If you are a high income household, do your uni student DC work?

[Newmeagain]

I don’t think I am wrong here, but have started to doubt myself.

My DD is doing a very demanding uni course with long contact hours, so is not working during term time. But I strongly encouraged her to get a summer job before she started uni and again this summer. She is also having a couple of trips so not just working.

It is not essential for her to work as I have a good salary and her father (exH) is very well off and gives her an allowance. But she tells me that quite a few of her uni friends and friends from school are not working.

i get that she doesn’t love her minimum wage job, but when I was growing up (not UK) it was a bit of a “rite of passage” for all students, even from upper middle class families, to have a job waitressing, supermarket cashier, etc. For the experience and to be earning some of their own money.

am I wrong?

I'm giving my DD as an example here but she volunteered in as many things as she could take on during her degree and had a pt job in the athletic centre. During the first two summers of her degree (it was a 4 yr), she worked retail at a beach resort. Her third, she got an incredible internship opportunity and it was because of the fact she had a proven sales record (that her former boss was more than happy to share in her reference). She graduated and pretty much walked into her dream position.

The reality is life is hard for graduates nowadays so the more they can do during their course to make them attractive to employees, the better. Or just find some nepotism. That also works. 😁

Daughter did heavy science degree at top ranking university. Dad high earner. She worked in the university bar and in Summer did a series of internships one of which became her career. She still got a first ( although it was a roller coaster). She has always had to do more eg she had to look after her disabled brother when younger as my dad had cancer and I could not cut myself in 2.

My disabled son goes with his PA to volunteer at a local attraction as it is all good to encourage communication and perseverance. He is studying History at local university.

I think you’re incredibly wrong and disadvantaging her. I absolutely agree that if they don’t need to work in term time then it’s fine not to. Summer starts mid May and goes on until mid September. Why wouldn’t they work some of that time? Plenty of time still to travel and relax

There is no way I would employ a 21/22 year old without any work experience at all

Dd1 worked as a carer when she was at university and during summer holidays
Dh and I always worked and it was expected that our kids would do the same
My ds is still at uni and I encouraged him to learn how to cut hair which is how he has been sustaining himself during the holidays
He also went into small business ( kebab shops etc) to do some leafleting for them

@Newmeagain My two DC's both had zero hour contracts as casual lifeguards from age 16 to 19, though only signed up for shifts when they wanted to, so it easily fitted around exams, holidays etc. One also did a bit of freelance coaching for his sport, and the other did some labouring on a building site. These experiences helped both of them get paid summer internships - one in his first uni summer and the other in his third - which have led to graduate jobs.

Perhaps its different for medicine, but most students need work experience to bolster their CVs.

My DD is doing medicine - we are well off and she works

My eldest started uni in the last year of the pandemic. He was also clinically vulnerable so I was happy for him not to work during his first year and there was no opportunity during sixth form but was a bit worried he hadn't had a chance of any work experience. In his second year he did some A level tutoring (for a friend's son) and then got paid summer research studentships in the 2nd and 3rd year summer holidays. So he has never done the sort of hospitality/retail type jobs I did as a teenager/student.

My younger son did a bit more warehouse/retail type work during six form and in his first year uni holidays. He also found something online training AI models. He needed something relevant to his course this year (course requirement) but couldn't find anything paid (he tried really hard) so we were happy to support him do a relevant but unpaid internship. We know we are lucky to be able to. He doesn't work during term time as it is not allowed on his course.

Yes I would expect mine to work in the summer holidays even though they don’t “have” to. It’s good experience for them and also good for them to have a top up of extra cash when they go back and for the holidays. My parents were high earners and I HAD to find work in the summer and then ideally at Christmas and Easter too, if I could get it. No way would they have funded me dossing about all summer. I did all sorts… pub, waitressing, packing, picking, whatever I could my hands on. They were shit jobs but were definitely character building!

Yes, mine had Saturday and holiday jobs from 15 onwards and kept it up during university years. Lots of gig work (Deliveroo, hospitality and marketing gigs via agencies, labouring on building sites and in a Covid testing lab at one point)as well as regular employment at bars, cafes. It’s helped with budgeting (some very nice trips and a better wardrobe than mine!, as well as stocks and shares ISAs) and been great experience that has boosted Cv and confidence. It’s helped the post- grad job search and landing a professional job. Also, gives a sense of pride and purpose for those kids, like mine, who do just fine at school and university but never really get excited by their studies or exam results.

My son has been working since he was 16. He had Saturday job in Garden Centre until finished his A level. Since then he has been working as a sales assistant while on a gap year doing 30-35 hours a week for a shop in our town. Lucky for him he is able to take his job with him when he is starting his uni course this autumn for the same company but this time part time as he needs to focus more on his study.

My parents were very high income and I still had to work for pocket money in term time. I don’t think it did me any harm, the structure was beneficial and I realised I did not want to limit my career choices, which helped my degree