Traditionally, the academic rulebook often advised to put work off until you secure your degree, with lecturers advocating that studies should be prioritised since the working realm awaits us for the decades to come. However, in today’s dynamic landscape, the shifting socio-economic factors are making it challenging to adopt this lifestyle. Why do students embrace this dual journey? Explore these reasons below!

Benefits of Working During Your Studies

This study dives into the benefits, as well as motivations behind this dual-life of studying and working simultaneously. I’ve taken the effort to select the most relevant ones and provided my thoughts on each factor.

• Monetary Autonomy. Despite not being burdened by tuition costs domestially, the allure of monetary autonomy still materialises. Propelling early adulthood, the need to become financially independent is set in motion. Income instills the power of relying less upon our parents and learn the pivotal skill of budgeting. As Malta still maintains a relatively high inflation rate and floats above the 2% desirable margin, higher costs of living propagate income as a necessity.
  
  
• Gaining Experience. Your part-time job isn’t just about the money, it involves unique experiences, bridging the gap between theory and practice. This is also a reciprocal relation as your work deepens the knowledge about your field. Plus, with the Eu facilitating labour mobility, industries are evolving into fierce competition. Thus, any valuable experience can be a game-changer, unlocking career opportunities and even lead to a full-time offer if your work is outstanding.
  
  
• Developing soft skills, while displaying hard work & determination. Mastering team cooperation, honing communication skills and becoming a decision-making expert. These are pertinent skills that recruiters are constantly riffling for when choosing talent. Getting a head-start can set you ahead of the curve, showcasing your determination.

Those are the usual points that center the stage, but there’s more! This LinkedIn post illuminates further benefits that are lesser-known but equally impactful.

• Learning Time Management. Crucially time management is a life-long skill, entitling you with the key to optimise your invaluable time. The art of prioritisation could be the make-or-break factor, particularly due our thrilling lives as students. Consult with your mentor or boss and work together to unlock the needed flexibility.

• Networking. Fostering connections with essential contacts can be paramount for your future career, hitting the nail on the head by providing advise and supporting your career goals.
  
  
• Increasing Your Marketability. This part-time isn’t just to get by, but hopefully a platform for you to shine. Displaying outstanding work is a stepping stone to a future recommendation, accentuating your values and experience.

The Lows of This Lifestyle

Transparency is important to reveal potential pitfalls for this journey. Sure, there are some obstacles, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t methods to conquer them. We’ve reached out to some students who’ve been navigated this path and drawn on advice of my personal favourite educational YouTuber, Jade Bowler. We’ve conjured a number of suggestions hopefully aiding you to entre your thrive era.

Bonus: Refer to our Mental Health Article for an insight on guidance concerning mental health and facilities that are specifically tailored for students like us.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for the upcoming chapters of Paving Way Through Academics to learn about other insightful recommendations and ways to optimise your academic career to get the full experience.

The post Paving Way Through Academics | Chapter 3 – Juggling Studies and Work appeared first on The Third Eye.

So, why does the university still supports unpaid placements?

Some courses at the University of Malta require their students to undertake an unpaid placement with organisations and companies on the island. Some of these placements are held in the summer, while others are taken during the scholastic year.

The first argument people tend to bring up is that placements are a great way how students can be exposed to a job in their field of interest. While that might be true and will definitely look good on their CV, exposure never paid the bills.

Students who undergo placements, whether they’re during the summer or during the scholastic year, have to make time in their week for this placement. This usually results in students having to reduce the hours of their paying job.

For example, the Department of Social Policy, which falls under the Faculty of Social Well-being, requires the students to sit for a 200-hour placement during their first semester of their third year. On the other hand, the Department of Criminology, which also falls under the Faculty of Social Well-being, offers its students a choice when it comes to placements. Students can choose to sign up for a unit that requires a 50-hour placement as part of their semester. Moreover, the Department of Media and Communications, which falls under the Faculty of Media and Knowledge Studies, requires students to undergo a 100-hour placement that students can choose to start during the summer months before their third year.

What does this mean? Should placements be removed altogether? No, but a re-evaluation of how the university goes about placements should occur.

While students do ultimately manage to juggle their studies, the placement, their job(s), and any other extra-curriculum activities, a required placement does add more to their plate.

As one can see, every department has its own requirements for placements, with some departments not even offering placements in the first place. Since there isn’t one clear-cut rule or set of requirements when it comes to placements, every department has to tailor student aid according to their requirements. Gathering feedback from past students is definitely a good way to start. By seeing what past students would have preferred to be done differently or what benefits they would have liked to receive, the necessary changes would be implemented to adjust the experience for current students.

Overall, unpaid placements can be a valuable way for students to gain experience and prepare for their future careers. However, universities need to be proactive in supporting their students and ensuring that placements are accessible and beneficial for all students, regardless of their financial situation or other commitments.

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Living Abroad

I’ll walk you through a preview of these benefits if you were to, say, go on a work experience abroad.

Experiencing a new culture. With an ever increasing globalisation we are now become more exposed to many different cultures, but have you ever immersed yourself in a completely discrete culture? This correlates to a number of different components, from facts about the country and its society, fun activities they undertake, different garments they wear, the food they consume, landmarks, and the whole lot. Learning a new language or enhancing a language you already use could be another outcome of this journey. Conversely, there are other more ‘natural’ elements that can be experienced abroad through the increased greenery, visually aesthetic landscapes and the like, which Malta might be deprived of due to its smallness.

Self-sufficiency. Perhaps this could be a game changer for you as an individual. Living abroad, as portrayed through social media, seems like a dream. But simultaneously you’ll also learn fundamental skills you will need as you enter your adulthood. Though they may seem mundane, such as cooking your own meals, allocating your money well and washing your own clothes, these are pivotal on a day-to-day basis. It feels great knowing you can grow as a person and become more independent.

Friends and networking opportunities. Contacts are essential in today’s age. Even the seemingly faintest contact might be the key to one of your life-long dreams, be it regarding your working career or something else. Remember to enjoy the process as well. Making new friends can be another route to an established group and fulfilling events/memories if you bond well together. Who knows it may be your life-pivoting experience you may be desiring.

Enhanced CV and differentiation from others. Competition in the labour market is becoming increasingly challenging as more qualified people are being recorded in every successive period. In most occupations work experience is either a mandate or it increases the likelihood of the individual being accepted. This is since the individual is already equipped with sufficient capabilities and other ‘soft-skills’ which are needed. Stark examples include being proactive and effective time management. A work experience abroad could act as a fundamental differentiating aspect over other applicants. It demonstrates you are capable of adapting to your environment, working well with others (despite different sets of values/norms) etc.

How you can secure an internship abroad through IAESTE Malta

In case you haven’t heard of IAESTE Malta, the organisation is an intermediary that helps local students acquire paid internships abroad corresponding to their studies. It deals with a number of different fields including Architecture, Biology, Engineering, Mathematics, and many others, to accommodate for the diverse courses in Malta. Most of these internships would take place during the summer period as employers are aware that university is a priority.

The organisation currently has a number of paid internships open which local students can apply for, where students studying in Malta will be competing only against local applicants. Interested students are recommended to have a look at their website at their earliest chance as deadlines for applications close on the 7th of March. Students who wish to know more about the process or have any queries are advised to reach out through info@iaeste.org.mt.

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It is that time of the year again when fifth year medical students need to apply for work. After having finished their 5-year, or more, course and taken their June exams, students or rather, fresh graduates immediately start working. To do so, these fifth-year students need to apply for work during the first half of the month of October – specifically from 1st to 12th October. There is a fixed guideline students must follow to apply, part of which requires students to submit a Dean’s statement. This is where the frustration ensues.

The Dean’s statement is issued after both the actual and the revision-of-paper results of the resit sessions are published. Aside from the fact that students must pay for this statement, this year it has not even been issued yet – the reason being that the revision of papers have not yet been published.

Sources confirmed that the Dean’s statement will be issued after the faculty meets to confirm the medical students’ marks and respective rankings on October 9th. Once this ranking is confirmed, and the Dean’s statement is issued students can then finally apply for work. By then only 3 days will be left for students to apply. This inefficiency understandably worries the concerned students and is the main reason for which we were contacted.

Incidentally, this is the first year ever that applications are to be submitted online. It is common knowledge that the system will probably not handle the influx of applications. Students are fearful that amongst them, some will have a hard time applying, or simply have their applications left out. However, we have contacted MMSA regarding this issue, and we were told that they will liaise with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that this will not be the case. Aside of this statement, MMSA are in no way connected to this anonymous opinion piece.

The Faculty of Medicine has always and continues to work diligently to support its students. However, it is issues like these that crop up from their side and unfortunately tend to understandably preoccupy students at times.

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