AIBU to think DD shouldn't keep her part-time job while at university?

[AlexanderandPie]

Her dad thinks it's good and is encouraging her to keep it and I think this is making her feel like she should.

She liked her part-time job at sixth form and has kept it for first year of uni. The thing is, she has to get the train there (she says if she had to move stores, she'd rather drop the job as she enjoys it because of her coworkers) so she is at uni Monday-Friday and then she gets train home Friday night and works Saturday and Sunday and then train back Sunday night or Monday morning.

She has kept this up over the last year but I'm not sure it's a good idea.

Any advice would be good. Opinions on keeping a job during uni?

She should be encouraged to transfer.

If she jacks in it how will the lack on £ impact her?

Surely this is academic anyway as she’s an adult and can make her own choice.

I’d encourage her to transfer too. Surely a fair whack of her wages must be going on train fare?

Seems a bit of a shame to not be integrating in her uni town at the weekends

I personally think it’s a good idea to have a job whilst at uni.

DS2 graduates at the beginning of August and has had his part time job since he was about 3 weeks into the first year. He couldn’t keep his part time job he had here because of his placement hours.

He’s on a zero hour contract in a well known pub chain and has done at least one shift a week, every week, even traveling back in the holidays. He’s fitted it round his 37 hour weeks on the wards when he’s been on placement and he got a promotion to team leader about this time last year so it looks quite good on his CV.

None of his uni work has suffered. He’s on course to graduate with a first. He’s been really good with his money, he’s saved most of it and has just bought himself a really nice car.

Most of his friends work in some form or another.

I loved my pt job at uni, though I'd encourage her to get one where she goes to uni. The travelling on top of it sounds tiring and unnecessary but having some extra income and some work buddies that are separate to house mates or course mates never hurts.

I actually met my husband through my pt job

I did the same as your daughter for about six months until I got a transfer (large supermarket). Keeping my job was essential as my mum was a single parent and was unable to support me. Good on her for keeping it. Without exception, my uni friends that had their parents supporting them financially through uni struggled to get jobs as they weren't familiar to workplaces.

I think it is a good thing if DC have a job whilst at uni. In your DD's case though, I would be worried that she was missing out on the social aspect of being at university at the weekend, so I would probably encourage her to transfer to her uni store/pub during term time, and then back to her home town store/pub during holidays so that she would hopefully get the best of both worlds.

*with workplaces

My DD worked all the way through uni, and became a team leader during that time. Tbh she managed fine and aside from the money, the experience (and promotion) was a really useful thing to include on her CV.

I'd let her choose for herself what fits best.

I think it's up to her really. If she enjoys the job and doesn't feel it's impacting her studies, then I can't see the problem.

If it starts to interfere with her coursework and she doesn’t really need the money because you’re happy to fund her, I’d probably promote that idea to her and “allow” her to drop it if she wants. I worked quite a lot in my first two years of uni because i thought it was my only way of funding it but I did so badly in my exams that I was technically kicked out.. I did however appeal and was allowed back in but had shitloads to catch up on. I managed to remedy things (and got a first class degree actually) but only by not working during term time. Instead I worked and saved hard during holidays and got into lots of debt!

I think it is hood for her to have a job but worth trying to convince her to move and I'm sure her new co-workers will also be nice. Could she do a trial transfer?

Sorry, good

She should probably transfer locally, you meet the same kind of people in any job and build the team spirit.
I worked part time through my degree as a necessity to finance it.

The experience I learnt working makes me a better professional, if it is service/public facing you get to grow a thick skin but have the empathy to others.

If she can keep it I would. I worked in bars throughout my terms and then bars and factory packing jobs in summer hols. I left uni with no debt.

Is this issue about having A job or having THIS job?

I never had less than one job while at uni – I worked 3 at times. I hardly knew anyone who was able to / interested in not working alongside their studies.

I didn't have a lot of taught hours though, so I could study in a way that suited me. In that sense it depends on her schedule and her preferences – if she likes it and it's working for her, what's the issue?

Or is it the travel element that's causing the bother?

I'm also a bit quizzical about the fact that we haven't heard much in your post about how your daughter feels about it. Is this a question for her, or is it more a disagreement between you and your DP about something that isn't really up to you?

When I was at university I worked practically full time (large london topshop flagship) and became a team leader. This helped massively once I got my graduate job in my desired field as I had a wealth of experience in management and workplace dynamics and in turn felt much more confident starting out in my new job/field.

I would definitely encourage her to keep working whilst at uni, retail experience is better than no experience, especially as searching for a graduate role can be demoralising at times so having an actual job on her CV will help her in the future

However I think she’s being a bit silly about not transferring. Her current set up sounds awkward, but I guess it depends on how far her hometown is from her uni town (eg london - surrey wouldn’t be too bad but london - manchester would be ridic). I worked at two different flagship topshop stores and always preffered my uni store as i worked there longer, was more senior/my abilities were well known, and i was friends with basically everyone. I didn’t like my other store as much.

The negatives about transferring stores are starting over in regards to seniority (some colleagues might treat you like you’re new to the entire industry/company rather than store and be a bit bitchy) and making new friends. Is she close to being promoted to a department specialist or supervisor? This will help alleviate some of the seniority concerns and have her start on a better foot at a new store. She will eventually make new friends, there will always be students transferring in retail and new staff starting so the opportunity for new friendships will be there, even if the current staff at the new store are a bit off

Also has she not spent a weekend at her university town then?? Seems like she would have missed out on a lot with her uni friends!