It is well known that nowadays a lot of students in the UK need a part-time job to afford their studies whilst attending University. Money is the main factor in university, in which students acquire a tremendous amount of debt to pay off.

According to a report published in 2014, 45% of students have a part-time job while studying with 13% working 35 hours a week.

London South Bank University’s career hub leader told us “Working part-time gives students a sense of responsibility it’s a good thing if you are able to manage your time correctly and as long as it does not stop them from preparing exams and doing course work”

Nevertheless, these jobs inevitably affect their academic performances in various ways by causing not only psychological problems but also physical ones.

Students find themselves struggling to maintain a healthy lifestyle with not enough time to study, sleep and maintain healthy eating habits.

Indeed, in a lack of time, while trying to juggle work and university life, students end up grabbing quick meals or fast food, comprised of low-quality foods that contain sugar and high sodium.

In fact, Huang’s study on obesity, diet, and physical activity among university students indicates that an estimated 35% of university students are at risk for being overweight.

And it’s no longer just the famous university’s night out that keeps students awake at night but also night shift.

A recent article shows that 50% of student surveyed at a university is sleep deprived. As Michael Thomas, a lecturer in social work at Brunel University told The Guardian,

“We sometimes get students coming to lectures having just done a night shift, and we can see they’re tired and might not be in the best frame of mind to be learning”.

The major issue for theses students is stress that led to cause emotional and physical exhaustion.

The UK is facing a worrying student’s mental health crisis. Six times more children and young people in England have mental health conditions than a generation ago, research has revealed, according to the guardian.

A growing crisis that sees around 95 students a year commits suicide or in other words one every four days in the UK.

On top of that, there’s a lot of issues concerning the way universities handle mental health issues.

Indeed, Andrea Coudon, a European student at King’s College London told us,

 “The waiting list for counselling is such a pain. When we need help we need it quickly not in the next months, especially when you are an international student like me, far from home and have no adult to help you.”

Students exhausted from working while studying are still struggling to cover their basic living costs, are bound to be more anxious about deadlines and exams, it’s all cumulative.

For many students, the incomes generated from part-time work are the only way they can make ends meet and afford their studies.

So here’s some little advice to make it easier.
The most understanding employers are universities themselves.

So try finding works at your university, these will be at least minimum wage and are likely to offer a healthy schedule and number of hours to fit easily around studies.

Before you commit to a job, make employers aware of your timetable, Prepare your meals for the week in advance so you can keep healthy eating habits.

Prioritize your health, not only physical health but also Mental health. It should be your priority to take care of yourself before anything else.