1990s/2000s working while at uni?

[Sleepeatcrochetrepeat]

Eldest niece has just gone off to uni, and the cost of it all really does seem astronomical now. DBIL was saying how they are planning to cut down on holidays, spending etc to fund her on top of loans. I made the mistake of saying oh, she can always get a part time job just like I did when I was a student. It turns out that none of DH family or their partners worked while at uni, parents all paid.
I know this was before tuition fees came in (for me at least) but most people I knew at uni also had a weekend or evening job.

DH and his siblings all went to RG uni’s and apparently couldn’t possibly have worked as well, due to all the sports clubs they were in.

I am now being looked down on because I ‘obviously’ don’t get it.
Surely students working alongside studying is hardly weird?! Even more so now given the cost.

If you were at uni in the late 90s/early 00s, did you also work? Make me feel less of a freak…

Always worked during every school holiday, ever since I was 16. 2000s. Worked 14hrs a week during term-time at Uni, and full-time during the holidays. Not sure what I'd have done with all the time on my hands otherwise. There was still time for studying, sports, (too much) drinking...

I worked night shift (double time) in a factory for 12 hour shifts during the holidays so that I didn’t have to work during term (although occasionally when money got tight I’d go to an agency and temp as a domestic in hotels.) It wasn’t the done thing (1993) to work during term time as we had intensive course pressure, sports, societies and social lives (Oxford- not that this necessarily makes a difference). I had parental support in the form of my accommodation paid for, and I did the rest. I think it was a lot easier in the 90s, but I also had access to highly paid work during the holidays to keep me going.

Slightly later - started uni in 2008.

Of my flatmates and friendship group at uni, I was the only one that worked during term time. A couple went home and had PT summer jobs during the holidays but that was it.

I didn’t actually realise just how much other peoples parents were involved in their lives until I went to uni 🙈

All my flatmates had rent/bills covered by parents and were sent a hefty allowance each month to cover food/socialising etc. They also visited maybe once a month and brought “essentials” like laundry stuff, toiletries etc and took them out for a “big shop”. I was amazed!!

I lived an hour away from home for 4 years and my parents never once set foot in any of my flats over the years 😂 couldn’t have named any of my flatmates, and couldn’t tell you what I studied 😂 They weren’t in a position to help financially.
My course was 4.5 days (half day Wed). I was in uni 9-5 mon/tue/thu/fri and 9-1 wed. I worked 6-10pm 2 days, 2-10pm on my wed, 9-6pm every day and 11-6pm every other Sunday 😂

Went to uni in 2000 and worked as a chambermaid and in a shop. Probably did about 12 hours a week? I did an English degree so low contract hours, I could easily fit work around it.

I did not do any sports clubs 😂 but I only remember people doing sports on Wednesday afternoons? (When I was in the student union bar drinking snakebite and black...) Working paid for my going out money/clothes/non-essentials.

ETA - my friend who went to Oxford wasn't allowed to work. Her workload seemed insane compared to mine. Both of us worked full time in the holidays though.

I worked, and I would say it was probably 50 50 among my friends of those who worked and those whose parents could fully fund their lifestyle. I did not go to RG uni.

I was at uni in the late 2000s, a lot of us worked for a temping agency (events waitressing mostly, although I did nursery work too as I had a basic childcare qualification) and I had a small p/t job until the end of my second year.

My brother went to Cambridge where they told them they weren’t allowed to work (because they were all rich and had no fucking clue - db was from a state school grammar first year of school fees and my parents had never had a loan outside of a mortgage so it was a massive shock they had no time to prepare for). Therefore, my parents didn’t feel they could demand I get a job. I join the officer training corps and got paid for that but it was minimal.

We competency interview, and talking about team work, innovation, making commercial decisions and leadership all come out more clear in work examples instead of group presentations at uni.

It’s not that the experience is relevant, it’s that you have something to talk about in interviews that stands out… and when you interview 30 candidates in a week, anything standout really does helps.

What skills are you looking for that two first class degree students could differentiate themselves on without workplace experience (especially given you’re literally assessing their suitability in a workplace)?

Late 90’s RG uni. Never worked in term time apart from the odd evening shift in the college shop or bar, but did temp agency work in the holidays.

I was at Keele 2005. Didnt know many who worked term time. I was not rich but the normal loan/ grant given to most students seemed to suffice. Dont think it would now. Dont recall parents needing to help. Granny gave a small amount for socialising.

Yes snakebite! Blast from the past

Went to uni early noughties and yes had a part time job. Most of my friends did. I wouldn't have been able to pay my rent otherwise!

Yes my sister and I both worked. I have a law degree and postgrad from a RG university and my sister has a degree in a healthcare subject. Having now worked with young people coming into train I have invariably found the ones who’ve had jobs whilst studying make better professionals, even if their academics are less strong than those who had student jobs.

Hey! I was at Keele 2005 too! Good times! Same, none of my friendship group had jobs in term time apart from one who did some sort of online thing I didn't really understand. We all had jobs during hols though!

I was at university in the late 90s, started the final year before tuition fees. RG uni with a lot of students from very privileged backgrounds - bit of a culture shock for me at the time. I don’t remember anyone with a part time job, although lots of us worked in the uni bars/shops by being elected to the Bar Committee/Shop Committee - student politics were alive and well! Bar Committee definitely carried a certain social status, I wasn’t ever cool enough to be in that inner circle. I always worked in the holidays - local café/shop work. Also had a compulsory year abroad, and worked for part of that time, although the role had to be approved by the uni in order to allowed to pass that year.

I worked in a cafe in the vacations, but my hourly rate (this was pre-minimum wage) was £1.88 an hour! It was honestly hardly worth it financially as I only earned about £65 a week!

I didn't work and nor did any of my flat mates. The only kids who did were those who had expensive tastes or were estranged from their families. The grant and loan combo was enough if you were frugal. Not the case now though. My DS is already thinking ahead to work options while at uni, he wants to train as a lifeguard when he's old enough.

I completely agree with you. I’m not a recruiter but this is also my experience of mentoring young professionals.

Always worked at Uni. Term time job in the union bar Friday and Saturday nights. Great way to socialise.

Also had a fabulous waitressing job for a company called At Your Service. They used to provide waiters to the top London catering companies. We used to pick and choose which events to work and some of them were so cool. London aquarium, fancy house parties (I remember a bar mitzvah where they had a special floor put over the swimming pool for dancing). I served the king of Greece his pudding once. Not only was it fun it was paid and then if you lucked out and got the cloakroom shift you got loads of tips.

Then worked on my parents farm in the summer holiday. Pulled 16 hour days for 6 weeks and racked up some nice wage packets. When harvest finished I’d work 7-7 cultivating then go and do a shift at a local pub.

fair enough it was a history degree so I didn’t have to be in all day every day but I will certainly expect my kids to do some form of work whilst at Uni.

oh. And I fitted in sport.

Yes I worked throughout my 4 year degree from 2003-2007, anywhere between 8-20 hours per week, including when I was on teaching placements (so I would work mon-fri is school then all day sat in a shop!)

I think that now because of the expense, if people don't absolutely have to work they're less likely to do so, because they want to make sure they don't miss any grades. It's a financial investment to go to university and doing anything that might affect success means wasting that investment. In the 90s things were less hard nosed and if you got a Tutu at least it hadn't cost you £££thousands.

Didn’t work term time because they’d expect you to work over holidays that wasn’t going to happen. I knew of a few people who worked for a couple of months none that did it all the time.

I worked the year before I went to uni & the summer holidays but my course load (architecture) would have made a term time job unworkable.
The job I had before uni & in the holidays (proper office job for a bank) paid for a deposit on a house so I rented out rooms to other students which paid my mortgage & bills.
Our son is going to uni next year and I fully expect him to work in the holidays but not term time

Yes. DH and I worked at uni. It wasn't an option not to.
So did our eldest two. I really don't see why they can't outside term time at least.

Yes I worked two days per week and had a different holiday job too. It was not unusual but not everyone had a job. Some had very wealthy parents. I got a partial loan plus a an amount from my parents which topped it up to the full loan amount. I could eat basically but not really anything else unless I worked.