Working Term Time

outofdate_2

I am starting a BEd course in Sept as a mature student and had hope to work one or two afternoons at the primary school where I currently work. It would be a bit of extra money but also good for my course too.
Unfortunately my uni has said that this is not possible as the course is 'full-time' and lecture times etc. may vary. School is happy for me to move my hours around, and I only want to work about 5 hours per week.
I need some advice please - is it possible to work during term-time? Is it a bad idea to try? I was hoping not to have £22k of debts when I finish!
Thanks for any thoughts and tips!

SuperBOB

Im studying a batchelors and do 20-30 hours a week. I would say 5 hours would in no way affect your studies, and might provide a welcome break...

Snow_Angel

Hi - I'm just going into my 3rd year at uni (doing physiotherapy). When we're at uni our timetables change around a lot from module to module and depending what group we are in (we're split into 6 groups and our timetables are all slightly different). Sometimes we're in uni 9 - 5, but only have 4 hours contact time but it's split up during the day. However, we get our timetables fairly well in advance so can arrange things around the times we're in.

Also, as you're doing a BEd, will you have to do school experience? Will this be full-time? On my degree we have to do clinical placements where we work in a hospital full-time for 5 weeks at a time - we have 3 placements next year and therefore it'd be difficult to get part time work during the day in term times as we wouldn't be able to work for 5 weeks straight at various times during the year.

However, most unis give students Wednesday afternoons off traditionally for sports. Will yours be doing this? Maybe you could work on Wednesday afternoons?

I personally work casual hours - I help out the uni with open days and preview days for our course and I also have a casual part-time job which is just evenings and weekends (nothing dodgy might I add!!!).

Hope this helps.

MinniMe_2

Hi, I am just about to enter year 5 of a masters and I ahve had a part time job every year during term time working about 8 hours a week (sometimes at the weekend or just evenings) and I am still sitting on a 1st.

I think you need something other than uni or it will drive you mad. Just keep focused and keep any holidays you get in your part-time work to use during exam time!

Eoin_McLove

Ultimately, it's not really your university's business whether or not you work. So long as you are submitting good work and not falling behind in your studies, you can do whatever you please.

I'm currently doing an MA, and my university advises that we work no more than 20 hours per week. I work 12 hours per week at Sainsbury's. One of my friends on the course is a City lawyer, and he works about 35 hours a week! Another friend works 25 hours as a literary agent.

If your school doesn't mind adjusting to your timetable, then you have every reason to work there. Ignore your university's stupid rules! They forget that some of us aren't financed by wealthy mummies and daddies!

Dead_Eye_Jones

I know many people who worked through uni, they had to. I think as long as you manage your time OK then its no problem. Simply, you may have to sacrifice some social time, which will in itself save money.

Lets be honest, 99% of students, including the pennyless ones, find enough time and money to get drunk 2-3 times a week. Was certainly true for people on my course, halls, etc throughout my 4 yrs. On that basis I have little sympathy for the time/money arguments we always hear. Sometimes in life you cant have it all, on a global scale, the opportunity to sit in a pub with a beer is a rare priviledge that only a small % of the world can actually afford to do so, yet your average student thinks its a right, neigh a necessity - kinda a sad reflection on our society imo.

Its a generalisation but I know for a fact had some of my peers made some sacrifices they would have had none of the money worries that they endured. You makes ya choices...

lol oops Im rambling, back on topic, Good Luck with ya course and job, Im sure you'll be fine !

CrispyUK

outofdate wrote:

Unfortunately my uni has said that this is not possible as the course is 'full-time' and lecture times etc. may vary. School is happy for me to move my hours around, and I only want to work about 5 hours per week.
I need some advice please - is it possible to work during term-time? Is it a bad idea to try?

I can't speak for your uni but the one thing I found difficult when trying to get work whilst down in Plymouth was that my timetable was all over the place, there wasn't a block of time that I was free for every day, every week, as some days had 9am lectures, some had 5pm lectures, some lectures only ran on certain weeks, etc! Quite confusing.

It does depend on the nature of work your doing and your employer - if they can be flexible on hours or its work that doesn't matter when in the week/day its done as long as it's done then that's a good position to be in

yeslek

you should have no problem

i currently work full time around a so called full time uni course and i manage

asnozz

CrispyUK wrote:

I can't speak for your uni but the one thing I found difficult when trying to get work whilst down in Plymouth was that my timetable was all over the place, there wasn't a block of time that I was free for every day, every week, as some days had 9am lectures, some had 5pm lectures, some lectures only ran on certain weeks, etc! Quite confusing.

It does depend on the nature of work your doing and your employer - if they can be flexible on hours or its work that doesn't matter when in the week/day its done as long as it's done then that's a good position to be in

yeah dude im in the same position as you. Im at Plymouth University too. I was working at the local VUE for a few weeks, but there shifts change weekly too, caused some major headaches

nikkif_3

im doing primary education and its pretty much 9-5 everyday! plus our lectures get moved quite often!

jennifernil

No reason you shouldn't work, but I doubt you will be able to fit in anything during school hours. As others have said, expect lectures etc to take up most of your time 9-5, and to change times each term.
You could work evenings or weekends, plenty part time stuff around.
If you want more work experience with children how about adding in some voluntary work at a special needs school. These are sometimes residential and welcome help 24/7.