Contributed post
It doesn’t matter what your age is, many people are choosing to boost their career, qualifications, and education, and are heading back to uni to study, or attend for the first time.
There’s no doubt that it could well be one of the best times of your life; it’ll also be one of the busiest. You’ll have new friends to hang out with, lectures to attend, study to complete, extra curricular clubs and societies to be a part of (the list goes on), so it can be a challenge to find the time to help fund your education. It’s worth being savvy with your cash, and ensuring that you can focus on your studying and the end goal so that you get the qualifications you want and need.
The following are some tips and ideas for those who need to ensure they earn cash, while they enjoy a fulfilling and hectic university life.
A Reliable Income
It’s worth grabbing yourself a flexible job in retail or a coffee shop, for a great way to boost your income during term time, and something you’ll be able to continue at the end of each term.
Getting a job in one of your favourite shops will also come with the perks of a staff discount on clothing, homeware, cosmetics, or food; so you’ll be saving cash in more ways than one.
If you decide to serve in a cafe, coffee shop, or restaurant; they’ll often provide you with a free meal and drink when you’re there, so utilise your shift and save money in Tesco on the way back to your student accommodation or home.
Look into roles within your university, you never know; perhaps the library needs staff, or the onsite gym needs a receptionist during the weekends and evenings. Working on campus will ensure that you’ll have a short commute and your employers will understand when it’s time for busy periods of study and cramming, and will be more lenient with your time off.
Remember that you want your job role to fit around your studies, and not the other way around so that you’re not compromising the effort you put into your future career.
Being Cash Clever
Get in the habit of doing yourself a weekly budget and try to stay within it so that you don’t run out of cash every month. It’s worth putting any extras into savings, from your student loan or job so that you leave uni with a lump sum. Keep an eye on your bank balance and question any unusual activity, and know when it’s time to curb your spending habits so that you can pay your rent and get those books you need.
Avoid credit and store cards whenever you can; you’ll only be tempted to break up your studies with a little late night online shopping, so don’t give yourself the temptation when you walk round those freshers fairs.
You want to leave with a qualification and not worry about paying things back all the time when you should be concentrating on your new career and your life ahead.