Working 9 - 5...Not as a student though

Following on from budgeting, it is almost impossible to live purely on your student loan and unfortunately that means working alongside studying. Some of the top jobs that students could consider are temp-work, pet sitting, bar work/hospitality, mystery shopper or a student ambassador. A job is a job as they say and its perfectly normal to not have a job directly related to your degree of choice whilst studying.

I worked for the same pub through college and university, and it has been said that hospitality is the most attractive and accessible sector for student work due to its zero-hour contract and flexibility.

Now, hospitality is notorious for being permanently understaffed, which leads to a heavier workload than expected. And when this becomes your problem, it slowly but surely impacts your grades. It has been said that students have had to work 10 to 40 hours per week to accommodate university expenses, which led to high amounts of stress.

This industry happens to have a high turnover rate due to high expectations of excellent service and being managed by poor management who ineffectively communicate, motivate and provide little to no feedback. But on the flip side, some bar work can be great and offer massive benefits such as tips, discounts and free food. It can be fun and introduce you to some incredible people. You might even be lucky enough to get a free drink from the punters.

As I mentioned previously, I did not have a positive experience working in hospitality whilst studying due to being put on late shifts the night before a 9am lecture. And you know what they say – once you start skipping lectures, you can’t stop. This did interrupt my focus on university work and that’s when I knew it was bad. Fortunately for me, my pub did in fact change brands and gave me the opportunity to leave. I am currently jobless, but I feel as though my focus on my degree has massively improved.

Now, I’m not advising you to walk out on your hospitality job (even if you do hate it) because living purely on your maintenance loan isn’t a permanent solution but I would recommend taking student leave during term time, even if you are a commuter. It is impossible to balance a social life, university study and part-time work because you have no breathing space for all three. Between travel costs, commute times and the boat loads of assignments, you will benefit from student leave in the long run.