Struggling Students, Cost of Living, and Part Time Work
The increased cost of Living continues to be an extra burden on university students, with many turning to part time jobs to fund the university experience they had initially hoped for.
In June, Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) found that 55% of students participate in paid work, a 10% increase from the year prior.
This coincides with the inflation the UK has seen over the past year or so, with many struggling to afford the increase in how much more it costs to live.
New data from think tank has found that almost half (48%) of universities in the UK now actively promote part-time work.
What was once looked down upon, due to worries about distraction from studies, has now become common ground.
There are still universities in the UK which do not allow their students to work whilst studying, like Oxford and Cambridge. In the current climate, this leaves many applications as nothing more than a pipedream.
Josh Freeman spoke to the BBC about his concerns over the risks this causes for making inequalities worse in higher education.
“While some students have lots of funding options, others must work upwards of 20 or 30 hours a week to fund their cost of studying.
“The problem risks exacerbating inequalities between those who don’t have to work, and those who can’t study without it.”
Another problem that arises for students is the detrimental effect this can have on their social life.
Anna Tankard, a student at the Glasgow School of Art, as well as a PR/Bar staff at The Buff Club, a local night club, said: “If I want to have a social life or any kind of social interaction which will involve spending money I need that job.”
She goes on to say that when it’s the height of hand-ins and projects it “really does affect” her studies, especially since working in a club involves working late nights which leads to messed up sleep schedules.
Although, she was quick to add that there are benefits to having a job outside of university, “I think people that have part time jobs can actually time manage a lot better.”
She ends on the point that the job in itself can be a social aspect to her life, “a different environment compared to uni, sometimes being at uni all the time with the same people can become the same and I think that makes you more stressed.”
Despite this, it’s clear that students are struggling to make ends meet and despite some benefits to part-time work, it can become a lot to handle.
