Full-time job whilst studying a degree

m@rty

m@rty

m@rty

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5 Jul 2006
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Does anyone have any experience with this? I'm talking about a normal degree not a study from home or Open University type.

I have the opportunity to start a new job doing 4 nights on 4 nights off (40 hours/week doing night shift) however not sure if this is wise as it may be too much on top of my studies.

Just looking for some advice on this
 
What are course are you doing? I'd fail my engineering degree for sure if I did 40 hours a week at nights on top of it. (Im sure some clever clogs might manage it :p)
 
Not quite full time - But I did day release for my higher qualifications. I worked 4 days a week then my boss paid for me to go to college/ uni 1 day. When college/ uni was on break, I had to go to work for the full 5 days of the week though.

Building services engineering HNC
Commercial Management degree

Overall I found it very manageable. Degree was easier than HNC. There are stressful times occasionally, but nothing you cant handle. I enjoyed actually having the day off from normal work, although I'm very glad I'm finished with all of it now...
 
I do an OU degree part time alongside full-time work.

I think if your full-time work is stacking shelves in Tesco's, that is potentially an option if you have the flexibility to change your working hours around tutorials etc to do a 'proper' full time degree course..

If your full-time work is more of a 'career' than 'just a job' you might struggle. I certainly can't predict when I'll be home from work as well as I'd need to with regards getting in another major commitment.

Personally, I struggle to do the OU course (I do 1 module at a time) alongside my employment and actually existing and having time with my wife/going and seeing friends etc.

It does depend on what other commitments you have, and how focused you are willing to be.
 
There is absolutely no way I could have completed my degree whilst holding down a full time job. Again engineering.
 
I did it. Worked 6 hours Monday to Friday and 8 on a Sunday whilst I did my mech eng degree.
Graduated with an average mark of 70%.

Worked out ok for me but was permanently tired and started going grey during my final exams from the stress!
 
Business/History degree at Glasgow University so not as demanding as engineering and such.

The extra money would come in handy during summer time but I think it would still be a bit much if I want to get a good degree classification!
 
Business/History?!

Stick with business dude. :p


The job depends on your own level of ability. Take it from me when I say you do NOT want to miss out on a 2:1.... seriously, screw getting some cash if you think it'll happen.
 
If it is just 40 hours a week then you could potentially do it... you'd be assuming however that you're able to regularly skip lectures at times where you'll be working - if the lecturers all publish slides/notes then that should be OK... if they don't then you might need to make friends quickly and ensure you get copies of any material missed.

Its likely a bit more common in the US - though AFAIK university courses can be a bit more flexible over there...

Perhaps you could work full time during your 1st year and maybe the second year - then reduce your hours in the third year where it really counts..
 
I wouldn't have been able too, My Uni made lectures and other classes mandatory and if your attendance dropped below 75% you were struck off from the course.

Was to stop Alians coming in and then mooching off student finance and not doing the work.
 
I kept a weekend job going for couple of years. I kept myself going until my final year, and after 2 years with my loan going on accommodation and no extra debt, I took out a student overdraft and maxed it out, along with another overdraft. Big regret, but I didn't want to work and study when my final year meant so much.
 
Another aspect of the job is that there's not much to do on the night shift - so it would give me the opportunity to take my laptop in to do some course work, the job entails manning a desk/phone in case of emergencies basically.

I know my social life would take a big knock but considering i'm only in university for 10-12 hours per week and I can download nearly all of my lecture slides the job is tempting..

I'm currently half way through second year also.
 
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I know you stated no learning from home, however I look after my daughter 5-6 hours a day while my wife works, then do 40 hours a week evening/night shifts and 1-2 hours study a day so it should be quite comparable.

It's definitely achievable however I only get 1 or 2 days a month to myself (it's certainly easier if you enjoy the subject you are studying).

Edit: Night shifts are a great time to do some reading or revising, but don't expect to be at your best when it comes to assignments!
 
I am doing a full time job and a Msc part time and do one module a semester, but its my families company so i just have a day / afternoon a week off doing it, i think i would struggle to do it if i was working 9-5 every day at that level as its quite hard, i am also doing my charter-ship but getting massively behind with that now just due to a lack of time.

I would imagine doing a degree though you could probably do the first 2 years part time pretty easily if its a subject you are familiar with and then organize with your employer to have a day a week off in the final year ? Plenty of people seem to do 3 -4 days a week these days because of children commitments so whats the difference ? and it potentially benefits them ? assuming you can live with the reduction in wages, but you never know your employer might meet you in the middle?
 
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I studied day release for my qs degree whilst working. I managed fine - but I had been doing the job for about 3 years before I started ( didn't go in to first year) which made a massive difference. If I had no experience of the role to fall back on it would have been more of a strain on me.

Even then there was a balance to be had as sometimes the real job takes priority regardless of whether its a uni day or not. As mentioned above it can be very difficult not knowing when you're home. I regularly don't get home till half 7 8 after leaving just after 6am at the moment. I simply wouldn't do coursework etc if I was still trying to study

I guess if its not any sort of career it could be possible but
I don't personally think it's a good idea to try and cram in a full time course and a full time job, there will just be too much expected of you and it won't really be fair on any others when you're doing group work etc
 
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m@rty said:
Another aspect of the job is that there's not much to do on the night shift - so it would give me the opportunity to take my laptop in to do some course work, the job entails manning a desk/phone in case of emergencies basically.

I know my social life would take a big knock but considering i'm only in university for 10-12 hours per week and I can download nearly all of my lecture slides the job is tempting..

I'm currently half way through second year also.
Click to expand...

If you can do coursework while on the job - go for it. I work two nights a week at a quiet library and get more read/written than in the other five days of the week combined. No distractions...

Except these forums - I'm at work now.
 
If you can work whilst you work, you might be able to pull it off.

Normally I would say anything more than 16-20 hours would impact your work too much, any work at all would impact your social life - parties aren't really planned far in advance.
 
Should have mentioned that earlier. My social life was pretty much none existent for large parts of the year.
 
I don't think I would have been able to hold down a full time job whilst studying for my Degree in Computer Science, I'd fall behind on the assignments. :p
 
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