Many students don’t realise just how expensive life as a student can be until they arrive at University. Food, drinks, going out with friends, sports club memberships, cinema trips and not to mention text books and library fines can all add up really quickly when you’re on a budget!
That’s why a lot of students decide to get a part time job to help them manage their finances and earn some extra money to enjoy additional luxuries like going out with friends and socialising. However, moving to University and living independently for most likely the first time in your life can be overwhelming enough as it is without even taking into account the academic workload, let alone a part time job as well!
We’ve put together our top tips on how to manage life as a student when you’ve got a part time job so that you can have the chance to earn some extra money whilst still securing top marks in your academic studies!
Our top tips to manage student life and a part time job
1. Set yourself limits
As a student it is important to remember that your academic studies are the most important goal you should be focussing on at this moment in time. Whilst a part time job can be a great addition to a CV and can allow you to earn some extra money, it is important to ensure that it does not come at the expense of your academic success.
Decide how many hours you need to dedicate to your studies on top of timetabled classes and lectures and then figure out how much free time this leaves you with. It is important to give yourself down time too, so make sure your part time job hours are not too demanding and are manageable during term time on top of all your other commitments.
2. Time management
Once you’ve completed step 1, and set your limits on how much free time you have to dedicate to your part time job, the hard part is making sure you stick to this timetable! If you have set aside 4 hours to complete your academic work for the day before a babysitting shift that evening, then it is important you stick to your predefined schedule. Once you’ve made a commitment to a part time job, you have to stick to it, unless you want a bad reference! Of course if you find yourself overwhelmed by the amount of working hours you have taken on the it is best to review the situation and see if you can reduce your working hours during the University term time.
3. Find a job you enjoy
There’s no getting around the fact that your job will unfortunately have to take up some of your free time, so it is best to find a part time job that plays to your strengths and is something you enjoy! If you love spending time with other people then working in a restaurant or coffee shop could be a great choice, or why not try your hand at nannying and babysitting if you’re a sociable individual.
If you enjoy a particular subject or have a musical talent then perhaps tutoring could be the right solution for you as you could get paid for teaching others about your own interests. Or maybe you love animals, if so petsitting could actually be your dream job as you’re able to earn money simply for spending time with animals!
It might take a few attempts but once you’ve found a job that you enjoy it will be worth all the effort, as the hours you work won’t seem so long and tiresome if you enjoy what you’re doing.
4. Find a flexible job
Finding a position that suits your lifestyle is a major factor when searching for a part time job or a ‘side hustle’ so a position that allows for flexible hours or even better, for you to choose your own schedule is the perfect solution for a student. At Yoopies we have a number of different roles that are well suited to this description as they allow you to set your own schedule and work as much or as little as you like.
Positions that are incredibly flexible on Yoopies are babysitting jobs, petsitting jobs, dog walking jobs and especially tutoring jobs as you are even able to work from home as an online tutor.
