Student Jobs – are they worth it?

Part-time student work

I know while at university money is a big thing, and people worry about if they will be able to afford certain things, it’s also an chance to explore new opportunities and avenues of income alongside your studies. As someone with a student job, here’s some things I’ve learnt along the way about supporting yourself whilst studying at UON.

Sometimes maintenance loan isn’t enough…

There is a maintenance loan available to help with living costs, which every home student is entitled to, although the amounts received may vary. However sometimes this is not enough for everything you want to do. This could be booking a little holiday with friends, treating yourself to something you’ve had your eye on for a while, a day out, or something else.

Finding work at University

Since being at university I have found having a job is very helpful. I am a first year on the Acting for Contemporary and Devised Performance course, so finding free time to work has been difficult. However, I have become a Student Influencer, a Schools Engagement Ambassador and a Student Ambassador, which are flexible roles and allow you to dip in and dip out of shifts.

Being a Student Influencer

As a Student Influencer, my job is to create blogs or vlogs on different aspects of university and student life. We get a list of available jobs or popular topics to cover for the month and choose the ones you want to create. If we’re feeling extra creative or passionate about something that’s going on in the student community, you can suggest your own topic of interest to the brand team.

Being a Schools Engagement Ambassador

As a Schools Engagement Ambassador, my job is to work with schools in the local area, providing workshops in the Northamptonshire community, or supporting students when they come onto campus for Taster Sessions or workshops. The schools we engage with are both primary and secondary, so depending on the school will affect the amount of support they need and the kind of day or activities planned.

Study and Work balance

These have been perfect opportunities for me to work alongside my studies as they’re flexible, and I can do as little or as much as I want. If I’ve got deadlines looming, or assignments on the horizon, I can say I’m unavailable, or if I’ve got some free time, I can add extra hours of availability for the Events and Marketing team to allocate me more work.

These jobs allow me to take hours when I can and work them around my studies.

Both these jobs provide plenty of chances to get work, whilst still being able to put focus on my course. There is also Unitemps which is available to all students. This allows students to find work that is available and apply for these.

Look for opportunities

There are many opportunities to have a job that can work around your studies and give you an income boost to help you get by. So no matter what course you are on, there are plenty of working opportunities available should you wish to get a little extra pocket money.

Kerry Eaton

Kerry is a first-year Acting for Contemporary and Devised Performance student.