How many hours work is reasonable to expect...

[noitsnotteatimeyet]

A history undergraduate to do during term time? Ds is retaking his second year having fucked up last year for various reasons. We had been paying his rent and he was living off his loan but we told him we couldn't afford to fund an extra year so we're giving him a little bit more than he had last year, but spread over two years.

He's signed up for a very lovely but very expensive studio flat in private halls which is costing more than his loan and money we can give him combined.

Despite me pointing out that he would need to get a job over the summer if he wanted to eat next year, he sat on his arse for two months, only finally pulling his finger out for the last four weeks of the holiday when to be fair he found a job and worked hard at it.

He's now trying to make me feel bad about not giving him more money, which I can't afford at the moment. I've told him I'll pay for his sports club when I get paid next week but that's all I can do.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect him to work a few hours a week during term time and pretty much full time at Christmas. We were clear that if he wanted to retake the year then he'd need to take some of the financial consequences but he's now flouncing back to uni leaving a horrible atmosphere behind him

there are 24 hours in every day and 7 days in every week - it leaves PLENTY to work a couple of shifts in a pub / shop / cafe / leisure centre etc., and work and look after self and socialise.

How many people on here who work full-time would feel that they plenty of time and energy to work a couple of shifts in a pub/shop/cafe at evenings and weekends?

If somebody is spending 40+ hours per week studying - which is what is required to get a good degree result on a high tariff course - it can be difficult to find the energy to work part-time as well. The danger is that people find the time/energy for paid work by working less on their degree - and hence not doing as well as they could. It is a difficult balance.

Backforgood, in that 24 hours you seem to be leaving out sleep, bathing etc, and eating/cooking time. There's maybe 14 hours a day if you don't have to shop for food etc and don't have any commuting time.

I worked at uni and think most students can, but there are not 24 useable hours in a day.

Gosh, it's a pity there's no other activity he is spending time on, like his sports clubs, that he could use for study time instead, isn't it?

User - most people I know work, look after themselves / homes - indeed dc as well which most University students don't - and also go out in the evenings / do volunteering. No, technically not paid, but responsible activities they can't just not turn up to.
When I did my degree back in the day, we were in lectures 9 - 3.30 every day (obvs plus study time) and still managed to work, volunteer, go out etc.
My dc, plus most of their mates have all had part time jobs of one sort or another through 6th form and through university, and managed to achieve what they were aiming form in terms of academic results, and had a great time in the process. It really is about time management. (and finding the job which I realise is easier in some places than others).

On my course there are a lot of lone parents who work, study and run a house with small people in it. He needs to pull his finger out

I think your mistake Op was you becoming guarantor for an expensive flat.

My 2nd year DS is good with money and studies hard, but in principal we wouldn't have agreed to that, they need to learn to live within their means and a bit of slumming it at uni is good for them. My DS was a bit disappointed with his shared house when he got keys in summer, remembered it as nicer from original visit. It is luxurious compared with my uni house in 80s! And I survived it, made me appreciate my own home when I got it, plus work hard to climb housing ladder.

On subject of work, yes on a history degree he can surely work. But to others saying everyone can work, it isn't always that simple.

DS got weekend work back with his 6th form employer, but in uni city, at Easter. It was 9 & 8 hrs Sat/Sun (compared to 4/day in 6th form store) and even though he would have loved to stay on (he likes to earn his own money even though he doesn't really need to, we can afford to give him a decent allowance) he realised it wouldn't be feasible in term time. His science degree has 4.5 days of contact time this year, 9-5 all but one day, so he needs weekends to do lab reports, pre-lab preparation, apply for year in industry jobs (which is a job in itself!!), sort notes out and revise etc. He left at end of August, his supervisors said they wished they could have given him shorter shifts but had hands tied by management.

I think you should maybe say you will pay for his sports but only when he has a job, give him an incentive. And he needs a talking to about living within his means!