What’s it like as a degree apprentice?

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In terms of making friends, you will meet like-minded people on your course that you could become friends with. Depending on the apprenticeship/provider you will likely have a study day once a week or block learning where you will meet with the same cohort regularly. You can also attend networking/industry events to meet other people in your sector. For making friends outside of work, you can often still attend University events as a degree apprentice such as Fresher’s or events hosted by the Student’s Union.

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Degree apprentices don’t typically live in halls and it’s important to know that you won’t have a student loan as your employer pays for you. Doing a Degree Apprenticeship enabled me to buy my first home! It's common for degree apprentices to live with parents/guardians, in rented accommodation, or in their own homes.

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Your salary will be set by your employer, and that means it can vary from employer to employer. You must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage for your age bracket. If you budget carefully, you can afford a good quality of life. You can also still get student discounts as a degree apprentice!

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Again, work/life balance will depend on the employer, but I found the workload manageable and it all paid off in the end. My main tip is to start your assignments as soon as they are set.