.

Obviously you'll probably be at the university Monday to Friday and if you are on any placements you'll also work hopefully Monday to Friday as most dental practices don't open weekends.

I would probably concentrate more on working part-time job at the weekends but only yourself will know if you are capable of doing anything during the week after finishing up at university or placement.

I juggled both a midwifery degree and working part-time in retail throughout my three years of my degree ( unfortunately for me I was already established in working in retail as was full-time employee but went part-time when I started my degree). I worked at weekends during university studying weeks and then when I was doing my placement on maternity wards I was able to work my days off with working in the supermarket as I had my monthly rota to allow me to arrange my days working with the supermarket.... I picked up extra shifts in the supermarket if I was able to work them but the main point for you is flexibility with a good manager for whoever you work for. You do tend to see a lot of employers ( managers) being very helpful with students to accommodate them and unfortunately you have those managers who don't care about students studying as only interested in making sure they meeting there weekly/ monthly targets.

Good luck with things 👍 👍 👍

And I have graduated as a midwife away back in summer 2019.

Reply 9

UCLan Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by handsome-gypsy

is it hard to balance a job and uni?
dentistry specifically

Hi @handsome-gypsy,

It is definitely possible to balance working whilst at university. I worked part time in retail during most of my studies and managed to create a nice balance. I'd make sure when you come to apply for any job to let them know your situation and look for roles that offer flexibility. Many students I knew worked evenings or weekends so this didn't clash with any classes.

As mentioned above many universities recruit student ambassadors throughout the year, these are paid roles which offer a lot of flexibility so might be worth considering. If you are needing support with looking and applying for part time jobs at university, the careers team will be able to help you so it's worth reaching out.

I hope this helps and best wishes ^Sarah

Reply 10

UCLan Student

Official Rep

Hello,

My name is Haya and I am a final year medic.

Balancing a part time job and uni can come be difficult but it is definitly not impossible, infact it is good practice for when you are working and still have to complete exams (as a health care professional it never ends).

You need to have good time management and my advice would be to work in university as a student ambassador or work in jobs that have a zero hour contract. This allows you with flexibility to work only when you have time.

Try to focus more in class just in case you do get any hard days at work and dont have time to come back and study, you would me somewhat covered from what you learned in class.

Remember that at the end of the day your priority is your degree!!!

Best of luck,
Haya- MBBS V

Reply 11

handsome-gypsy

thank you so much everyone !
I really appreciate it

Reply 12

Kingston Reps

Official Rep

Original post by handsome-gypsy

is it hard to balance a job and uni?
dentistry specifically

Hey, @handsome-gypsy!

Balancing full-time education with a part-time job isn't always easy, but it's certainly possible! To prevent burnout and keep your grades up, however, you ideally want to keep your work and university schedules fairly separate. Find out when your dentistry lectures/workshops are, and see if your shifts can be organised around them - as mentioned above, weekend jobs are always a great option for students, as are jobs with evening hours.

If they have jobs available, consider working within your university as well! Lots of universities offer on-campus jobs in cafes and libraries, or recruit students to help out with open days. These jobs are ideal, as they're very flexible with out-of-term/course commitments, and can usually be picked up at relatively short notice. 😊

Best of luck with the upcoming job hunt!
Eve (Kingston Rep).