University living costs

[Tevion28]

Hi posting here for traffic but do any of you have dc going off to university this year and will be subsidising them or leaving them to it.
Have found that my ds will have £179 a month left for first 3 months after he has paid his rent. This is supposed to cover food, travel clothes. Whats your experience of any dc you already have at uni.

@Tevion28 you said "I think the government should be looking at household outgoings not just the household income."

I agree. The govt doesn't even take into account if you have more than one child at university at the same time - which will be our position for a number of years - let alone pre-existing demands on what may look like an ok family income

@Tevion28

I know alot of posters won't agree with me but I'm happy for ds to focus on just his studies and enjoy free time chilling even if it costs me he has so many working years ahead of him

I'm happy to subsidize the maintenance loan to the full amount - that leaves them with about £100/week - I think that's enough for a social life without working - they have cash saved from working, birthdays and the child trust fund the Gov set up. I recruit and I see so very few candidates with jobs before they graduate - so I'm finding it quite surprising that posters think everyone does it - maybe they remove their summer jobs from their CV but that sounds like they don't value them or think we won't (which isn't true - if anything it's refreshing!)

I'm having this conversation with DH now. He thinks DD should be getting a job as soon as she gets to uni, but it won't be that easy.

So I've just gone on Indeed - current part time jobs advertised in my area are:

Care Assistant at Nursing Home - Available Shifts 8am - 8pm, 8pm - 8am or 2pm - 8am minimum 22 hours per week. Experience preferred.

Starbucks - minimum 15 hours per week Need to be available Mon-Fri & weekends. Experience preferred.

Londis - Shop Assistant - 8 hour shifts Monday - Friday or overnight shifts and also weekend and holiday cover. 1yr retail experience preferred

Office Cleaner - 3.5hrs per day Mon - Fri doesn't specify what hours

Factory/Office Cleaner - 10 hours per week Mon-Fri doesn't specify what hours

Office Cleaner - Tues & Thurs 7am-9am - Driving licence required. 2 years experience required

Activity Leader - 20 hr per week Mon - Fri

Food Warehouse - Need to work flexible across 7 days

This list goes on

Doable if you are doing a degree with low contact hours and are able to self learn around your shifts.

Not practical for STEM degrees with lots of contact hours, especially compulsory attendance at labs, seminars and presentations which is what DD has to do.

Best thing to do if they really want to get a job is to get a feel of uni hours and what free time they get.

Also maybe best to just throw your cv around at all potential employers rather than applying straight for advertised positions.

@Tevion28

Also maybe best to just throw your cv around at all potential employers rather than applying straight for advertised positions.

Many, many potential employers no longer accept CV's.

Not practical for STEM degrees with lots of contact hours, especially compulsory attendance at labs, seminars and presentations

@RampantIvy but it is because I did it myself...a STEM degree and I worked every weekend throughout college. Except when I had exams. I also worked as an intern in a pharmaceuticals company in my last two summers. It is doable. Pretty much all of my friends worked too! They did all sorts of degrees including.

There seems to be such a divide between those who consider a PT job at Uni as the norm and those who seem to consider it unthinkable!

My eldest did a STEM degree and worked. Many did whilst indeed, some considered it unecessary since bank of mum and dad paid plenty.

I asked my eldest who amongst his peers had a job now, and those who seem to have got into a decent position after graduating are indeed those who worked all the way through. The others are a mixture of a couple going to do a masters, and others still looking for something.

DS got a first despite working 20h and FT during holidays. There seem to be no direct link with parents' income with many of those working having well off parents, and vice versa.

I thought it was more prevalent for employers to ask for a cv now every job ds ever applied for wanted one

No, they all seem to want these online application forms with stupid questions. It's infuriating. I understand why you should tailor a CV to each application but these online forms are just something else and very hard for my kids who both have asd.

Ds got his first job by putting picking up a application form and taking it back into store personally and his 2nd one was off Facebook.
Any others he applied for he had to submit a cv and most he never heard back.

If he really wants to work ita up to him but I would encourage him to put in cv along with a covering letter to explain he is at uni but able to fit in hours around it

@qualitygirl

Not practical for STEM degrees with lots of contact hours, especially compulsory attendance at labs, seminars and presentations

@RampantIvy but it is because I did it myself...a STEM degree and I worked every weekend throughout college. Except when I had exams. I also worked as an intern in a pharmaceuticals company in my last two summers. It is doable. Pretty much all of my friends worked too! They did all sorts of degrees including.

Bully for you.

We are getting into the four Yorkshiremen territory here. Just because you did it then everyone can

DD has CFS, and she is doing a very intensive course. Even without it she would have struggled.

I work at a university in student services, and there are jobs available for all those who aren't bank rolled by their parents or guardians.

Strangely enough, these students end up with excellent C.V.'s a great work ethic which is valued and appreciated by potential employers.

Employers do not look favourably on students that haven't gained any work experience of any kind during their studies. I know this for a fact. Quite frankly, they think it's a bit lazy and shows a lack of initiative.

@OneAlabamaReturn

I work at a university in student services, and there are jobs available for all those who aren't bank rolled by their parents or guardians.

Strangely enough, these students end up with excellent C.V.'s a great work ethic which is valued and appreciated by potential employers.

Employers do not look favourably on students that haven't gained any work experience of any kind during their studies. I know this for a fact. Quite frankly, they think it's a bit lazy and shows a lack of initiative.

Where are these jobs please?

That's really good to hear @OneAlabamaReturn. My DD has worked all the way through her degree (on campus - plenty of jobs available). At one point she had three different jobs! She also worked through the holidays back home. She still gained a first and is starting a masters in September. I'm not boasting - just saying that is is possible to have a job and do well. I do understand that it's not the same for degrees with placements though. I'm hoping that prospective employers will look favourably on the fact that she has worked and not been bankrolled by her parents. I have helped her as much as I can but don't have much spare money each month.

My son did a 5 year Masters and my daughter did a 4 year Bachelors. Both had planned to also have jobs, but the sheer amount of Uni work meant this was impossible. Both were sent about £500pm top up for the duration. They are both working now and I feel rich, ha ha.

We paid our Dcs rent to the tune of about 750 per month. Both DCs went to London so rent is expensive. Number three is goutte Birmingham so hoping that will be a bit cheaper. Even then they don’t have a lot to live in and DS2 has worked throughout as well.

DD worked and volunteered through her gap year though.

Employers do not look favourably on students that haven't gained any work experience of any kind during their studies. I know this for a fact. Quite frankly, they think it's a bit lazy and shows a lack of initiative

Not all of them…

Employers do not look favourably on students that haven't gained any work experience of any kind during their studies. I know this for a fact. Quite frankly, they think it's a bit lazy and shows a lack of initiative

I'm really impressed with the way you have polled every single employer to find out their views in order to make that incredibly sweeping statement with such absolute confidence.

I mean... That is what you've done. Isn't it?

When someone works in a university in student services I tend to defer to their superior knowledge regarding the students work experience.

@justasking111

When someone works in a university in student services I tend to defer to their superior knowledge regarding the students work experience.

One university, one student services, one area. You can't generalise from that sample.