50% of students must work all year round to fund university study, reveals Milkround.com

Students face the pressure of work all year round in addition to their university studies, and 84 percent claim a part time job is vital for extra cash during their higher education.

A survey by graduate recruitment website Milkround.com revealed the amount of paid work students must take on to cover the costs of a degree.

More than 150 students and graduates voted in the poll, with 52 percent stating they worked regularly all year round. Nearly a quarter (23 percent) said they got a job in holidays and one in ten fitted employment into their lives irregularly. Another seven percent would work only when they needed money. Just five percent enjoyed the luxury of relying on other forms of funding for their studies.

When asked if it is necessary for students to work while studying, a resounding 84 percent said yes. Students cited a need for money in addition to loans, bursaries and their parents as the main reason for working, but stated learning the value of money, meeting new people and gaining skills for future use were all beneficial. One said: A degree is just a qualification: life experience is what makes it count, and a work ethic needs to be extended outside of the library.

The amount each student earns varies greatly with the top 14 percent being paid at least 10,400 a year ñ an average of more than 200 a week. A majority of a third of students earn between 50 and 100 on average a week, but 25 percent bring home 100 to 150 and 19 percent earn up to 200.

Experiences in the world of work while at university are helpful: half claim they had a positive experience. One respondent said they received good references and reassurance about how capable they were at work. Another worked in a university library and mentored local schoolchildren, taking extra qualifications and going on to work in teacher training.

However, 12 percent reported a negative effect, raising concerns over how students are not treated as equals to other employees. About two in five rated their experience as neutral.

Milkround.com spokesman Mike Barnard said: The burden of financial worries clearly ranks high on student minds: they need to be earning to make ends meet at university. If the trend of increasing the costs of university study continues, the danger is students may have to earn even more leading to less time studying. The experiences of a part time job can be valuable when they graduate along with the money, but this should not be taking priority over a good degree.