Attitude toward working while attending university

I'm in the US and my parents paid for my college/university. I had to work part time to pay for socializing, car, cell phone, etc... Most of my friends either had a work study or part-time job. I also did have a lot of friends who had to pay their own way through school and had to work part to full-time while taking classes.

DB goes to Uni in England. Most of his friends don't work, if the work, it's only about 6-10 hours per week. DB only worked during the summer until this past year and he worked part time after school. He has done student loans and overdraft. His parents have given him £30/week to pay for food and whatever is left he can use for socializing.

I agree that it usually just takes time management to be able to work and go to school. I know some degrees may be more time-consuming than others, and that can even fluctuate from semester to semester. For one semester of my course, we were strongly advised not to work, it used to be a requirement, but with more people paying for college on their own they felt they couldn't ethically enforce that any longer. One year I worked 30 hrs/week at one job, 10 hrs/week at another, and took 5 classes. I would not recommend doing that, but I got through it and I know people who had to work harder than that!

I think most people would prefer not to have to work while going to school, but I think most people could find a way to make it work.

I worked two parttime jobs when I was in college in the USA. I also paid for all my courses hence I never got further than an AA degree. I started working after school when I was 16 by the way.
Now, I'm in the UK I'm taking full time courses but have a three year old at home as well as three boys in full time school so I don't work (outside the home!)
However, I did find it strange while our house was on the market we had two potential buyers looking for a house for their kids to live in while they attended university. WHAT? I lived in a dumpy little apt for $250 a month. Nobody bought me a house! This last couple said she wanted the house for her son and his two friends. NONE of them worked. She said she would be paying the mortgage.
Things have certainly changed!!

However, I did find it strange while our house was on the market we had two potential buyers looking for a house for their kids to live in while they attended university. WHAT? I lived in a dumpy little apt for $250 a month. Nobody bought me a house! This last couple said she wanted the house for her son and his two friends. NONE of them worked. She said she would be paying the mortgage.
Things have certainly changed!!

Quite a few parents are doing this for their kids now (at least the rich ones are), because owning a student house can be a really good investment - you buy the house and then rent it out to your kid's friends. Their rent pays the mortgage and more and you then have a property that can help your child get on the ladder after unversity!

One of my brother's friends has done something similar to this - his father owned a student house, which he signed over to his son. His son (my brother's friend) rents out this house to 5 other students and has recently taken out a second mortgage on it and bought another student house (putting down an £80,000 deposit!!). The rent pays for the mortgage and his living costs.

The guy is only 24 years old and is currently studying for his master's degree, but is now worth over 3/4 of a million pounds - he bought himself a brand new Lotus convertible for his birthday last year!

When I went to college in the US I got a small amount of financial aid and worked 2 jobs to pay for things. My parents helped when there was a need but I had to pay them back short afterwards. I woke up at 3 am to work at Dunkin Donuts then Finished at 8am to head to my Anatomy class that started at 8:15 (DD was across the street from ODU) After that I worked at the University Dorms till 8pm ...then get home to do assigment work. To me that was standard and did that for 4 years.

When I started my Nursing course we are given a bursary if you take the Diploma Course but if you do the Degree you will have to pay your way and the training isn't any different (your essays will be longer) So I took the bursary which you are given roughly £623 a month and that's for book , any expenses and also for you to live on. I was interested in doing bank work at least once a month and found it laughable when my personal tutor looked at me shocked and asked me "how would I manage?"

... I woke up at 3 am to work at Dunkin Donuts ...

"Gotta make the doughnuts!"   

"Gotta make the doughnuts!"   

more like "Gotta squirt the jam in the doughnuts" the place opened at 4am and at 3:55 there was already people at the door

However, I did find it strange while our house was on the market we had two potential buyers looking for a house for their kids to live in while they attended university. WHAT? I lived in a dumpy little apt for $250 a month. Nobody bought me a house!

I don't know if this is a student thing or a British parent thing.

When my BIL, who is in his 30s, was having marital problems and couldn't live with his wife, his mother (my MIL) set out to find him a place to live.

When I broke up with my ex in New York, I got in touch with an estate agency myself and found my own apartment.

It was 50/50 for students that I knew whom worked while I was getting my masters at Leeds Uni. As for students in the US at Univ of Pittsburgh, it was closer to 80% working and 20% not working. I worked after school since I was 15 and sometimes worked 2 jobs in summer and at Uni to have spending money. My school was all school loans (which are huge and deferred at the moment accruing interest - eek!), but my parents were kind enough to pay the interest on my undergrad loans while I was in school and my room and board. They were very generous and also paid for my study abroad (I had to come up with my own spending money) since it was comparable to a semester at school anyway.

So I wasn't completely on my own, but I have debt to show for it too. I am severely jealous of friends that had it all paid for - including spending money. My kids will not have that. They will have savings from when they are born that will go towards their education, but they will foot the student loans just like I am now (of course if they choose to attend Uni).

I don't know if this is a student thing or a British parent thing.

When my BIL, who is in his 30s, was having marital problems and couldn't live with his wife, his mother (my MIL) set out to find him a place to live.

When I broke up with my ex in New York, I got in touch with an estate agency myself and found my own apartment.

No, that's a GUY thing!!