To pay for the cost of student accommodation in Newcastle, as well as the cost of living, most students will receive a maintenance loan. It’s not much, though, so many will also be looking for ways to boost their income.
Of course, a full-time job is out of the question, but there are plenty of other ways to make a bit of money as a student if you’re willing to get creative.
Here’s our guide to making money as a student in Newcastle.
Get a part-time job…
…In retail or customer service
Possibly the most obvious way to make some money while you’re studying is to get a part-time job. In Newcastle, the student population is incredibly high and there are a large number of big-name companies that are used to employing students on flexible hours.
Companies with high employee turnover like McDonald’s offer pretty flexible hours and, although the interview process is pretty formal, they’ll often be happy to transfer you to a different store if you want to keep your job when you move back home, or away from your student accommodation in Newcastle to another city.
…In a bar
Newcastle’s reputation for cheap-as-chips nightlife and proliferation of trebs culture means it’s often easy to find a job in a bar to see you through your studies. Instead of applying via Indeed or other big job sites, get in touch with the bar via Facebook to see if they’re hiring – and make sure to emphasise your immediate availability.
Yes, standing on the wrong side of the bar for the first time can be daunting and you might miss being able to get on the dance floor yourself, but if it makes for a few extra quid in your pocket for a few hours, three nights a week, there’s really nothing to complain about!
…On campus
Both Newcastle and Northumbria University offer on-campus jobs, which you can apply for online (Newcastle students here, and Northumbria students here). All on-campus jobs will be subject to the minimum wage, so even if you’re only working a few hours a week, it’ll be worth it.
Plus, on-campus jobs are typically closer to your student accommodation in Newcastle city centre and its surrounding student catchment areas. The last thing you want to do is add the cost (and time) of a commute into your already busy student schedule!
Sell your stuff on Depop or eBay
Newcastle is a stylish city filled with creative, err… unique individuals. However, we’re sure that by now you’ll have heard about the infamous “puffer jacket and amber leaf” stereotype of those living in student accommodation in Newcastle city centre – particularly those by Castle Leazes!
To capitalise on this appropriation of “thrifting” culture, you can take a look through your closet to see if there’s anything worth putting up for sale. Popular peer to peer selling app Depop is probably the way to go, but beware of hagglers in the DMs trying to get you to go lower than you know you should! If those Doc Martens are spotless, they’re spotless – get your money’s worth!
If you don’t have anything branded (or suitably “indie”) to sell, head over to eBay and pop up a few listings. You could still make a few quid!
Volunteer for research
Both Newcastle University and Northumbria University run clinical trials year-round and they’re always on the lookout for human subjects.
Of course, clinical trials aren’t for everybody, and you won’t be eligible for them all. However, some of the higher-risk trials are paid quite well. Bear in mind that you’ll need to set aside a substantial amount of time for this if you do manage to get onto one, and there may be negative side effects.
Both universities are always running smaller, lower risk paid studies, which you can find out about by getting in touch with their respective research departments. Still, if you want to make some money quickly and you have some free time, you might find that participating in some research is an interesting way to do this.
Exchange Residential | Student Accommodation in Newcastle
Whether you’re looking for student accommodation in Newcastle for the first time, or you already live here and you’re looking for a change of scenery – we’ve got a massive range of properties for every budget, spread across the whole of Newcastle.