What part-time jobs and hours do uni students typically manage?

[Echobelly]

Obviously I know there is bar work/wait staff working stuff, but interested to know what people's kids who are uni students have done for work and how many hours they tend to do?

Oldest DC starts uni this year - we will pay for accommodation but want them to get a job for 'fun money' because for one thing we won't have much to spare after paying for accommodation, especially as they are probably going for a London uni. Also I think it will be good for them to learn money management (which they're not great at right now).

As I said, I know people will do bar working/wait staff, but DC is possibly autistic, and very sensitive/overwhelmed by loud noise and late nights, so bar staff may not be ideal. Do people manage to work as baristas, shop staff or delivery riders as well? They can ride a bike, though haven't done it for years - I think they should pick it up again over summer for both p/t work options and maybe saving travel money.

Just to add, initially my son said that the only people who found it easy to get a part-time uni job were those who already had barista experience. There were some SU jobs, but they were in quite a lot of demand and so quite competitive.

My DS works for a corporate events company when he is at home. Picks up lots of shifts at football and cricket grounds in London. I didn't imagine him waiting or doing bar work but they are trained and it really prescriptive as it is events.

Term time he works for a similar company but stewarding at a sporting venue. Both are really flexible and he fits it around studying.

Oh yes, I know some people who've done stewarding stuff.

I've spoken to DC about this and they say that if they end up in London they do know quite well a person who runs a community centre/cafe place and they would likely give them some shifts if they are studying nearby.

One of mine works in a shopping centre. He does Wednesday afternoon and all day Sunday. Likes it fine enough and gets paid double time on a Sunday! He is doing a really intense Uni course but balances things fine.

The other one works in a school for children with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities. He's done this for years - since he was 16! and loves it. As he's in the 3rd year he is only in Uni on a Monday so does 3 days a week.

After school nanny through something like Koru kids

I worked 30 hours a week throughout medical school including long placements. Mostly evening and weekend work in retail, as a receptionist, cleaning, being a theatre usher, tutoring, data collection (govt and research) babysitting. No choice as not bankrolled by parents or the govt. Many of my friends in med and law school were in similar positions - I felt they all coped better with full time work post uni than those who’d done no or minimal paid work before. So there are many benefits.

The downside isn’t academic - I got a first, and most people doing degrees like law and medicine should be able to work a lot and perform well otherwise they’re going to struggle after graduation - it’s social. I had much much less time to socialise, at a time when it’s really important.

The job I envied most at the time was working in the cinema!

This is what I was going to say. My son worked at Office in our local town before Uni and he was then transferred to his Uni town working at Office.

That's also a possibility. They have said they wouldn't mind babysitting, and after school stuff (if timing allows) is good as it's like hen's teeth trying to get someone to reliably do that slot in my experience, so a student would be ideal. Most other people who will do it are, understandably, looking for a job with more hours.

Depends on the course. Some courses are labour intensive and ask students not to get jobs.

I think this won't be super-heavy contact hours

If your DD is autistic there is a summer internship with the Civil Service via Employ Autism. My DD did it over the summer and earned enough to pay for living expenses for 2 terms with her minimum loan.

I did 12-15 hrs p/w at KFC during undergraduate, most of the staff were students. Then 30-37 during post grad law conversion and legal practice course as there was no student loan!

My dd works for a fast food chain every 2nd weekend and extra in the holidays. Gives her the right balance of uni experience and working for spends.

Most universities employ students to work as student ambassadors which can mean supporting open days, school and college visits, clearing and sometimes involves social media work or basic admin.
They’re popular jobs and they typically recruit during the first few weeks of term.

My DD is in her third year.

Between A-levels and starting uni she worked at the local supermarket and a local kebab shop for about 50 hours a week and saved enough that she didn't need to worry about finding a job for her first year.

She started working for the uni careers service 12 hours a week in Yr 2 and also volunteers one evening a week so I guess I'd say 12-16 hours could be realistic depending on the degree. DD is doing LLB Law but she is ferociously organised and self-disciplined (I have ADHD and absolutely no idea how I produced her 😂).

Year 3 she's continued doing the above but has dialled back and now stopped the volunteering as she's approaching the final stretch of her degree.

When she's home from uni on the longer breaks she still picks up a few shifts a week in the kebab shop, a mix of being in the shop and doing deliveries. She likes the people and it's totally flexible so she prefers that to temping in an office and will probably do that this summer before she heads off for her Masters in September.

Does your DC like animals? Petsitting is a nice (and quiet) sideline