During my three years of being a full-time student, I've had three jobs, two in retail and another as a bartender. In order to get these three jobs, I spent countless hours soullessly applying to any job on Indeed. Despite having years of experience, I faced countless rejections. Two out of three jobs have been outside the city centre, meaning I've had to commute up to an hour each way to get to work. This raises an important question: How accessible is it for students to work while studying, and does the need to do so highlight a flaw in the current student support system?
As the cost of living crisis worsens, the demand for jobs increases leaving more and more students struggling. The paradox of jobs requiring experience but students being unable to gain experience without a job only exuberates these inequalities. As a result, students who desperately need jobs often find it more challenging to secure them compared to their more experienced peers. Those who do manage to find work frequently struggle to balance their schedules with university commitments, leading many to work evenings and late nights.
Furthermore, students greatly struggle to get time off work to go home for holidays such as Christmas and Easter. This struggle highlights a significant issue for student workers: the lack of flexibility and understanding in many workplaces when it comes to balancing academic schedules and financial needs.
When combined with time spent attending lectures, classes and other study, students with part-time jobs are averaging 48-hour working weeks during term time, while some have 56-hour weeks – far above the average 36.6 hours by adults in full-time jobs, according to the Office for National Statistics. Balancing academic responsibilities, part-time work, and extracurricular activities is incredibly demanding, placing those who need to work at a significant disadvantage.
From struggling to secure employment due to lack of experience to enduring long commutes and sacrificing holidays with loved ones, it’s clear that many students are under immense pressure just to make ends meet. The need to work long hours while maintaining academic performance places those from less privileged backgrounds at a distinct disadvantage, deepening existing inequalities. As the cost of living continues to rise, it’s crucial to reevaluate how we support students, ensuring they have the financial security needed to focus on their education without compromising their well-being.