Working during university

1

So I'm starting studies on the 30th of September and I work at a supermarket (Lidl), I've agreed to work Wednesdays (1-11pm), Saturdays (1-11pm) and Sundays (10am-8pm). I was wondering if this is way too much because I'm only in for uni 3 days a week but I have 6 hours of lecture time in total. I'd also like to balance gym (I go for an hour 30 max), and was wondering if this is doable at all or I'm just being delusional. I am pretty disciplined so I would sleep earlier 8-9pm and wake up early mornings like 4-5am to study etc then go gym and uni. What does everyone else think?

Reply 1

Kdipstar

9

It's doable but not easy. Give it a go and see how you get on. 6hrs of lectures for 9k a year is slightly depressing. If you want to you will make it work. Good luck

Reply 2

mike23mike

16

most unis recommend no more than 20 hours pt work a week. More than that and you will end up falling behind.

Reply 3

WrexhamUniReps

Official Rep

16

Original post

by zh5525

So I'm starting studies on the 30th of September and I work at a supermarket (Lidl), I've agreed to work Wednesdays (1-11pm), Saturdays (1-11pm) and Sundays (10am-8pm). I was wondering if this is way too much because I'm only in for uni 3 days a week but I have 6 hours of lecture time in total. I'd also like to balance gym (I go for an hour 30 max), and was wondering if this is doable at all or I'm just being delusional. I am pretty disciplined so I would sleep earlier 8-9pm and wake up early mornings like 4-5am to study etc then go gym and uni. What does everyone else think?

Hi

I think that you should try and develop a routine with your new schedule, and try and see if it is actually manageable for yourself, whilst balancing studies/ socialising.

I think with hard work and resilience, it will work for you.

Good luck!

I hope this helps,

Matt
Wrexham Uni Reps

Reply 4

Uni of Southampton Students

Official Rep

16

Original post

by zh5525

So I'm starting studies on the 30th of September and I work at a supermarket (Lidl), I've agreed to work Wednesdays (1-11pm), Saturdays (1-11pm) and Sundays (10am-8pm). I was wondering if this is way too much because I'm only in for uni 3 days a week but I have 6 hours of lecture time in total. I'd also like to balance gym (I go for an hour 30 max), and was wondering if this is doable at all or I'm just being delusional. I am pretty disciplined so I would sleep earlier 8-9pm and wake up early mornings like 4-5am to study etc then go gym and uni. What does everyone else think?

Hey @zh5525,

First of all, Congratulations on starting your university journey soon and getting a part-time job! 🎉

I think balancing university, part-time job, gym and personal time is definitely doable. All it requires is good time management and planning. You should always ensure that academics remains your top priority. During my first year, I found working 10-15 hours per week to be convenient. Part-time jobs that are flexible in terms of hours and days of work are usually the popular choice for students.

It might be a good idea to maintain a planner diary or a digital calendar to keep a track of your assignments, lectures, exams and work. This becomes really helpful in ensuring you don't miss out on anything. You can try to plan your weeks in advance, blocking out time for work, lectures, studying, gym, socialising with your friends and other things.

Also, please remember to prioritise your health and give yourself enough off time. If you feel like your overall workload is getting a bit too much to handle - don't hesitate to make adjustments to your schedule. Your mental and physical health is the most important.

I hope this helps!

All the best,
Akshita
(University of Southampton Student Rep)

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 5

Muttley79

20

Original post

by zh5525

So I'm starting studies on the 30th of September and I work at a supermarket (Lidl), I've agreed to work Wednesdays (1-11pm), Saturdays (1-11pm) and Sundays (10am-8pm). I was wondering if this is way too much because I'm only in for uni 3 days a week but I have 6 hours of lecture time in total. I'd also like to balance gym (I go for an hour 30 max), and was wondering if this is doable at all or I'm just being delusional. I am pretty disciplined so I would sleep earlier 8-9pm and wake up early mornings like 4-5am to study etc then go gym and uni. What does everyone else think?

Two shifts is enough ... how will you research for essays etc.?

Reply 6

LancashireRep1

Official Rep

16

Original post

by zh5525

So I'm starting studies on the 30th of September and I work at a supermarket (Lidl), I've agreed to work Wednesdays (1-11pm), Saturdays (1-11pm) and Sundays (10am-8pm). I was wondering if this is way too much because I'm only in for uni 3 days a week but I have 6 hours of lecture time in total. I'd also like to balance gym (I go for an hour 30 max), and was wondering if this is doable at all or I'm just being delusional. I am pretty disciplined so I would sleep earlier 8-9pm and wake up early mornings like 4-5am to study etc then go gym and uni. What does everyone else think?

Hey there! 👋

My name is Siobhan and I am a third year student who is doing Physiotherapy at UCLAN 👩*🎓

I would say that a job is definitely doable when at uni as I personally have been able to do uni 4 times a week with a job and go to the gym too!

It is great if you’re disciplined and you feel as though you can do this but I would recommend to reflect on the situation if it is taking too much energy out of you in about 2-3 weeks.

Things may pop up within the week such as medical appointments or socials and if you have a lot of commitments then it might be hard to fit more in, but you will be able to figure this out as you go along 😊

From my experience, here’s a few things I can recommend for a busy lifestyle:

Get a timetable to visualise your plan and see when you’ll have time off ⏳A diary works best for me but a calendar works too 📅

Get enough sleep! As you said you already have a plan for when you are going to bed and unwind but I would recommend that on the days that you’re working late to maybe wake up later so that you can have your full attention for uni work! 💤😴

Make sure you give yourself a break though! Find something that you can do to relax as the last thing you would want is to be burnt out, especially when it comes to exam season! 😌🧘

Hope that has helped and I wish you the best of luck with Uni!! Please let me know if you have any more questions at all 😁

-Siobhan (3rd year Physiotherapy student at UCLAN)

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