Author: Rob

Getting a Student Part Time Job

~ Rob

Finding part time work or a summer job can help your student finances. It’s worth job hunting or finding something to earn some cash over the holidays if money is tight while at university. Not every student has loaded parents who can support them while studying. Mummy and Daddy may be able to help and sub you but it won’t last forever. The average student is going to experience money troubles so a job can pass the time and help give you an income.

It’s nice to have some extra cash because student finance doesn’t go far enough. Before taking the first cleaning role or bar job see if you can find relevant work in the career sector you eventually want to work in. Finding relevant work will look good on your graduate CV.

It will give you some independence, freedom and help pay the rent. That student loan never stretches as far as you think. 🙁 Having a job while at university gives you more flexibility with your student lifestyle, you won’t have to worry as much about money with a steady wage. You can also eat better and treat yourself to higher quality food and drink. That doesn’t mean you can suddenly start shopping at M&S or Waitrose.

Student life can get very boring. Getting a part time job will kill the boredom on weekends and dull evenings when they is nothing on the telly, it’s pouring down with rain and you’ve lost hope in the Internet. Earning money will give you something to do.

It’s nice to gain some work experience and build bonds with colleagues and work mates. You get to have work Christmas parties and increase your social circle.

The downsides of having a student job is the work! Having a job is nice for your student finances bit it requires a commitment and signing a contract. You can’t go out with your friends or attend events because you have to go to work. You’ll be expect to turn up for work and be on time for your shifts so it can mess up your party plans and social life. Missing out on the university life and losing out on the fun nights is a big downer. You’ll probably have to work over the holidays. And when you do go out and let your hair down going into work smashed and hung-over is also not a good idea.

You’ll feel tired and have less energy for studying. Working can be physically and mentally exhausting, especially if you are working a late shift. You’ll have less time to relax and chill out whilst having a job.

Having a part time job and fitting in your university course work can be stressful for students. Cramming in studying and paid work can impact on your degree course. You’ll have less time to study and feel too busy and overworked, especially when you need to revise and have a pile of assignments to do. You may need to consider cut back your work shifts or quitting the job if it gets too much for you and your grades and studies start suffering. Not having a student part time job gives your flexibility back leaving evenings and weekend free but you may need the money to survive on.

Your main commitment should be your studies and timetable but it’s not that easy for everyone. Getting a part time job will depend on your studies timetable, your finances, the job you take and how much you can fit in to 24 hours.

Breaking Up Bad

~ Rob

Pain, pain go away come back another day! Following on from my Long Distance Relationships and Fading Love post it’s been a few months since I broke up with my girlfriend. We’d been together three years and it was my first real serious relationship.

As you may know my finances and personal life have been seriously messed up over the last few months. I haven’t blogged, tweeted or felt alive for the last few months. I needed some timeout.

My recent breakup and credit card bill has hit me hard. My student debt levels are not healthy and set to grow each year. Just like money, relationships need to be managed to be maintained. I may have been too honest about what needed to change between us for the relationship to last.

Experiencing a break up is a bad thing to get through. When it happens it hits you hard especially if it takes you by surprise. You not sure how you’ll deal within until it happens to you.

You are probably feeling down, upset and alone. Even angry that the relationship is over. Keeping your mood up and broken heart intact is extremely painful. Missing someone does that to you it makes you vulnerable and your mind can do a runner.

Adjusting to single life feels strange and since the split I’ve had a few months to cry, reflex on the relationship and think about where it went wrong. Looking back many factors were involved. I think it was the distance involved and a lack of trust we had in each other.

You can try having sometime apart but that won’t solve any niggling doubts. I wish the break-up never happened and emotions are still raw. Trying to remain “friends” doesn’t always work out. Arguments may still flare up as you try to come to terms with the situation or blame each other for mistakes and bad feelings.

Give yourself time and space. If you aren’t coping too well then speak to family and friends or an independent support group.

Don’t rush straight into any other relationship immediately after a break-up. Rebounds aren’t helpful and could be just a way to bury or ignore your feelings. Make sure you get over one bad relationship before committing to another one.

As people reject your love, your ideas, your work, your beliefs at least I know in my heart I tried by best, yet I guess you can only change what’s under your control. The rest you have to let go.

Long Distance Relationships and Fading Love

~ Rob

I knew it would be difficult to maintain a long distance relationship when I moved away to university. Been away from the one you love is tough. When I left we both agreed to make it work and see each other whenever possible.

Keeping a long distance relationship a live takes effort. I admit it’s hard to cope when you miss someone and are used to seeing them in the flesh most days.

I’ve been arguing with my woman and my name is currently “mud” in certain social circles. I think she saw me going to university as me leaving her. I think she thought it was easy for me to move away and leave her behind. Believing I was going out having fun every night. I wish.

Having no money to go out partying, buy PlayStation Games or treat the girlfriend is a depressing feeling. If you’re struggling to pay the bills and trying to survive on little cash then long distance relationships get even harder.

Talking and keeping in contact everyday is vital. If possible get a unlimited call deal or speak over the Internet with WhatApp, Skype, Google Hangouts or use video chat with services like TinyChat at https://tinychat.com using a webcam.

See each other whenever you can. Finding the time and money isn’t easy. The travel expenses can mount up so put some money aside so you can see each other regularly. If the money can stretch to it go on a romantic weekend away.

Send them gifts and flowers to show you are thinking about them. Write them a letter or send a romantic email. Be honest with each other, express your feelings and keep the fire burning.

That’s the long distance relationship advice offered by experts. However it can still go wrong. Relationships fade out and turn sour because the distance of the heart is too much and too far for one or both people in the relationship.

If it doesn’t work out it can be painful to accept. Right now am going through a difficult emotional period in my life. I know moving away from each other doesn’t help and yet it will only work if both parties are willing to make it work.

Fading love hurts. I am not on fire.

Beans on Toast Again

~ Rob

Beans on Toast is the simplest meal a student can make. Apart from Pot Noodle but that’s not really a meal is it? It just rubbery noodles with “E” numbers. Where would the next student meal come from if it wasn’t for good old beans on toast?

You’ve not experienced real student life without having to struggle to survive on beans on toast. It’s part of student life. For your own benefit you best make sure you have a few hundred tin’s of beans in the cupboard to get you through. In fact I hope you like bread too because soon you be putting everything on it, crisps, cheese, eggs, salad, chips and dipping it in soup.

Be sure to have plenty of bread stocked up in the freezer, nothing is as quite as upsetting than having beans on beans, yet that still tastes better then plain boring lentils.

For best results use branded beans like Heinz Beans or Branston – I find the tomato juice higher quality. Some of the supermarket home brands are nice too. As a rule avoid the cheap and nasty budget baked beans where possible. Also watch out for salt and sugar levels added for flavouring.

To improve your beans on toast recipe I recommend a scrape of butter and a sprinkling of pepper. Should the budget permit you can go posh and add Worcestershire sauce or a dash of soya sauce to bring out the flavour.

The big British breakfast wouldn’t be complete without beans. Beans are good for you, they look after your heart. They are high in fibre, low in fat and contain iron, protein and B vitamins.

I love beans on toast. As a convenience food beans on toast rocks and they’re great for your energy levels. However you may not want to have to eat them for a whole month. On the plus side you can look forward to stinking out the dormitory or impressing your flatmates with your bum notes.

Changing University Degrees When It Feels Wrong

~ Rob

Do you think you picked the wrong degree course? A few weeks, a month or so has passed and you’ve tried to give the subject a chance but it’s not growing on you. The fear creeps in. Have you chosen the wrong field of study? To you does the subject suck?

If you’re not enjoying your degree you don’t want to needlessly suffer for the next three years. Forcing yourself to go through the course won’t be good for your moral or self esteem.  It’s hard to keep motivated when you’re not enjoying what you do and getting into debt for doing it.

So what can you do when your education doesn’t feel right?

Consider transferring degrees in a similar field. You can usually jump ship to another degree up until the end of the first term. A degree transfer is usually painless providing the subjects overlay in some way, unless of course the degree is full.

However if you want to move into a completely new area it’s going to be harder but not impossible. Your college or university will have rules, policies and entry criteria in place that determine if and when you can make a degree switch. The worst case is you take a gap year and reapply next year.

Before you switch degrees you must consider why you really want to change your degree. Are you finding the work too difficult after A-Levels? Is this just a part of the subject matter that you don’t like or fully understand, if so this may just be a temporary dip while you settle in. If next terms content  is going to feel just as bleak then you have a serious case to consider moving degrees.

Will switching degrees affect your career path or limit future job options? If you’re not happy in your degree will you be happy in the job?

Approach your tutor and speak to student services for advice. They have experience and are here to help . Don’t rush any decisions before transferring degrees and clearly think it through before going ahead.