Work hard, budget hard: Part-time jobs and your finances

Hi, I’m Elaina, a Psychology with Counselling student at York St John

Since moving into my second year university house, making sure I have enough money to cover my bills and rent has been a top priority. Living in York has been the best decision I’ve ever made, but it has only been possible due to me having a part time job.

IKEA

I work at IKEA in Leeds and have worked there from before I came to university. To balance studying and earning money, I was able to change my contract so that I could work most of my hours at peak times (for example, Christmas, Easter and Summer holidays). This means that when I’m home from university I work as many hours as I can to make sure I have enough money to cover me until my next set of shifts. If you have a part time job and are about to move away to university I would recommend discussing this option with your manager.

This working schedule makes it easier to set aside lots of time to study during term time. It can be very difficult to find a balance between working and studying during my holidays (especially as exam periods usually arrive just after each holiday). To make sure I don’t neglect my studies over the holidays, I plan ahead on what days and times I will set aside to study around my work rota. This stops me from procrastinating and keeps me organised.

Pick me ups

Sometimes there’s nothing worse than getting home for a shift and having to sit down and study when all you want to do is relax. So, I make sure to get myself little ‘pick me ups’ to keep me going (these are usually ‘sweet treats’).

I make sure to set boundaries with my work place. In exam periods university work comes first so I make sure that my manager doesn’t put me on for too many shifts, and that I don’t always say yes when they ask me to work extra hours when they are short staffed.

Work experience alongside your studies is extremely important on more than just a financial level. Employers will be looking for postgraduates with not only a good degree score but skills such as teamwork, reliability, time management, great interpersonal skills and leadership. These are all skills I have gained working at my part-time customer facing hospitality job.

Budgeting

To make sure I budget my money correctly in between working periods I have made some lifestyle changes from first year. I take packed lunches to university instead of paying for food in the canteen and I don’t pay for drinks on a night out unless there is a good student deal. Finally, I look for fun activities to do that aren’t crazy expensive. Most recently I took part in pottery painting held by YSJ’s student union which was a third of the price of pottery painting in the city centre! Don’t worry if you haven’t yet found a part time job, YSJ is here to support you.

You can check out the Handshake portal where lots of jobs are offered to students here: https://yorksj.joinhandshake.co.uk/login 

For more information on career opportunities, visit our dedicated page: https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/students/careers-and-student-opportunities/