Desperate Times

rayoflight_2

Hi - I am beginning to lose my rag with struggling to get by financially and really need some advice. I am a postgraduate student in Cambridge. I don't qualify for a student loan/grant and Cambridge is a damned expensive place to live. Technically as a student here I'm not allowed a job, but I've been trying to get one anyway to no avail. People don't seem to be interested in people who can only work part time on a casual basis (I go home to my parents out of term time so I don;t have to pay for gas/electricity etc). I've pretty much maxed out my overdraft and rent's due at the end of the month. I don;t know what to do. Can anyone help? Any advice gratefully received!

supersezzie

hi,

I'm about to post my own bad situation here and haven't posted much so please take all of my advice with a huge bag of salt and if someone who knows better contradicts me, go with them! I am by no means a money expert as you can tell! I just thought I'd offer a few suggestions of my own - I've just completed a postgrad course and took out a Career Development Loan to do it - the rates are reasonable (I went with Barclays) and you don't have to start repayments until 2 months after your course finishes, and you can take out up to £8k. I'd advise looking at exactly what you need though and not taking out more than that, or you'll end up in the mess I'm in! What about a temping agency or looking for jobs at schools or other unis (is there a polytech in Cambridge as well?!) as those would fit in with term time? If you're a Cambridge postgrad you must have some skills you could sell as well - you can do freelance work or sell your skills and kniwledge from some websites (maybe someone here can advise on a good one) or you could even just put an ad up in local shops or the paper - maybe help tutor kids or whatever would suit (as I don't know what you're doing).

Just some things for you to ponder. Good luck! If all else fails, see if you can get another student account with a free overdraft (just don't tell them you already have one!). If like mine you get a year after graduation before they start charging interest on the overdraft, then that could buy you some time to sort out your financial situation. Good luck!

jessicamb

Hi rayoflight

I'll move your thread over to the students board - there may be some specific advice about student hardship support for you there.

plattinum

It sounds like bank work may suit your circumstances. I am looking for work at the moment and I managed to get an interview for a rehabilitation assistant with a well known hospitol. They offered me bank work, as far as I know they call you up when they are short staffed and such, maybe someone can clarify? I had to turn this down as I have to have at least 16 hours so this didn't suit. I'v since found out another hospitol I applied to as a receptionist also used bank staff, but there were no openings with them at that time. You could possibly expess an interest with employers asking if they employ bank staff or would consider doing so. Good luck

pixiedust_2

Lots of large chains will offer to transfer you back to your home town outside of term time - this might mean having to shelf stack, or zap stuff on tills, but work's work, right?

(I know betting shops such as Corals and Totesport are good for this)

Voyager2002

rayoflight wrote: »

Hi - I am beginning to lose my rag with struggling to get by financially and really need some advice. I am a postgraduate student in Cambridge. I don't qualify for a student loan/grant and Cambridge is a damned expensive place to live. Technically as a student here I'm not allowed a job, but I've been trying to get one anyway to no avail. People don't seem to be interested in people who can only work part time on a casual basis (I go home to my parents out of term time so I don;t have to pay for gas/electricity etc). I've pretty much maxed out my overdraft and rent's due at the end of the month. I don;t know what to do. Can anyone help? Any advice gratefully received!

I am afraid that there is a good reason why you are not allowed to take a job while studying. The course work is demanding, and if you cannot give it your full attention you will fail. That way you will end up deep in debt, but with nothing to show for it.

So: see if you can borrow from family, and of course ask your tutor about financial assistance. Otherwise you will have to defer your studies and work for a few years.

As for going home during vacations, I would be surprised if the saving in energy even covered the train fare. And postgraduates are expected to remain in the university, and to continue studying, for most of the vacation period. So I think you need to revise your plans a little.

[Deleted User]

A career development loan might be a good idea - here are some other suggestions;

Your Uni or college may have a discretionary hardship fund that you can apply to. Although you should note you wouldn't be eligible for the 'Access to Learning Fund' -unless your course is a teacher training one.

You can try searching for scholarships online
www.scholarship-search.co.uk
www.funderfinder.co.uk


If you go to the Uni/local library you may be able to get hold of a copy of the "Educational Grants Directory" which contains details of charitable grants available to students. ISBNs 1 903991 75 7 OR 978 1 903991 75 6

hope this helps

May-B

Hi, you have my sympathies as am in the same situation! Trying to study a subject I love but not being able to pay the bills sucks!
I understand the comments above about course pressures but I do think that in this situation the university has to be realistic - bills have to be paid and you will not be giving your studies your full attention while you are worrying about finances.
So a few suggestions, may/may not be helpful:
- Is there anyone at the university that you can discuss options with? There must be other students who have faced the same problems as you, is there a general advice centre you can approach? You never know what hardship funds/suggestions they have under the desk that could help you.
- Have you thought about changing to part time (if possible) then you could get a job (I am part time, its the only way I can cope)
- Casual jobs: Look at events catering companies - they employ ad hoc staff. Also temping agencies/telephone sales centres are a good bet.
- Be totally honest with yourself, do you have a very strict budget?
Hope this helps!

Nenen

We live in a village just outside Cambridge and I think there are lots of people within the city who are desparate for a cleaner... paying £7-£9 per hour for 2-3 hours work per week. Many teachers who want to employ a cleaner are happy to do their own housework in vacations... just need some help in term time so that might be worth a try. You could advertise in local shops or on Gumtree or ask around among lecturers as one of them might want someone.
Alternatively, you could do babysitting... once children are asleep you can get on with your studies! Again put some ads in local shops.

Have you applied for a job with the post office for Christmas post work in your home town?

What is your subject? Tutoring has been suggested already but how about some conversational work with foreign students or doing some marking for hard-pressed teachers who might be willing to pay?

Nenen

Voyager2002 wrote: »

I am afraid that there is a good reason why you are not allowed to take a job while studying. The course work is demanding, and if you cannot give it your full attention you will fail. That way you will end up deep in debt, but with nothing to show for it.

I disagree.... I know academia is hard but IMHO the students who buckle down and use their time well can manage to do a limited number of hours paid work too. My son recently graduated from a top uni and managed to work 7-10 hours per week throughout his course. Not only did he do very well academically (far better than his friend whom 'daddy' paid for everything and was the laziest student going) he has just landed a super job on the strength of his work experience and excellent references.

Voyager2002

Nenen wrote: »

I disagree.... I know academia is hard but IMHO the students who buckle down and use their time well can manage to do a limited number of hours paid work too. My son recently graduated from a top uni and managed to work 7-10 hours per week throughout his course. Not only did he do very well academically (far better than his friend whom 'daddy' paid for everything and was the laziest student going) he has just landed a super job on the strength of his work experience and excellent references.

Two points: Oxford and Cambridge are different from most other "top" universities; and postgraduate work is different from that at an undergraduate level.

The National Student Survey asked a large number of students a range of question, including how much time they had to spend on academic work each week. For most universities they were spending around 20 hours each week, but at Oxford and Cambridge the figure was closer to 45 hours.

Again, while most academics understand and expect that undergraduates will need part-time jobs in order to survive, this is not the case at post-graduate level. I served as convenor of part of an MA/MSc course here in Exeter, and know that the work load is so heavy that no-one could possibly cope with a job as well. I would advise a prospective student against starting the course unless they had a secure source of finance organised first.

Similarly, vacations are NOT a time when academic work stops, but simply a time when lectures no longer take place. It is not possible to complete a post-graduate course without working for most of the year, including the university vacations.

Finally, congratulations to your son on his success. By juggling academic and paid work he has demonstrated an impressive ability to organise his time effectively, and that should stand him in good stead for many years to come.