The Pros

'It's so nice just to have a bit of extra cash' 

Georgia, Keele Uni

'It was good to have an income and it taught me a lot about time management' 

Lucy from LuceStephenson, Teesside University

'I took less of a student loan as I was able to pay my own rent'

Lucy from Books and Brooches, graduate

'I'd say it's pretty easy having a job during first year, and it's the best year to' 

Nin from Prettypug, University of Leicester graduate

'I went for promotional work for clubs or catering events. You work when you want, so it's flexible!' 

Amy from Amy Maccers, Bournemouth University

'I was earning money and work gave me something to do at weekends' 

Clare from Uncia and Tigris, graduate 

'I worked in the student's union bar and in a nightclub too; I earned money, got free booze and met new people'

 Georgina from Mummy Pixie, graduate 

'A positive of a job at uni is more money and work experience' 

Claire from Bella's Beauty Blog, graduate

'The experience of having a job during first year helped me get other jobs throughout uni'

Hannah from Moving Scouse

The Cons

A commitment

Jobs require you to be committed, turning up for work on time and being consistent with your service and attendance. Much like university, you'll need to put some work in to earn something from it. This means you can't pull a sicky every weekend shift when you've hit it hard on a Friday night, you can't  necessarily make definite plans (for example on a zero hours contract) and you may even be required to work weekdays.

Work upon work

As I said above, a job will require effort from you like university will. And whilst during first year you'll hear that it 'doesn't count' the same can't be said for a job. If you want to earn money, every shift counts, so you can't treat it like you may treat lectures during first year, being too hungover, too tired or simply too lazy to attend. Furthermore, when your uni work starts to pile up, your work place may not be understanding and give you the time off you need to revise and study. The one thing you don't need during your first year of university is unnecessary stress.

The risk of losing your focus

Sometimes money can seem quite important, but you came to university for a degree, and if you find that you have enough money to get by (getting by meaning to eat, have a decent time and pay rent) is it worth distracting yourself from the course you chose to do and the opportunities university presents?

Losing out on time to socialise

Everyone has had that one shift that's got in the way of big plans with your friends, and at university there's always a lot going on and you can't keep swapping around your shifts to make sure you're free for this and that event. Whilst a job will help fund your social life, it may also steal you away from those fun nights out.

Flexible schedule

Not having a job will bring you flexibility when it comes to time. You'll have your university timetable to commit to, but other than that your evenings and weekends are all your own, to get up to whatever you may wish.

From asking friends and fellow bloggers, the consensus was that it was down to the individual. Everyone could list at least one pro and one con of working during their first year, from their own experiences. All these things can be dependent on the type of work you do, with many preferring working through the university, as they have an understanding concerning your other commitments. All the positives that can be gained from a job ring true for any year you study at university, likewise with the negatives, so it's your decision to choose whether or not to get a job during first year based on your timetable, your finances and your free time.

Good luck settling in if you've already arrived at uni, and I look forward to meeting new Keelites in a few weeks time!

Thank you to all those who contributed with their pros and cons, and I hope you've found this useful in helping you decide.