Thinking about working part-time while studying at Edinburgh?
By Andria, from Taiwan, studying Medicine
Hello, I’m Andria, a first-year medical student at Edinburgh Medical School from Taiwan. Here’s a bit about my experience (and some top tips) for managing a part-time job while studying medicine.
Starting university is a big transition, not just academically and socially, but also financially. Managing your expenses, including weekly groceries, nights out with friends, and part-time work can feel overwhelming at first. However, it’s manageable and can even be a valuable way to develop new skills outside your studies.
Types of part-time jobs
A popular part-time job among medical students, including myself, is tutoring in subjects like Biology, Chemistry, and Maths for A-level or GCSE students. Especially with online tutoring, working hours are quite flexible as you can arrange your own timetable with students. This is extremely helpful for balancing work with studies, as for example, I can adjust my working hours during exam season when the academic workload gets a bit more heavy. Plus, working from home can be quite convenient and saves time on commuting.
Jobs offered by the University, ranging from Receptionist to Student Ambassador roles, are also popular as they are specifically for students and thus have more lenient hours. The other option is working in local cafes, supermarkets, or shops around Edinburgh — though these jobs may sometimes be harder to find and require longer working hours, they can regardless be quite enjoyable if you are able to find an opportunity that suits you!
How to find a job
The University’s MyCareerHub is a fantastic resource for finding part-time work, both on and off-campus. It hosts job listings, events, and one-on-one support. Otherwise, students often approach local shop owners directly to ask about job vacancies, and some have managed to continue working for the same company they worked for back home by getting transferred to a branch in Edinburgh. Finally, for tutoring, platforms like MyTutor are popular and easy to use, though I personally chose to look for students by making a poster that I posted in Facebook groups.
Top tips
Balancing part-time work and studies doesn’t have to be stressful — the key is time management and the ability to recognise your limits! For instance, knowing that I have work on Sundays means that I can complete most of my uni work during the week so that I do not have to worry about it over the weekend. It’s also important to choose jobs with hours you can handle to avoid the workload becoming unmanageable. Remember, the main priority should probably be your studies, and you also need time for social activities as well!
Don’t worry if you find that part-time work is too overwhelming — you can still consider cutting back on expenses instead! Specifically, you can set budgets and track your spending using apps like Blackbullion or even a basic spreadsheet. Simple steps like cooking at home instead of eating out, applying for a YoungScot card for free transport, and taking advantage of student discounts (there are tons) are great ways you can start reducing expenses.
Remember, it’s all about finding what works for you — by staying organized and proactive, you can manage your finances, gain new skills, and still enjoy everything university life has to offer!
