Part-Time Work: What You Need to Know
20 hours/week during term at minimum wage = 976/month. In London where rent is 1,000-1,800, this barely covers rent. The physical toll is real.
Key Information
20 hours/week during term at minimum wage = 976/month. In London where rent is 1,000-1,800, this barely covers rent. The physical toll is real.
UK National Living Wage (2026): £12.21/hour. At 20 hours/week: 20 x £12.21 x 4.33 = £1,058/month before tax. After tax and National Insurance: roughly £976/month. In London, where a room costs £800-1,200/month, that barely covers rent. You'd have almost nothing left for food, transport, and... studying.
"I worked at a restaurant 20 hours a week. By the end of term, I was sleeping 4 hours a night and my grades dropped from a distinction to a pass. My feet were destroyed from standing." — Reddit user, MSc student at a London university. This is not an isolated story. Working part-time while doing a demanding Master's is physically and mentally brutal.
During official university holidays, you can work full-time (no hour limit). For a 1-year Master's, that's typically only the Christmas break (2-3 weeks) and Easter break (2-3 weeks). Summer isn't a "holiday" for most Master's students — you'll be writing your dissertation. Total full-time work opportunity: maybe 4-6 weeks.