How are working students meant to survive?

Tea_Bag

I just got home from work just there, and my boss called me over for a chat. i was hoping he'd say i was getting a Christmas bonus (ive been working 5-6 day weeks for the last 15 months there, only taking 2 weeks off for the entire duration of my employment, and never got a bonus/raise/anything)

Anyway, it turns out the business isnt making enough money (shocker:rolleyes:) and so everyone has to take a 15% pay cut. This brings my hourly rate to €8.00 on the dot. fantastic. (i was previously considering asking for a small raise - pffft)

[RANT]
I am doing a 4 year university science degree. i get ZERO support from my family, infact, my mom has to frequently "borrow" money from me. as a result of my working, my grades were woeful last semester, so this coming semester, I can only justify working 2 days a week @ 5-6 hours a day (full shift)
after calculating my budget, income (being optimistic with hours here) minus my rent = €30 a week left over for bills/groceries/misc.

WTF!

i actually dont know what to do with myself. my work colleague broke down and started crying. im more pissed off. i did nothing to deserve this current economic climate. ive been working since i was 16 and earning **** all. i took a 2 year gap after LC before going to uni, in which time i worked as much as possible. even though i qualified for the dole, and would have been given more than i was earning at the time per week, i refused to be a parasitic leech on the irish system. whenever i lost my job, i found another one within weeks, even though people kept telling me "its hopeless, there are no jobs". **** you loser, ive found several while you stayed scrounging on the dole you lazy ****. i moved out at 17 and have been fully independent ever since (only 3 and a half years, but its 3.5 and counting++)

now though, i dont know where to turn. Im going to try find a job that'll let me work weekends only @ 2 x 12 hour shifts. failing that, i guess im going to have to drop out of college because i cant pay the fees and become a bum on the dole like half my friends. THANK YOU IRELAND/POLITICIANS/DEVELOPERS!

[/RANT]

mods i posted this here and not R&R because i wanted reaction posts too, and people to tell me im an idiot and TL;DR etc..

starbelgrade

Life is hard.

You can't expect everything to be handed to you on a plate & more often than not, you have to work your bollox off to get the things you want.

It's shit, but if you really want something, it'll be worth it in the long run.

In the mean time, chin up... it could be worse.

Really, it could be.

fedor.2.

Day by day

Mr Benevolent

Teabagging?

FreudianSlippers

Agreed. OP, that's life. If it's worth having, it's probably difficult to get.

It's not "IRELAND/POLITICIANS/DEVELOPERS" - the fact of the matter is that some people have to work their assess off if they want to go to college. Just be thankful that 3rd level education is effectively free here and you're not burdened with $100,000 worth of debt like you would be in the USA.

melekalikimaka

surely if your renting your away from home and can apply for all sorts of lovely grants.

squeakyduck

melekalikimaka wrote: »

surely if your renting your away from home and can apply for all sorts of lovely grants.

This is very true.

EverEvolving

melekalikimaka wrote: »

surely if your renting your away from home and can apply for all sorts of lovely grants.

That, and you could also get a small student loan and try paying it back during the summer.

There is little point breaking your balls to keep your neck above water while in college and then coming out of it failing because you had to work to survive.

Mahatma coat

I think the OP might just be a bit Resentful that they come from a lower socioeconomic foundation.

Yes OP things are always harder for the Rif Raf

We designed it that way, now quit your bitching and know your place, if you dont work menial tasks then who will deliver my Foi Gras or clean the Vomit off the streets after me and my wealthy friends get drunk on really expensive wine, take solace in the fact that the Vomit you will be cleaning up is worth more than your Car

mikom

Tea_Bag wrote: »

How.....

Count yourself lucky........ In the last recession we used to hang teabags on the washing line.

FreudianSlippers

Mahatma coat wrote: »

I think the OP might just be a bit Resentful that they come from a lower socioeconomic foundation.

Yes OP things are always harder for the Rif Raf

We designed it that way, now quit your bitching and know your place, if you dont work menial tasks then who will deliver my Foi Gras or clean the Vomit off the streets after me and my wealthy friends get drunk on really expensive wine, take solace in the fact that the Vomit you will be cleaning up is worth more than your Car

:eek: The mods are going to start thinking we're the same person.

Riamfada

it could be worse,you could have to pay for college.

scientific1982

Thats rough OP and 4th year for a science subject is a bastard. Are you female. If so may I suggest stripping.

Wompa1

I was a student pre-2007 and was the same thing, only I was on 8.65 an hour. Working long long hours having my grades going to ****e. Rent and most other things were more expensive...if you have worked consistently than do what I did calculate up how much you need and get a student loan.

'twas a bummer at the time, Having debt leaving college whilst my colleagues all either went travelling or back to college, graduates I worked with bought themselves cars..

But joke was on them. The one's that travelled or went back to college are unemployed and the one's that bought cars have just paid off cars that have dropped hugely in value.

Sea Sharp

Try moving somewhere where the rent's cheaper. Single rooms can go for as low as 200 p/m if you shop around and don't mind blood stains on the carpets.

leeroybrown

melekalikimaka wrote: »

surely if your renting your away from home and can apply for all sorts of lovely grants.

Grants are based on a student's parents' means regardless of how little or much they contribute to their offspring. Basically you get dropped in it if your parents either can't or won't support you.

That said there's always a way if you want something enough!

Wompa1

Or share a twin room. 'twas two years sharing and two years in single rooms for me and the rent is 3 euro less a week than what my gf currently pays for her own room. Oh the horrors! And the week I had hot dogs and beans every night because Sll I had was beans and the hot dogs were reduced

At x-mas I got myself 12 of the small cans of budweiser and that was all I drank for my first two years of college...guhghh yeah college is **** if you or your parents can't really afford it

CavanCrew

Life's a B**ch ... you can interpret the *'s as u wish.



Stop lendin ur ma money.

ArseBurger

Suck it up. If you think it's bad now, wait until you get a real job.

Schism

leeroybrown wrote: »

Grants are based on a student's parents' means regardless of how little or much they contribute to their offspring. Basically you get dropped in it if your parents either can't or won't support you.

That said there's always a way if you want something enough!

So the system is set up as such that even if you're independent it's not your income they look at it's your parent's?

http://omg.wthax.org/1_72.jpg

Kold

melekalikimaka wrote: »

surely if your renting your away from home and can apply for all sorts of lovely grants.

I was rejected because I'm unable to get relevant forms from my father. Thankfully I get a small bit of cash from my mother but after rent, €60 a month is not a whole lot to live on.

It's f*cking annoying because art is very rarely cheap to create and in 4th year it's meant to look pretty professional. What's more I won't actually be qualified for bugger all afterwards.

RacoonQueen

Welcome to life.

Potential-Monke

Hey, thats life. Here's a brick ----> [] Use it to start building a bridge.

We're all in the same boat (well, those of us that work). I put my life on the line everyday for €20 disposable income a week. My bank pays my mortgage and charges me extra because i never have enough in the bank. I haven't been out socialising in 4 months, and i'm dodging the tv licence man. I need new runners but can't afford the €15 to buy the cheapest pair, etc, etc, etc.

But you don't hear me bitching. It's life.

Tea_Bag

starbelgrade wrote: »

Life is hard.

You can't expect everything to be handed to you on a plate & more often than not, you have to work your bollox off to get the things you want.

It's shit, but if you really want something, it'll be worth it in the long run.

In the mean time, chin up... it could be worse.

Really, it could be.

I don't expect anything. Thats why ive been working part/full time from the age of 16. I have a friend who live at home and gets more pocket money than i earn in the same week. he's 22 :rolleyes:

And i certainly do understand that it could be worse. i grew up in South Africa, and ive seen what other people go through, and it makes my life look much better, but i still feel like im paying for a bunch of tossers who tore the country apart.

melekalikimaka wrote: »

surely if your renting your away from home and can apply for all sorts of lovely grants.

I dont qualify for any apparently, besides some tax credits, of which i pay very little now that i earn very little anyway. i think it also has to do with the fact that i didnt "grow up" here and carry a South African passport. (im European though)

EverEvolving wrote: »

That, and you could also get a small student loan and try paying it back during the summer.

There is little point breaking your balls to keep your neck above water while in college and then coming out of it failing because you had to work to survive.

Ive already tried the loan route. the student bank who I've been banking with for years (I've no bad credit or anything) told me they cant give me one. the manager actually sat me down and apologized profusely for not being able to help. it seems the only way to get a loan these days is to prove you dont need it at all (i need a threshold income, of which no student meets i guess.)

Grimes wrote: »

it could be worse,you could have to pay for college.

Thats the thing though. College isnt free. i know it doesnt sound like much maybe to you, but €1742 "administration/registration fees" + lecture notes (and you cant survive without them) ++ many other things really starts to add up when you earn €80 per week, of which €50 goes to rent.

scientific1982 wrote: »

Thats rough OP and 4th year for a science subject is a bastard. Are you female. If so may I suggest stripping.

male. would if i could though.

Sea Sharp wrote: »

Try moving somewhere where the rent's cheaper. Single rooms can go for as low as 200 p/m if you shop around and don't mind blood stains on the carpets.

im paying €200 a month yea. its a lovely house too, so i did get quite lucky in this respect. some of my friends pay nearly €300 (or another week and a bit wages to me)

smk89

Potential-Monke wrote: »

Hey, thats life. Here's a brick ----> [] Use it to start building a bridge.

We're all in the same boat (well, those of us that work). I put my life on the line everyday for €20 disposable income a week. My bank pays my mortgage and charges me extra because i never have enough in the bank. I haven't been out socialising in 4 months, and i'm dodging the tv licence man. I need new runners but can't afford the €15 to buy the cheapest pair, etc, etc, etc.

But you don't hear me bitching. It's life.

I can think of a better use of that brick, and it involves your vas deferens!

Don't act like your better than the OP, we all may be in the same boat but I'm sure you've bored the bolocks of someone with your woes too. If he wants to rant let him, god knows we all have at some point.

funky penguin

Jesus man, don't give up after 3.5 years, you've worked this hard to get where you are!

Get a student loan, or a loan off someone you know who can afford it.

I was in the same situation you are, but it gets better, trust me. I'm in an MA now, and the degree has helped me get a part-time job that pays well.

Stick with it.

RacoonQueen

i still feel like im paying for a bunch of tossers who tore the country apart.

You are. They still earn more than anyone else on this thread and probably do less work too.

Living in Ireland is fun.

Goldenegg

I work full time shift work. I also am a student doing a degree through distance learning course in dcu. After my mortgage is paid, and my car loan, I am left with 200 for the two weeks. Out of this, I have to pay my gas and electricity, get petrol, credit for my phone, groceries and also put money aside for my college fees which is over 2000 and needs to be paid at the beginning of each year.

Yes, life could be a hell of a lot better right now, but that is life. It is hard and the majority of times can be quite **** but it is what you make it. If you work hard, obviously you will gain more.

Explain to your mother that you simply cannot afford to be giving lends and that you are living on the bread line.

Dont be at yourself

Third level education is not a basic human right. Dunno when people suddenly decided that everyone needed a degree. Nothing wrong with doing a trade or doing some other type of work.

If you really want to go to university, you should figure out your budget before you enrol, not in 4th year. If you can't make ends meet, there are plenty of grants and loans available. Universities also allow students to defer their studies for a year, which would be a great time to safe up.

Potential-Monke

smk89 wrote: »

I can think of a better use of that brick, and it involves your vas deferens!

Don't act like your better than the OP, we all may be in the same boat but I'm sure you've bored the bolocks of someone with your woes too. If he wants to rant let him, god knows we all have at some point.

Well i'm sorry if my bridge building brick makes you want to attack my anatomy. Alot of people have found use for my bricks, and none of them involed my genatalia.

I'm not better, nor did i intend to make myself seem that way, i was just explaining that alot of people are in the same situation, and even worse. Please accept my apologies if i came across differently. I'm not as good with words as some.

K?

fedor.2.

scientific1982 wrote: »

Thats rough OP and 4th year for a science subject is a bastard. Are you female. If so may I suggest stripping.

I like to think that you were being sincere when you recommended stripping:D

Einhard

Credit Union loan?

Also, are you sure you can't get a grant of some kind? I'm thinking of going back to college and when I enquired about grants, they basically threw money at me. Check with your Citizens Information centre. They might be able to dig up some supports you could apply for.

Whispered

OP I work for a company in dublin where the shifts are 8 - 12 hour shifts overnight. Including weekends. They pay a bit more than what you are getting and have recently been hiring. I'm not sure if they are still hiring, but being night work, people come and go regularly enough so if you're interested it'd do no harm to send in your cv. If you're interested pm me and I will give you the company name.

jesster

I totally agree with ya tea bag. It's amazing how many people only patronise. I'm a working student too and I think everyone would agree that working while studing makes grades plumit drastically. Funny thing is, that the students who come from a wealthy family, who get more pocket money in a week than we get through a months wages will have better grades at the end of college, ultimately giving them the better positions in the irish workforce. Thus, creating a chain reaction whereby the counrty is ran by the rich, for the rich. Ireland would be in a much better position if we had people incharge who had an idea of the value of money and how much of a struggle it can be for people in our situation. We work our asses off to try better ourselves but life would be alot easier if we gave up the struggle and became another bum of the state.
the rant was well overdue teabag!

timt

Art student?

Use your skills and either look of extra design work (ads, graphic design etc)

or

Murals, paintind houses etc

or

Do some paintings and try selling them

Theres a lot to be said for entrapenurship, plus your your own boss

EverEvolving

Don't a lot of colleges offer a sort of hardship fund to students who cannot continue their studies due to financial difficulties? Maybe enquire about that, also, you could offer to pay them back when you could. I'd imagine you would have to prove your skintness to them though, which from what you have told us, should be no problem.

Good luck OP.

Tea_Bag

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

Third level education is not a basic human right. Dunno when people suddenly decided that everyone needed a degree. Nothing wrong with doing a trade or doing some other type of work.

I havent stated its my right. Im not very good at anything other than physics and computer science. so im doing a Physics degree. god knows there's no work for someone who likes to mess with a PC or 2.

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

If you really want to go to university, you should figure out your budget before you enrol, not in 4th year. If you can't make ends meet, there are plenty of grants and loans available. Universities also allow students to defer their studies for a year, which would be a great time to safe up.

Im actually in 1st year, doing a 4 year course. sorry about the confusion.
as ive stated before, my own bank doesnt want to give me a loan, and i dont qualify for grants. coincidently, another poster reminded me of the main reason (which i had forgot about), being that my father lives in South Africa and therefore his income cannot be judged properly, (being a paranoid old bag he also would never sign his name on any paper i send him.)
as i previously noted, i deferred my degree for 2 years and still dont have any money to speak of. also, that was the worst mistake of my educational life. taking a year or 2 out puts you well behind your classmates in terms of understanding stuff. putting it frankly, ive become quite stupid and forgetful of everything i learned previous to this: school science/maths etc. eg: formula gets written up. i vaguely remember seeing it somewhere. the rest of my class: deriving it and tearing it apart into dimensionless quantities already. back to me: what is the formula trying to do??:(:confused:


I'm well aware that a degree isnt my right, but my god im going to try get it. failing that, my children, like me, and my parents before me, will forever be stuck in this uneducated sespool of the lower economic social group. i just refuse to let that happen.

brianthebard

EverEvolving wrote: »

Don't a lot of colleges offer a sort of hardship fund to students who cannot continue their studies due to financial difficulties? Maybe enquire about that, also, you could offer to pay them back when you could. I'd imagine you would have to prove your skintness to them though, which from what you have told us, should be no problem.

Good luck OP.

Yeah the op could probably get a loan from the su now that you mention it.

Alternatively, have you thought about saying your da is dead? I know some people would look badly on that but from the sounds of things your parents are separated and if his inability to provide forms is the only thing getting in the way of getting the grant I would personally seriously consider doing it.

macquarie

brianthebard wrote: »

Yeah the op could probably get a loan from the su now that you mention it.

Alternatively, have you thought about saying your da is dead? I know some people would look badly on that but from the sounds of things your parents are separated and if his inability to provide forms is the only thing getting in the way of getting the grant I would personally seriously consider doing it.

Bloody hell, don't do this at all. Faking someone's death to a state body is borderline criminal activity.

funky penguin

If your Dad is nowhere to be seen and you're giving loans to your ma, there is NO way in hell you shouldn't get a grant.

EDIT: Mainly because you should just never mention him. Say he's out of the picture. How about getting emancipated?

Tea_Bag

jesster wrote: »

I totally agree with ya tea bag. It's amazing how many people only patronise. I'm a working student too and I think everyone would agree that working while studing makes grades plumit drastically. Funny thing is, that the students who come from a wealthy family, who get more pocket money in a week than we get through a months wages will have better grades at the end of college, ultimately giving them the better positions in the irish workforce. Thus, creating a chain reaction whereby the counrty is ran by the rich, for the rich. Ireland would be in a much better position if we had people incharge who had an idea of the value of money and how much of a struggle it can be for people in our situation. We work our asses off to try better ourselves but life would be alot easier if we gave up the struggle and became another bum of the state.
the rant was well overdue teabag!

if i could thank this post a thousand times, i would. its nice to know im not alone anyway!

EverEvolving wrote: »

Don't a lot of colleges offer a sort of hardship fund to students who cannot continue their studies due to financial difficulties? Maybe enquire about that, also, you could offer to pay them back when you could. I'd imagine you would have to prove your skintness to them though, which from what you have told us, should be no problem.

Good luck OP.

I know of this yea. i also know of a lovely girl who was on it (and really deserved it)
But i also know im still alot better off than many many people who deserve it more, and taking what little money the SU has to give (and they dont get much to give out these days, and had to cut back because of budget adjustments etc) would make me feel "dirty" in a way.
whether i like it or not, €30 is still enough to live on, just not very fun. Lidl/aldi/reduced to clear food in the shops FTW!

Columbia

Wow, I really can't believe the amount of non-advice in this thread, I do hope some of them are borne out of misplaced frustration because they really do reflect very badly on the posters in question. The number of antisocial clowns who go to college and do nothing but cause havoc for four years, and here's a guy doing a good degree and working hard for it, and all he gets is a load of posturing.

OP, find out if your college has a student welfare officer, explain your situation to them (make sure to mention you've had a cut in pay) and they may have access to an assistance fund. Failing that, go seek a student loan - it won't be a huge amount if you've only got one semester left.

carfiosaoorl

OP I know exactly where your coming from. College in this country is elitist, if you cant afford it you cant have it. I hope you find a way to work it out and get your qualification. Good luck:)

RacoonQueen

brianthebard wrote: »

Yeah the op could probably get a loan from the su now that you mention it.

Alternatively, have you thought about saying your da is dead? I know some people would look badly on that but from the sounds of things your parents are separated and if his inability to provide forms is the only thing getting in the way of getting the grant I would personally seriously consider doing it.

When I was in college I tried to tell them my parents were seperated so my dad's earnings wouldn't be counted towards my grant application. They sent my form back to me asking for some sort of legal documents to prove the seperation. I imagine it'll be even more complicated with death.

ArseBurger

macquarie wrote: »

Faking someone's death to a state body is borderline criminal activity.

Eh, it's not borderline criminal. It is criminal, it's fraud.

Buceph

Don't let your pride bite you in your arse, most people involved with the Universities are very willing to help. I wouldn't have my degree if it wasn't for my university's support staff.

Go talk to the SU. You may not want a handout but they can decide on that. (Although I think you'd be stupid not to get any help you can when you're living on 30 quid.) There might not be any handouts but there could be other ways of helping you. They might have jobs reserved for people who need the cash, putting up posters in between classes, typing stuff for them, staff for official events, SU flier hander outer. They're the kinds of jobs suited to someone with a college timetable, who might have an hour off with no real time to do anything during it.

Not many people try this, but it could work. Go talk to the finance officer or fees officer, not the SU people, the main guy in the college. A friend of mine had difficulties similar to you and the Finance Office got him a loan from the bank. When an institution with tens of millions of debts with a bank asks for a few grand to help a future graduate the banks tend to listen. I think it was some deal about temporarily waiving his registration fee, and partly a loan, all on the proviso he'd pay it back when he was finished with the degree. He was refused a loan from his bank as well, but the university sorted it out for him.

Finally, go talk to FLAC (Free Legal Aid Centre.) If your college has a law course there will be a FLAC Society, they give legal advice and are usually supervised by a solicitor that does pro bono work with them. They might be able to help you get a declaration that you have no support from your parents, and this would allow you to apply for the grant.

Coriolanus

I'd have to reiterate the advice to go to your Su financial officer. It's humbling but sometimes life is.
Good luck.

Kold

Kold wrote: »

I was rejected because I'm unable to get relevant forms from my father. Thankfully I get a small bit of cash from my mother but after rent, €60 a month is not a whole lot to live on.

It's f*cking annoying because art is very rarely cheap to create and in 4th year it's meant to look pretty professional. What's more I won't actually be qualified for bugger all afterwards.

That's odd, when I was applying my father was/is out of the picture and IIRC I just didn't mention him at all I got the grant though.
Maybe ring up and have a chat with someone in the grant office? They can be helpful

Minstrel27

Tea_Bag wrote: »

my mom has to frequently "borrow" money from me.

Does she not work?

prinz

Mind me asking what you do during the holidays, summer etc, OP?

Tordelback

jesster wrote: »

Funny thing is, that the students who come from a wealthy family, who get more pocket money in a week than we get through a months wages will have better grades at the end of college, ultimately giving them the better positions in the irish workforce.

Is this necessarily true, though? I had to work the whole way through my primary degree (which I had to pay fees for too, I'm that old), and got better results than most. With plenty of parental cash people tended to socialise (drink) and holiday more, which I'd suggest has just as bad an effect on grades. You also tend to value the opportunity to study more when you're working for it rather than being handed it on a plate, which also helps focus the mind. Work can be crushing at exam times, but I suspect you get more studying done during the rest of the year for precisely that reason.

None of this really addresses the OP's point, that €8 an hour is an incredibly difficult wage to live on in this country if you can't get or afford the hours to make it worthwhile. There's definitely no shame in asking for help when you find yourself at that level of income.