Help! Student unsure what to do!

catpat

Touche wrote: »

No, she lived with her parents... but she still wanted to work

I'm just saying if you're considering taking a whole year out of uni to work and get extra money then a part-time job is worth considering. It might not be ideal, of course having an extra 20 hours a week is preferable... but sometimes you just have to knuckle down.

I had a friend at uni who worked for his father's cleaning company (cleaning London buses at night to put food on their table) while attending med school during the day!

Another option you haven't considered here is letting the intercalated degree pass. Getting your medical degree. Doing FY1 and FY2. Then doing a masters full time over a year before going for specialty training. You could locum in that year and would need to work much less to earn the same money (typically £50 an hour as an SHO locum rather than £10 an hour (if you're lucky) with a part time job. You'd end up with a higher degree in the same total time, wouldn't have your funding problem in your final year and would earn more if you decided to work during your extra degree year. Worth considering IMO

Thanks, a big problem with working is the area I'm in. Rural and everyone is chasing a part time job...I expect in London I'd find something, but down here it is really difficult.

I have considered the masters after F1 and F2, but I'm still going to have the problem in my final year regardless if I intercalate or not. Once I get to fifth year of study, NHS bursary (ha) kicks in, I get none of that and the £1,800 reduced rate student loan starts. In intercalation I'd actually get more money (£2,000 as I get a book bursary from medical school) and if I worked summer before I'd pay shortfall and I'd be alright. In a way intercalating might be better as I'd have more time to apply for bursaries, and may make some money from part time work to pay for my elective. But not sure really. Basically if I don't intercalate my final year will come sooner and I have less time to get money. But I really don't know.

I can't see how I'm going to pay for anything without taking a year out. Perhaps I ought to me more open to part time work in final year, but worried I just won't make enough money from it and would have to drop out anyway. And I really want a distinction, so not sure how that would work out...

dothebartman

catpat wrote: »

Thanks, I can see their point but the reason my grades are so high is because I spend all of my free time studying...if I took that time to work then my grades would just plummet, unfortunately I am not one of these students who can go to a lecture and it just sticks, I have to really work at it! I've worked during my summers and I did work weekends during my first term of first year, but had to quit as I was falling behind with work. I must admit I am always in awe of my fellow students who can work part time and go to placements (but I must admit I know no students in my year working part time and anyone who did it beforehand didn't turn up to placements and had much worse grades). And a few extra hours a week isn't going to cover all the costs I need to cover...will cover some, but still would be pointless if I couldn't afford my food bill as all my part time work costs went on my rent

But I think I may give the loan application a go; once I get application I will go to bank to talk about applying and what they think my chances of acceptance are.

Erm... did you read my message? i was telling you not to get additional work. Catpat, you really seem to be finding all sorts of reasons to stress out before you try the application for a loan, i mean really just do it tomorrow and you could have a loan and be sorted in a day or two. or carry on with the hand-wringing.

catpat

dothebartman wrote: »

Erm... did you read my message? i was telling you not to get additional work. Catpat, you really seem to be finding all sorts of reasons to stress out before you try the application for a loan, i mean really just do it tomorrow and you could have a loan and be sorted in a day or two. or carry on with the hand-wringing.

Yes, I understood that you recommended not working and I was just explaining why I thought not working wasn't a good idea for me.

And sorry, I didn't explain before but the Professional and Career Development Loans are also different in terms of application; you have to wait for a form from DirectGov and you can't apply for the loan until a month before your "course starts". Which in my case would be the month before my final year after intercalation; I'm not eligible if studying for my first degree, but when I phoned they said applying after intercalation would be worth a go as technically my final year would be finishing a second degree. Sorry, it isn't the same as the loan that you took out a few years ago. Also a max of £10,000 (which is fine in my case, but would have to justify my elective in spending).

Leew1231

I just wanted to say good luck. It is tough being a student, especially without parental help. I think you will have to get a weekend job. It is 2 years, it will be a hard slog but it will be worth it.

Just a thought, I know it was a while ago, but Stephen Hawking got some sort of university grant/funding. I don't know where to look, but the country needs people like you who are willing to dedicate so much of their young life studying and researching. If you take a year out it is highly likely you won't go back so do whatever you can to stick at it. One year or two of study is not long at all. Although it won't feel like it when you are going through such hardship.

debrag

Why do you need £3000 to commute and £5000 for rent? I take it you don't live near the uni.

catpat

Hi, £3000-4000 commute into London from Essex (yes, really is that expensive!) No alternatives closer to home and away from home would be more expensive (£4000 for accommodation alone).

And £5000 rent would be my final year away from home (and that is rent, including bills).

debrag

You could actually find a house share including bills in London for around £5000 saving you £3000. I used to pay £400 a month.

So you don't live at home or near uni?

Piratipper

I used to live with 3 medics a few years ago so I understand your problems, working during termtime isn't really a option.
Get yourself down to the uni and apply for some 'access to learning' money. One of my medic mates, would turn up once a year with a few bank statements (showing most of his money going on booze and online poker), and get around £2k with a minumum of questions asked, and then go travelling in the summer on that. At the time, and at my uni, they had more money than they could give away.

I imagine the situation might have changed since 2008 with cuts etc but seeing as your situation is a bit more genuine it's worth a shot.

catpat

debrag wrote: »

You could actually find a house share including bills in London for around £5000 saving you £3000. I used to pay £400 a month.

So you don't live at home or near uni?

Sorry, additional year I would live at home so around £3000-4000 commuting. Then year after that, living away for £5000 accommodation. So two separate years

catpat

Piratipper wrote: »

I used to live with 3 medics a few years ago so I understand your problems, working during termtime isn't really a option.
Get yourself down to the uni and apply for some 'access to learning' money. One of my medic mates, would turn up once a year with a few bank statements (showing most of his money going on booze and online poker), and get around £2k with a minumum of questions asked, and then go travelling in the summer on that. At the time, and at my uni, they had more money than they could give away.

I imagine the situation might have changed since 2008 with cuts etc but seeing as your situation is a bit more genuine it's worth a shot.

Thanks, I am going to apply for this years access fund as a "trial" run (I have a shortfall this year anyway). If I'm rejected I'll find out the reason why so I know whether I could rely on it again for final years. I think anything is worth a go at this point!