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AIBU?

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Original poster

Part time work & University.. or just University?

29 replies

katieealexa1 · 20/04/2022 16:01

Hi all, hoping for some advice please.

I'm a single mum to two daughters who are 5 and 2 and have been offered a place at university for this September to study Law.

I currently work part time as a Paralegal in a city law firm. I am torn between going to University 'full time' so to speak and leaving my Paralegal job or to stay here and also study at the same time. My work have said they will accommodate me and I can work around my Uni schedule.

If I leave my job, it would mean I would need to sign up for Universal Credit (don't even know if I'd be eligible or how much I'd get!!) and would need to live off that. I'm in a good position in that I have a very low monthly payment on my mortgage as I have overpaid for years to bring it down so don't have massive expenditure each month.

Or my other option is to stay at work, which would mean full time 5 days a week nursery for my youngest daughter however I would still get a wage, have job security etc..

Please let me know what you would do if you were in my position!

OP posts:
murasaki · 20/04/2022 16:03

I don't think you get uc as a student, may be wrong though. I'd go part time for study, what you do in work will help you with the course, and your employers sound pretty flexible.

burnoutbabe · 20/04/2022 16:07

well i did law as a mature student. No kids. I kept my job but went 1 day a week. Luckily my work is flexible and i can move days i worked each week to fit in amogst classes.

Unless your Uni is distance learning, how could you also work full time? as you'd have classes?

You may be okay on 2 days a week working and then other 5 days for studying? but then what would you kids do at weekend?

(would you not get a student loan or have you already done an undergrad degree?)

And why law degree over just straight into SQE prep?

Waxonwaxoff0 · 20/04/2022 16:07

murasaki · 20/04/2022 16:03

I don't think you get uc as a student, may be wrong though. I'd go part time for study, what you do in work will help you with the course, and your employers sound pretty flexible.

You can as a single parent.

It's a difficult one. Law sounds pretty full on, could you cope with the course as well as working and the children?

parietal · 20/04/2022 16:07

keep working if you possibly can. FT nursery is fine for a 2 year old, and keeping your job gives you much more security against all sorts of life circumstances, plus it must help your CV for law too?

Waxonwaxoff0 · 20/04/2022 16:08

burnoutbabe · 20/04/2022 16:07

well i did law as a mature student. No kids. I kept my job but went 1 day a week. Luckily my work is flexible and i can move days i worked each week to fit in amogst classes.

Unless your Uni is distance learning, how could you also work full time? as you'd have classes?

You may be okay on 2 days a week working and then other 5 days for studying? but then what would you kids do at weekend?

(would you not get a student loan or have you already done an undergrad degree?)

And why law degree over just straight into SQE prep?

OP works part time not full time.

burnoutbabe · 20/04/2022 16:10

to get a decent law job you need a decent degree class (ie 2.1 and above) from a decent University

to do that, you do need to focus as much as possible on studying, not do the bare minimum to get by (ie also work full time)

(can you not do an apprenticeship with your law firm or they offer you a training contract? and if not, why not? most law students have to paralegal for a year to get a chance at a training contract)

burnoutbabe · 20/04/2022 16:12

yes i spotted the part time bit now.

However my degree was pretty much lectures or tutorials 4-5 days a week - an hour here and there. so i could manage 2 half days at work within the week but not much more than that. So depends how part time the OP is?

Original poster
katieealexa1 · 20/04/2022 18:25

@burnoutbabe thats my worry. I want to focus on the degree as much as I can and I worry also working would distract me from that. I currently work 3 days a week but my mnager has said they will accomodate whatever I need, ie- work less days, different days every week etc.. Which is also stopping me from wanting to leave as its a good firm.

I can't get a training contract because I don't have a degree or the qualifications needed.

OP posts:
MojoMoon · 20/04/2022 18:31

Could you do a Solicitor apprenticeship?

www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/law-sector/law-apprenticeships

The Solicitor Apprenticeship is a six-year, Level 7 programme aimed at post A-level students, paralegals and chartered legal executives. The period of study is reduced for those who progress from other legal apprenticeships. The scheme covers all the content in a law degree and enables apprentices to gain a law degree and LLM (Masters). Once you've completed the apprenticeship and passed the new, centralised Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) assessment you'll qualify as solicitor. In order to qualify as a solicitor apprentices will sit parts one and two of the SQE. Stage one will form part of the on-programme assessment, while stage 2 will be the end-point assessment, which must be taken during the last six months of your apprenticeship.

Original poster
katieealexa1 · 20/04/2022 19:19

@MojoMoon I've looked into this for years and they're so few and far between and my firm don't offer them unfortunately 😩

OP posts:
DatingAWidower22 · 20/04/2022 19:39

Completely different degree but I am studying midwifery. Whilst it’s a full on, full time course that is 50% placement, I do have time to work but choose not too.

I get by in a student maintenance loan, NHS learning support and UC

Northernsoullover · 20/04/2022 19:42

I worked throughout my degree 16 hours per week. Its manageable. I did a pretty hard degree too. I think they deduct UC for student finance so I'd do your sums and see which option makes you better off.

DatingAWidower22 · 20/04/2022 19:48

I should add I am a single parent

Original poster
katieealexa1 · 20/04/2022 21:13

@DatingAWidower22 are you able to get universal credit without applying for the student maintenance loan? I was hoping to just take out a student loan for the tuition fees..

OP posts:
DatingAWidower22 · 20/04/2022 21:18

@katieealexa1 you can still apply for UC but they will deduct the equivalent of the maintenance loan from the award, whether you take it or not.

Sausageandeggs · 20/04/2022 23:03

Not law, but I have been working full time and studying part time for four years now (undergrad degree and now postgrad). You can absolutely work part time and study alongside.

lastminutetutor · 20/04/2022 23:20

Do you get weekends without the children? How flexible is the degree? Could you start off full time and then switch to part time? Generally the early years do not count as much towards your final degree classification so you might be able to work part time and study full time initially and then either drop to part time work/ part time study or one or two years full time study without working. It is not worth compromising on your degree classification though so at some point something will need to give.

MissMaple82 · 21/04/2022 01:30

Yes you will still qualify for UC. I am a single parent and starting uni in September too. I also work part time and I am also debating what to do re work. I think im going to continue to work, but if it all becomes too much I'm going to give it up and just live off the maintenance loan and UC. I am currently doing an access and it's tough juggling everything including housework and bringing up children on top of a job and studies/assignments, so I too will want to concentrate on my degree, that is my priority. I think only time will tell really on how well we cope with the workload, but yes you could still apply for UC as a single parent although how much help they give i don't yet know.

EmiliaAirheart · 21/04/2022 03:04

I’m a lawyer, though I started without children and finished with a baby. I worked full time and studied full time (by taking winter and summer classes, so it averaged out over the year as full time).

It was challenging but it has been the best pathway by far and I strongly recommend having a mix of studying, parenting and working. Each will give you a break from the other, and you’ll find you focus better because you know you have a limited amount of time to dedicate to work or study.

Working is essential when you are the single financial provider for your children. There is also a huge benefit to you, insofar as it will help you find work as a lawyer afterwards. Getting your first role as a lawyer is hard. Lots of your peers won’t manage it. You’ll have the best chance if you work as well, and particularly when you work in a law firm.

Nahnanananahna · 21/04/2022 04:17

What are the chances your current firm will support you to qualify post degree? That's a point you should consider as well as it could be a major pro to continuing working.

sashh · 21/04/2022 04:28

Can you do the degree part time?

That way you could still work part time?

Your employer sounds like an employer from heaven and I wouldn't give that up.

Could you work full time in the uni holidays? I'm thinking work less in the term time and more over the holidays but with a fixed salary so money is stable?

Original poster
katieealexa1 · 21/04/2022 09:36

@EmiliaAirheart thanks for this! I did think working in a law firm might help me post grad, however my firm only specialise one area of law and it's not the area I want to be in when I graduate unfortunately. I just worry I will be compromising on my degree whilst working at the same time.. as the time I'm at work, I could be studying..

OP posts:
Dammitthisisshit · 21/04/2022 09:50

I just worry I will be compromising on my degree whilst working at the same time.. as the time I'm at work, I could be studying..
but you said that if you work you’ll put your youngest into nursery full time so the time you would be at work you will be looking after them not studying surely?

it sounds tough all ways but I also think you should keep the job as they’re willing to be so flexible.

Original poster
katieealexa1 · 21/04/2022 10:05

@Dammitthisisshit Yeah that's very true! Didn't look at it in that way

OP posts:
chesirecat99 · 21/04/2022 10:25

You need to work out how much UC you would be entitled to each month if you had no income and the maintenance loan you are entitled it plus any bursaries and divide it by 12 (whether you intend to take the loan or not). For every pound of student finance you are entitled to each month, a pound is deducted from your UC. The online calculators don't seem to allow you to add student finance but CAB have a UC phoneline who will help you calculate it.

Ideally, I would concentrate on your studies. Realistically, life will be difficult if you don't work. You need to do the sums.