Hi, I am going to Leeds University in September to do my masters in Philosophy and as I was not successful in my funding application my parents have agreed to help me. Money will still be tight, however, and was wondering if I should get a job for 6 hrs or so a week? Does this sound like a good idea or do you think it will effect my studies?

Also, how would i go about trying to get a job for only a few hrs a week??

thanks

Fay

Hi Fay

I did a Masters last year, again, like you, without any funding, and I managed to work 16 hrs a week (sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less) for the entire year. It's most certainly possible, you just need to find a job with a bit of flexibility regarding your hours, as lectures/tutorials etc crop up when sometimes you may be scheduled to work or your workloads may be more or less at different times.
Good luck!

Fay,
Even if getting a stipend, you more than likely would have to get some part-time funding (fair dues to the parents by the way). It is the norm for most Masters/PhD to do some part-time, especially if you've a car or don't want to live like a hermit. Dedicate a day or two to part time work, with the notion that some of your weekend time will be taken. You need a few hours "turn-around" time i.e. you can't just walk straight from study to the part-time work and vice versa. Also, it might be a good notion to get in as much part-time as you possibly can in the early months and then decrease this as you go on.


As for looking, if you have taught in any capacity, or even have done well in paractical subjects like computing, accounting, etc., try the local private colleges - they always look for someone that will only stay a year or two on a non-full time basis. Also, look thro' the syllabus of your own college - there might be some subjects that you can do grinds in. If so, you dictate when and where these are done and if good, word of mouth spreads. There are plenty of opportunities - just be prepared for the search.

Good luck with the studies

Yes, working a few hours and doing a PhD is a good idea - not only for the money, but also to talk to people and think about something different for a bit. Be wary of tutoring though - doing all the reading and lesson plans can really suck up your time. I'd recommend doing something less onerous that doesn't require unpaid overtime.