Juggling Your Studies Around Part-Time Work

by: Isabella Goode

Studies have shown that students often spend more than £800 per month on their living expenses, meaning that their maintenance loans often come up short.

As such, many students turn to part-time work to supplement their income. It can be a challenge to balance having a job, even one that only takes up a few hours of your week, with your studies, so to help I’ve put together some tips.

Create A Budget

When you decide to take on a part time job, the first thing you need to consider is how much money you need to earn in order to be comfortable. Make a budget by listing the essential payments you need to make, as well as the non-essential items or services you’d like to be able to pay for. Once you’ve worked this out, compare it to your current income and see how much extra you’ll need to enjoy a comfortable life. Even if you have enough money currently, getting a job will not only give you vital life skills but also allow you to save for any luxuries you may like or emergency expenses you may encounter.

Look For A Flexible Job

Many roles offer you flexible working hours, or even the chance to set your own hours and work from home, so try your best to find one of these jobs if you can. This will take the pressure off you and leave you free to manage your own time.

Become A Freelancer

Another way to set your own hours is to work for yourself by becoming a freelancer. If you want to work on your own terms and find jobs easily then use a freelancer platform or agency that can help guide you through the process.

Be Organised

Make sure that you never miss a deadline or shift by keeping yourself organised. There are loads of different planner apps available so that you can have your organiser with you on your phone at all times and never forget anything.

Keep Things Separate

When you’re working and studying it can be easy to mix up paperwork or equipment and turn up with the wrong thing. To avoid this, keep all of your work and study things separate from one another so they never get confused. The same goes for online data; have a separate email address for each role, and, if necessary, a separate phone for each too. This will help you to keep track of everything and ensure that you’re always prepared.

Stay Healthy

Any time you take off to recover from being ill is time that you can’t spend earning or studying, so try to minimise your sick days by staying fit and healthy. There are many ways to keep healthy while you’re studying, including eating properly, drinking plenty of water and exercising regularly.

Make Time For Fun

All work and no play isn’t very good for anyone, so make sure that you set aside time away from your studies and work to enjoy the experience of being a student. Whether it’s going out with your friends or playing your favourite sport, make sure you set aside some time dedicated specifically for doing the things you enjoy.

Get Some Transport

Travelling from work to university and home again can take a long time, so find yourself a means of transport that’s quicker than walking. Depending on where you live this might involve buying yourself a bike or taking public transport. Cars aren’t very cost effective, but they are fast, so only consider buying one if you have the money.

Find Ways To Save Time

Whether it’s making quick and easy recipes or ordering your clothes online to save wandering around the shops, find ways to save small amounts of time so that you can get everything done. Small tasks can take up a surprising amount of time, so work out how you can reduce their impact on your schedule to give yourself a few more precious hours to spend learning, earning or simply doing things you like to do.

Practice Self-Care

It’s never easy managing more than one role, so make sure you take care of yourself by following the principals of self-care. This will ensure that you’re mentally and physically capable of undertaking both your job and your studies.

The most important thing is that you look after yourself so that you’re able to complete your studies to the best of your ability. If you find yourself struggling then go to your education provider, who’ll be able to provide support and guidance so that you can make the most out of your experience and come away with the qualifications you need to achieve your dreams.