Hey everyone! I’m Zara, a (now third) year Psychology student who has dabbled in part-time work while studying at the University of Exeter. When I was in my first year of university I worked at Pandora in town. I found it a little tricky to juggle work and university. Now, I have three roles whilst being a student with a larger workload and I find it really manageable, and I’d love to share some of what I’ve learnt about managing a job and university, as well as the benefits of working whilst studying (and not just some extra cash in the bank!).
I’ve learnt a lot about time management, prioritisation and ‘finding a balance’ from working. A mistake I made when I first started working whilst in uni was taking on too many hours. I found that 16 hours a week (3-ish days) was just too much for me and I couldn’t manage work and university with that sort of balance. Now, I work 8 hours (one full day) and do volunteering for 2-3 ish hours. Being a Student Content Ambassador gives me lots of flexibility as well to pick and choose my hours. The main thing as well, none of my roles require set hours weekly so I really could take a week or two off when I am busy. The main thing is remembering to keep university at the front of your mind, and try to take on roles that give you more flexibility so you don’t feel too stretched. Many of my friends work for the Students’ Guild here at the University, one of whom is Remi, a course mate/friend of mine and fellow student ambassador you may have seen around on social media or the blogs, and they really love the flexibility the Guild provides.
The Guild is always hiring at the beginning and end of terms, they seem to have so many roles up for grabs and picking the hours you want to work makes it so easy to work into your degree.
More on time management; working really helps me crack on with uni work ages in advance to make sure I’m giving the best quality piece of work I can. One would think that having less time would mean less work gets done, but what it really means is that time is precious and must be well spent with good intentions. Obviously, I have more and less productive days, but making the time and having the intention to do at least an hour every day means that for things like coursework, you are working on it over multiple sittings with fresh eyes every time to really fine tune it. It also means you can’t procrastinate as much, because you know you already have less time to get the work or study done. It’s kind of a productivity hack for me!
Now, onto the benefits! I personally love the time management and productivity boost so that’s a benefit for me, but there are so many others. First, just to get it out the way, it is nice to have some extra cash to spend (I bought a pair of Doc Martens last week and I am obsessed) but that is really a side benefit; I don’t get paid for volunteering and I won’t be making a crazy amount anyway, so why even bother, you might ask?
Well first of all, it breaks my week up. I’m notoriously terrible at balance. I throw myself into things and just today, my lecturer was saying how it was obvious that I was aiming for a first (I literally will not stop asking her questions). Whilst I love doing well, I find it hard to pull myself out of it and unplug from student life. Going to work means I cannot do anything else, which means I get a break from university. I should mention, I am a teaching assistant at a special needs school, and it is wonderful work.
I really love what I do, and I feel moved by it, I love being a part of the school and feeling I have a life and connections outside of being a student. I have built relationships with the kids and staff and when I go to work, I feel so much purpose. Because it’s dedicated ‘no uni work’ time and it’s enjoyable and rewarding work, I really look forward to it every week. With volunteering, it’s much the same sort of work and it gives me the same benefits, though it is far closer to my house which is an added benefit I guess.
The second one I would touch on is work experience. Having a job that gives you relevant experience (for your degree/career) is so good for your CV, preparing you for when you leave university (if you aren’t sure how to make a CV, that is something the University’s Career Zone can help you with, and I would highly recommend using that resource!). My friends who work for the Guild learn about managing people, and resources, working in a team, marketing and so much more. These are all super transferable skills and really great work experience opportunities, and the Student Guild here in Exeter loves employing students to do flexible work around their degrees.
Whilst there are many opportunities to work for either the University or the Student’s Guild, both of which are super generous with flexibility and allowing students the freedom to pick shifts with no pressure if one doesn’t work (and the pay is also really great!), there are also lots of opportunities in the city that are perfect for students. Some of my other friends do volunteering with the NHS in specific wards like the children’s or dementia ward, which is highly rewarding but also helps them learn more about the sector. Another friend of mine volunteers at the prison to gain experience before applying for a criminology Masters to see if it’s what she really wants to do. It’s important to explore your interests while you’re in university to set yourself up well for the job you think you want and to know if it is what you truly want to do. There is a student targeted platform called ‘Handshake’ that companies in Exeter use to advertise internships and other relevant job opportunities within the University or the wider city.
It’s basically like Indeed but just for students and with lots of graduate level jobs and roles to get further experience. Between the opportunities the University offers and the opportunities in Exeter itself, you’ll definitely find something that suits you!
So to sum things up; working has taught me a lot about managing my time and has helped me pace my work a bit better. It also has helped me feel a sense of purpose, connect with the wider Exeter community and helped me gain work experience to be certain about future career choices I want to explore. I’ll end by saying, this will look different for everyone and it’s okay to try different things out until you strike a balance that works for you!