I’m not going to sugarcoat it: having a job at uni can be hard at times. It’s difficult to balance a social life, going to uni, doing all of your reading and fitting in enough hours at work to make some decent money — and for those of you that manage to do all this and fit in multiple visits to the gym a week, I salute you. However, having a job also comes with a number of positives that might not ever cross your mind. As someone that’s worked in retail through all her major exams — from GCSEs to now — and hasn’t totally burned out, I feel like I’m able to shed some light on the topic.
Let’s start with the benefits. Apart from the extra cash, the obvious one would be finding somewhere with a banging discount. It’s ideal to have a perk that you’ll actually get use out of, and being able to buy clothes a lot cheaper than retail price makes saving money that little bit easier.
For me, transferring from my home store to the one here in Bristol meant not only making new friends at uni, but new work friends too. This may sound extra daunting, but the retail gods were definitely looking out for me, because I’ve met some great people through work both in Bristol and at home. Sometimes an after work drink is the best way to end the day.
Furthermore, work can be almost therapeutic — stick with me on this one. Sometimes when you feel like you’re drowning in essays and reading, it’s a relief to be able to go and fold some clothes and not think about everything for a couple of hours. I never thought I’d say that, ever. But it’s true! It’s always good to have somewhere or something separate from uni so you don’t go totally insane.
But how do you balance it all?
The key is to find somewhere flexible, with different length shifts and the possibility for evening work. Only agree to a few contracted hours, that way you can get overtime when you have reading weeks or less work and then drop down to one or two shifts a week when you’re busier with your studies.
Communicate with your managers. Don’t be afraid to ask for less shifts, or turn down any extra hours they offer you. They won’t know you’ve got a deadline unless you tell them! You need to make sure they understand that uni is your priority, not your part-time job you got so you could splash a bit more cash at Mbargos on a Thursday (even if this is the reason).
Finally, make sure you still dedicate enough time to uni. Make the most of it whilst you’re around campus by heading to the library in between lectures and classes instead of going home, or go in early on the days you can. The main thing is to figure out what works for you and stick with it! Most importantly, remember to take a day, or even just an evening, for yourself every week to relax. Value the time you have to binge-watch a new series, go for a drink with your friends or cook a really good meal and everything will seem a lot easier.