Myth or reality: Reconciling part time jobs with studies

Similarly to a little bird flying away from its beloved nest, leaving home to come study in a huge city can be extremely daunting for most prospective students. Add to that the many responsibilities (for example grocery shopping, cooking, washing) of an independent life and it is easy to be terrified. However, this is something that we have all been through. Been an accommodation tour guide on the open days and post to discussions with freshers have shown me that many prospective students are concerned about finding a part time job or knowing if it is even possible to reconcile their studies with a job. I am now going to tell you something that will definitely put your mind at rest.

You can easily get a part time job at Imperial College. Yes you heard me… you can EASILY get a part time job at Imperial.

Still not reassured about coping with work and studying? Imperial’s part time jobs were designed for students like yourself to enable them to work alongside their studies which means that YOU decide when YOU want or can work for most of the jobs. For example, your timetable can be quite empty one week meaning that you can do more shifts but packed another which means that you may only do a few or no shifts at all. The take home message is literally is that you are master of YOUR own time. You decide when you work according to your timetable provided that your work commitment is reasonable.

Okay so now you have a job but I think we can both agree that the next question is what type of jobs should I be expecting?

Again let me take that chip off your shoulder. YOU pick the type of work you are interested in based on your interests and skills you wish to develop or sharpen. There are so many part-time job options you can choose from, proposed by different services around the college which look for help throughout the year. Here is a definitely not exhaustive list:

– Working in the University’s bars to help serve the food and beverages or helping out at the Union shop which sells Imperial merchandise, stationary and basic necessities
– Being a DJ or pub quiz host at the Union’s events
– Helping out in Careers and departmental fairs
– Helping out during Open Days and events targeted for prospective students through the Imperial Student Ambassador Scheme
– Participating in research projects and receiving student bursaries
– Tutoring and translation opportunities

I hope that this blog has answered some of your interrogations and reassured you greatly. Keep smiling!

Best,
Marine Coispeau

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