Can someone help please? :( VERY long post.

Bennifred

Emmarillo wrote: »

I'm asking this because I have a daughter who will be in this situation in a few years. How easy is it to find holiday work nowadays? I worked in a Supermarket part time during term time and full time in the holidays, but is it impossible to find things like that now? I know several graduates who are looking for work and it worries me that my daughter won't be able to work while she does her degree as we will support her all we can but it won't be much. My daughter is only in year 9 so we have a way to go, she currently babysits for neighbours which she earns good money for. We only give her £20 a month pocket money - it seems to me the more they are given the less likely they are to want to earn it themselves.

I think how easy it is to get holiday work probably depends on where you live, as well as how determined you are! Our boys registered with temping agencies and were offered work immediately every time. One of them continued to work for the supermarket he'd worked part-time for during school - they have specific contracts for this scenario. Get your daughter to save as much as possible now - it will all help in the future.

thatlemming

I am a current uni student, just finished first year. I go to a good uni that has a very high percentage of ex-private school kids, and an awful lot of my friends were privately educated, none of them are working this summer, because their parents are there to sub them and pay out for expensive holidays etc, they paid for their rent and huuge living allowances all year.

However, I'm not ex-private school, state comp throughout, and my parents can't afford to sub me etc. I chose not to work in term time and I sold my car so I could do this. I'm working all summer, as are all the people I went to school with who went on to university. There is absolutely NO uni work to do over the summer, and this is coming from someone with a strong first and top 10% of my year, I'm not just being lazy, there's literally nothing to do for the 4 months.

So basically it's dependant on financial circumstances, but a lot of uni students do work full time over the summer, to fund next year. I could not work tbh, I've got 1100 of my student loan left that could cover my summer hols etc, and give a bit to my parents for keep but I'd rather have it for september, and just give my 'rents money from my wages.

I also got a rather good internship for 6 weeks of my holidays, and I was lucky enough to get an internship grant which covers all my costs plus a fair bit extra for those 6 weeks, so I'm getting experience as well as earning. However these are fairly rare especially for my course, I had to get 85%+ in a couple of modules to be accepted for it.

RuthnJasper

Hello Lou,

My brother and I both worked in the summers, and whenever we could, as our parents couldn't afford to fund everything. I paid for my own driving lessons and car when the time came. I'm fairly rubbish with money (and my brother is the polar opposite, SO careful!) - but mum and dad did give us the basic knowledge and skills to understand how to get by.

I lived with my parents for quite a while, paying them a minimal rent, buying my food and cooking my own meals, and doing my own washing.

It IS a steep learning curve, but it's definitely worth facing it at this stage - otherwise you may find yourselves still ferrying your daughter around when she's 30!

The boyfriend sounds like a good example - he may not feel too chuffed if he's been grafting responsibly all week while his beloved has been lazing in bed watching kid's TV and Jeremy Kyle all day...

I wouldn't go in all guns blazing, but would gently yet firmly set out what will be happening and when. I really hope you don't feel bad about going through this with your daughter - to make sure that she has the skills and sense to support herself and not live life as an eternal free-loader is actually an extremely worthwhile act of a loving, caring parent (even though she might not think so at the time). She's very lucky to have such decent parents who want to see her making the right decisions in life.

Hope all goes well. xx

j-josie

So no, we won't be paying her rent and giving her an allowance through the uni year (September 2013 to June 2014) .....But no, we aren't paying her rent and allowance for the whole year. No way could we do that. We would barely be able to support her for the 4 month holiday!

re above, I am just wondering...has she applied for her student grant/loan and does she know what her budget for the year will be? It would serve her well for you to sit with her and work out what her weekly income will be and what her expenses will be etc. It might just help her focus on the harsh financial realities of life and as someone else has said, there are a lot of upfront costs before they start their course ( especially room deposits etc).

We had been assessed as needing to pay a contribution to our DS's living costs but the reality is we have had to find significantly more than the assessed figure!

notanewuser

I think there are 2 problems here - firstly you've been far too soft and secondly she's been taking the p1ss.

I worked a minimum of 30 hours a week through GCSEs and A levels. Paid for my oen driving lessons, car, clothes, toilettries and moved out at 17 too. I paid my parents board despite rarely being there. That was 17 years ago, before tax credits and minimum wage. You've been giving her over £100 a month for doing nothing!! Ever likely she thinks you're her meal ticket!!

Shelldean

My DD was a bit like this. She managed his first yr at uni just about, on her grant and loan. Tho she did do a few days in a local stadium when they had games or shows. We always stated IF she could manage on her grant then that was fine, but not to expect any help from us, as we simply dont have it.
She lasted until just before christmas of her second yr, before she caved in and found a job in a local burger place where her younger brother works. She does a couple of shifts per week term time and more in holidays. The job she does is flexible enough that if she pushed for deadline etc she can just refuse any shifts, but equally if she is not busy she can offer herself for extra shifts. She gets half terms off, so tends to work extra during these as well as Christmas and Easter.
Her money this summer is looking much healthier as result of these shifts.
She has got a small amount of work to complete over the summer, but I'd say four day worth rather than four mths. She finished Mid May and returns early sept for third yr. So to keep her CV looking good and to help her gain work when she finishes, she is volunteering in a local school one day a week, she did two straight weeks last yr in a different school. This volunteering is in addition to her shifts

seashore22

My daughter has just finished her second year at uni. She has a zero hours contract with a retailer and works every Saturday in the store nearest to her uni and virtually full time when she comes home in the holidays. This includes the Easter and Christmas breaks as well as the summer one.

There is no way that she would be happy to sit around doing nothing for the very long holidays. She does get a bit tired sometimes but still manages to get course work done and have an active social life.

We have to support her financially while she's at uni because the student loan doesn't even cover her rent, so we don't take any cash from her during the holidays. She saves her wages to feed herself during term time instead.

neverdespairgirl

thatlemming wrote: »

I am a current uni student, just finished first year. I go to a good uni that has a very high percentage of ex-private school kids, and an awful lot of my friends were privately educated, none of them are working this summer, because their parents are there to sub them and pay out for expensive holidays etc, they paid for their rent and huuge living allowances all year.

I went to private schools, too, but I either worked or travelled in holidays, didn't just laze about for 4 months. Most of my friends did, too.

paulineb_2

When I was at uni, 25 years ago, I couldnt find summer work. I tried, shops, supermarkets, couldnt find anything. I live in an area of high unemployment. I had one paid placement at uni after my second year and at that time, which was in the early 90s, we were in a similar situation than now, very few jobs.

Things were different then re grants and loans, I got a grant which covered my travel and books and my mum paid some parental contribution, that was assessed as well.

I didnt expect my mum to pay for everything for me, but she obviously fed me and didnt take rent because there was no way what I had would have had enough left over to do so. And when I left uni I was 3 years unemployed because having my degree didnt help my job prospects. I eventually got some part time work working with young people, like 9 hours a week and that gave me enough experience to be accepted for a post grad and from then I managed to find full time work.

Its hard out there at the moment for a lot of people jobs wise, but the fact is, your daughter already has a part time job and I presume she could get more hours.

If I were her, I wouldnt be making summer plans. Id be trying to get my working hours increased even to 3 or 4 days a week for the summer and putting aside some money for when she goes to uni.
Because even with a maintenance grant, I would estimate that she may still find it tough.

I was talking to someone whose daughter has just graduated and she lived away from home for 3 years, has a full time job to go to, but has racked up around £45000 worth of student loans just to pay for accommodation, books, travel and she also works.

Reality may bite hard when she actually gets to university. And no, in most courses you dont sit and study over the summer, you end your course in May or June and you go back in the autumn.

Re the conversation about not paying her allowance next year, I would have the conversation now, because that might give her the kick up the backside she needs.

Also, I presume even with the one days work she does get, she gets paid more than £25 a shift? You could have cut it down sooner if you didnt want to stop it.

Shes in a better position than a lot of young people, she has a job.

mountainofdebt

OP - I share your pain.

atm Junior has been home for a fortnight and although he does do what we ask him to do,, he doesn't any initiative to do anything more.

As for learning in the summer holidays he hasn't so far and has said he hasn't got anything to do either so I think you're being spun a yarn there!

In fairness to him he has had an interview this week for a burger place but I think they were going to offer him (if he got the job) really horrible shifts (think between midnight and 7am) but he does have another interview for a betting shop on monday so out of the two he'd rather that one. Both jobs are in his Uni town so he could keep them going during term time.

I don't know if its been mentioned already but your daughter does realise that its the norm to pay for private accommodation from say July to June - so how does she think this will be funded if she isn't working?