Try adding a family to the equation! (Student employment detracts from studies?)

Name: sue.51

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Product:	Student employment detracts from studies?
Date:	29/06/01 (31 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gives you a realistic view of the world, Employers will recognise the value of it, Learn new skills

Disadvantages: Can be easy to abandon studies in favour of working

There is obviously mixed opinion in this area with regards to working and studying, there are some that feel work detracts from their studies, but show me a student who spends every spare minute of their time studying, admittedly there are probably a few, but I have yet to meet one.

This op is about me, but also will hopefully give people some tips on the benefits of employment during studying.

DO I KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT?
Certainly. I returned to education at the age of 26, with a 3 year old in tow. As soon as I was accepted onto my HND course, I secured myself a bar job, starting it even before I began the course, which provided me with a good financial basis and an income of £50/week.

In addition, during holiday time, I utilised my secretarial skills to 'temp' and earn more money, whilst simultaneously working in the bar 5 nights a week. Weekends were spent with my daughter to maintain a balance of work, study and family life. The majority of my assignments (and yes there were lots) were completed during the small hours, my research and self study was done in between 18 weekly hours of lecturers in the library.

ONTO THE DEGREE
Having secured my HND, I worked for a year, and then returned onto the second year of a full-time degree. I no longer had the bar job, but worked part-time 2 hours every evening for a local business, and 2½ days a week working as a legal secretary around my lectures. In addition I worked the occasional Sunday as a switchboard operator, and used to take my books with me. I turned my part-time evening job to my advantage, and used it as the basis for a number of assignments and my thesis, finally graduating with a 2:1(Hons).

Every Saturday was spent in the library, evenings after work were spent with my daughter, and once she went to bed, I started my studies.

WAS IT EASY?
Definitely not, but I managed my time, juggled my work, spent time with the famil
y, made sure we had a holiday, and an often raucous Saturday night in the pub.

AFTERWARDS
Think studying full-time and holding down a part-time job is difficult, try working full-time and studying part-time, thats an eye opener.

My daughter is now in Comprehensive and needs less 'child-care' time, yet I work daily, take work home in the evenings, and study, exhaustion does not come into it, anyone in this column who believes MA's are handed out, think again, we have lost over 50% of our class ranging from those who cannot cope, to those who have failed.

Today I got my 1st year results, and passed, my partners quip was well you haven't done as well as before - me, I can't stop beaming, in addition to working, studying, keeping a home and family, in the last 4 months my partner has been diagnosed with cancer, my mother had an unexpected heart-attack, and I lost my job, and have been to an employment tribunal. I yearn for the care-free days when I had the choices I no longer have, yes, I earn good money, but have a standard of living to match it, when I was at University, I took nothing for granted, if I needed more money, I worked for it, if I needed to study, I adjusted my work hours, or simply slept less.

BENEFITS OF WORKING WHILST STUDYING
* Future employers recognise your ability to
manage your time
* By working, you maintain a skills base,
and probably had well develop social and
communication skills
* It shows future employers dedication and
commitment to succeed.
* You can learn new skills
* You will end up in less debt
* More money to have a beer when you go to
the pub (of course you should go), and it
will make these occasions far more special

TIPS ON FINDING A JOB
* Look before the beginning of term, there
will be less competition
* Update your 'office' skills, make sure you
are confident us
ing the telephone and are
aware of basic computer packages
* Register with agencies during the Easter
Holidays, and as soon as your exams are
over, make a real 'pain in the A**e of
yourselves, they will give you something
just to get rid of you (believe me it
works - and although you may get some
bum jobs when you start out, it proves
that you're committed, and willing to do
anything; eventually you will find
yourself getting better offers and better
pay as time goes on)

MY VERDICT
Be true to yourselves - ask the question -

"will working really affect my studies?"
or
"just hit into my drinking and sleeping time",

if the latter is true, then get your priorities right. If you have no-one but yourself to think about, work like hell during the week and get your sleep at weekends, it really will be worth it in the end, but please think twice about packing in your studies in favour of a job, as I have seen from reading here, you will, nearly always regret it.

Think about a visit to the pub when you have got a bit of spare cash, your friend is nursing ½pint, when you can actually afford to have a drink - if still in doubt - check out your campus bar, or nearest Wetherspoons for good, cheap deals, now whos having most fun? No-one is saying that University shouldn't be fun, it should, my biggest regret is I didn't do it 8 years earlier, but I was however an awful lot wiser.

It is highly unlikely that we are ever going to revert to the days when all my school-mates went to University, received grants and could sign on during the school holidays, so make the most of it, and use the experience to your advantage - what is 3 years out of your life - wait until you try working and then studying - now that is hard.

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