When you come to uni, one of the big questions you find yourself considering is “should I get a job?”

The obvious motivation is the money – as students we’re well-known for not having tons of cash, and a job helps us support ourselves. However, there are clear disadvantages – the main one being time.

We’re meant to spend as much time revising as we do in lectures and seminars, but sometimes that’s not feasible if we have jobs. I personally have a job, and I don’t really have any free time. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my job; I like being busy, and the money is helpful (essential, really). But there just doesn’t seem to be enough time in the week for anything except lectures and work.

So is it really a good idea to have a job whilst at uni? I would recommend getting a job which requires less than 12 hours a week – I usually do over 20, and honestly, it’s probably too much. But I think that unless you have parents who can give you lots of support, or did incredibly well from student finance, it’s really helpful to have that extra income.

I think the best thing to do is to judge how much time you really have to spare. Do you spend days watching Netflix and eating junk food? Then you probably are okay to get a job if you want one. But if you’re constantly working and don’t have enough hours in the day, then leave yourself some time to relax.

  • Subscribe to The Student Pocket Guide for exclusive competitions, deals, discounts, tips and advice!
  • Read The Student Pocket Guide.