working whilst studying

**fibonacci** · 12-07-2012, 07:04 PM

Hi all,

I have secured a place on the 5 year course at Soton starting in September. I come from a Finance background and am 23 years old.

Im looking for some completely honest opinions regarding the time I will have to work part time. I don't have that much money saved and am worried about funding myself through the 5 years. Realistically how many hours am I going to be able to work, i.e. during the week (afternoons off) and on weekends?

I posted this in the "mature" forum as I am looking primarily for responses from people who have been working full time for some time and can compare it to their previous full time job. Currently I work 8am-6pm, however I also used to do this whilst studying in the evenings for my accountancy exams. I do therefore have some degree of experience with long working hours.

Thanks!

**dotvicky** · 12-07-2012, 10:58 PM

Heya,

It will depend on your course - at Bristol, I know someone working in a lab around 20 hours a week and just about getting away with it. She ends up missing a lot of lectures and is currently having to do a resit but it's possible. I also know people working as HCAs etc.

I reckon I do around a 40 hour week (of study) during term-time and a 20 hour week in holiday time before exams. After exams in the summer, I am doing full-time childcare and you could easily work all the hours you want.

I think your issue may be getting work that can fit around your studies that still pays enough to make it worthwhile.

CheersV

**Martigan** · 13-07-2012, 01:07 PM

Fibonacci - I think you may be OK.

Those exams are a slog, and to be blunt, I found them harder then medschool. But that could be because I was fresh out of uni when I took them and not used to real hard work.

In my first year of GEP, I still managed an afternoon a week at my old job, and to keep one eveniung and all the weekends free from my family. However I wasn't able to socialise much with my class mates. It's do'able, but it's about compromise and being organised. I know some people who managed to do a lot more work then me, but they didn't have family and were probably more organised than me...

**fibonacci** · 14-07-2012, 07:15 PM

Martigan, thanks for the insight. Glad to see I'm not the only one who found them difficult! That's interesting that even on GEP you were managing an afternoon a week at your old job. Presumably the 5 year course is less intense and therefore I should be able to manage an afternoon, and some weekend work at the very least.
That's good news!