Got a uni place, how to tell my boss and when

[goingtouni]

Hi, I am on an 18 month contract at the minute that finishes next may and had been planning to go to university in sept 2021. I would have moved back into my mums from may to sept and my uncle runs a company supplying temporary/event staff for functions and staff shortages at hotels and things and had agreed to add me to his books so I could pay my mum rent and tide me over until uni.

Due to everything that's going on im working from home and really struggling to get my work done without being in the office as a large part of my job is customer service which we are able to do by phone and email but we are having a much larger volume of enquiries at the moment so we are all overwhelmed. My boss has been good about extending our usual response times but it is still very stressful. My boss seems happy with the arrangement and is hoping to move to a smaller premises and have us in one day a week and a rota and the rest from home which im dreading as even though im getting most of the work done I feel pressured to work extra hours to keep up and its not sustainable for the next year.

Its a different career I want to train in at uni and with being stressed at work and worried about my uncles business folding (therefore no guarantee of a job next summer to tide me over) I decided to make a last minute application for this year, I had called the uni and lots of students were deferring so there were spaces and just heard back I got a place.

I mentioned to my boss about wanting to retrain after my contract and it was dismissed and she said she may want to extend my contract anyway if I don't get in and its never been spoken of again.

Now that I have an offer for this year I obviously need to quit, I do feel bad as she has trained me and doesn't anticipate my leaving but I need to do whats right for my circumstances. I'm worried if I mention it now she will just sack me but also concerned that if I wait and give one months notice that I am leaving to do my degree then it will make it unpleasant at work for my notice period as it will be clear by the timing that I knew I had a place. Even worse I am worried that even if I am honest now she will think i'm lying and had already applied in the normal times (pre Jan) and then from now until august will be unpleasant.
I am contemplating waiting and just giving a months notice but it feels dishonest and I am quite anxious about the atmosphere during my notice period
Thanks for reading, any advice appreciated, im just not sure what would be for the best

[Karmin]

Stop overthinking things. You are a disposable employee.

Check your contract, check how much notice you need to give and choose the date to hand in your notice. It doesn't matter what your boss thinks about it.

You don't need to feel guilty or anything else you are contracted as an employee and you are ending the contract.

Your boss can say what she likes however, she cannot stop you from handing in your notice. Yes she can agree that you don't need to work it but that is her choice.

[FluffyKittensinabasket]

You are really overthinking OP! It’s just a job. This crisis is showing that any employer can get rid of you.

[Ellmau]

Just give your month's notice. No need for any explanation, but if pressed you can perfectly legitimately say you got a last minute place. No need at all to say when you got it.

Congrats on your uni place and I hope the course goes well.