Balancing work and study

Why work?

Students are increasingly having to find a paid job to help with the costs of life. The extra income helps to pay for necessities, to reduce borrowing, to maintain a social life, to buy clothes and to gain skills for life after studying. Using a part-time job to cut down on borrowing is a great idea, as it reduces the debt that will be waiting to be paid off after graduation.

Make sure you get the balance right

The exact number of hours per week students currently work during term-time is not known. Some conservatoires advise that students should not work more than 10 hours a week, and there are others that set a higher recommended limit of 15 hours a week. There is no doubt that some students exceed even 15 hours a week.

Inevitably there are difficulties balancing these two commitments, and surveys have found students reporting that their studies have been adversely affected by their part-time jobs. Although they might not miss lectures and seminars, students report problems with tiredness, stress and pressure on study time.

Because adequate practice (composition, rehearsal etc) time is essential for conservatoire students, you should consider very carefully the amount of part-time work (if any) you take on.

Find the right job

Many conservatoires provide information and contacts if you're looking for work while studying. You can also use the Job Centre Plus service, employment agencies, and classified adverts in newspapers and online.

Some examples of student jobs include administration, information technology, bar work, waiting on tables, telemarketing, market research, retail and driving.

If you work for a large company, you may also find the added benefit of being able to work for them in your home town during the holidays or vice versa.

Although it might be tempting to take on lots of shifts, there's no point getting extra cash if it ruins your chances of studying. You need to get the balance right, so don't burn yourself out. If you do work while studying, check that your employer meets their legal obligations to you - conditions of service and health and safety provision.

Know where you stand when it comes to tax

Your tax position as a student is that any grant is non-taxable. In general, so are any scholarships, bursaries, research awards and housing benefit you might get. In other words you can get any or all of these and still keep your full tax allowances.

Everyone can earn or receive an amount of income in each tax year before paying tax. This is called the personal allowance. If your income is below that in the tax year, you won't have to pay any tax (a tax year starts on 6 April in one year and finishes on 5 April in the next).

See www.hmrc.gov.uk/students for more information.