Hi! (first time posting here after lurking for a while!)

I will need to support myself when I am at college so I'd like to know if students are able to have a part-time job or be on "day release".

Don't know if the Teachers' Forum is the most appropriate pleace to post this question, but I imagine so because most of you will have some experiences at Music College and will be able to give some advice.
(btw, I am planning to go to Conservatoire to study Singing)

Thanks in advance!!

xx

(Edited for typo!!)

I don't have personal experience but I think with something like music it's not just the classes you have to consider. There is also personal practice time and probably other music making activities you need to take part in to support your study.
Don't forget time to complete assignments and enough time to relax so that you don't burn out.
I could be wrong but I imagine that a music course could demand more of your time than some courses do.

Hi
Firstly it does depend on the college that you go to - is that stating the obvious. When I was at college (although it was for on an orchestral instrument) I found myself being in from 9 in the morning one day and then leaving at 9:00 at night the next. It really does depend on what you are in and what you will be called to do.
You will have all the academic classes and they will timetable on a fixed basis for that year. Your singing lesson depending on you teacher might be variable, and then your second study? - if piano will again be fixed. Fitting around that will be choirs, performance class, dance workshops, singing workshops, masterclasses and opera chorus rehearsals - plus anything they can offer you. These can last anything from 1 hour to a whole day!

For work, my best advice will be to get a flexible job, bar work etc, your college might be able to offer you some work - ushering! Try to avoid places that will tie you down - call centres really want you to work to a fixed time scale.

Try and work over the summer to give you some money to live off, because your first couple of weeks you will feel busier and everything will seem confusing at first. Oh and remember your little friend - your snapfax giving you discounts in all the best out lets. Be careful with your student loan if you are getting one, the money you get at the beginning has to get you through the whole term.

Hope that offers some insight.

Oh did I mention your personal practice?

Which college are you going to?

You might want to think about forming a group to sing at weddings, events etc. I think there are quite a lot of people at music colleges etc who do quite well from it.

This is a really good idea, the money's good and all playing is good playing.

I'm not sure if you're college will be the same but my degree course allowed a heck of a lot of time for personal study, making the assumption most pupils will be practising/composing with the available time. I went to a very practical music driven Uni (Cardiff) however there was a sneaky option of not doing anything really that practical (I chose history/analysis/theory,etc) and therefore I had a lot of free time on my hands. For me it was okay to get a job, worked weekends in a wine shop, but for you, if you're lucky enough to be excellent enough to get into a Conservatoire, don't compromise for anything.

No matter what, you will get into debt at Uni/college unless you have some marvellous benefactor who is willing to take on all your outgoings for you. If that is unlikely (as I'm sure for most people it is), just make sure you get every single penny's worth of that fabulous education so the debt is really worth it

Hey, not sure if this is what you are after....but my friend has just got his timetable through to start at RNCM this autumn (piano), and he has 4 hours of timetables classes a week..... but the rest of the time is classed as "individual study time/practise time"....so although not many classes/lectures he is expected to do huuuuuuge amounts of practise!!!

i dont think a few hours a week would be too much of a problem as long as it didn't interfere with your studies?!

When I started first year I was timetabled for 5 hours, of academic classes. That wasn't including first and second study, but then rep sessions started, orchestral rehearsals, performance classes don't let them fool you!

My brother is at RWCMD and he works on the weekends. Some students manage to work in the evenings too - pub work etc.

He isn't in college all day every day - its not run on a 9 to 5 basis. He has classes here and there and also has to make time for lessons with his tutor, rehearsals. orchestra practice and personal practice time etc so it would be a bit difficult to have a weekday job and he might find a lesson, class or rehearsal clashing with the time he was supposed to be in work.

Oh thank you all!!!
the information does really help!

Well, I already work full time and been studying privately for a few years and I always wanted to go to a Conservatorie. People at work are very friendly and like a family (I'm quite lucky I suppose!) and my boss suggested that I could keep working there when I go to College, and swich from "Full-time" to "Part-time with flexible hours"!

But because it's a day-time job, do you think it would be possible to go to school in the morning and work in the afternoon, with evenings free to practise? Of course, with flexibility.

Well, I always wanted to go to one of the London conservatoires, but if I am to keep my job I suppose Manchester is the nearest (easily reachable by train/tram/bus) and I already have teachers from RNCM so I suppose it would be first choice. (Even if I am offered a place in London I don't think I'd be able to afford living there)

Anyway, I haven't auditioned yet so I don't know! All I can tell is that I've been preparing for it for a few years and work hard, butI don't know what's going to happen in the future.

Thanks again, much appreciated!
Anyone else with more ideias/experiences to share?
xxxx

Don't know what happened to my last post...

Anyway, the gist of it was- I don't know any student who does NOT have a part-time job. I'm sure there are some out there, but all those I know work.
Iona

A lot of people I know don't work in term time, jsut in the holidays. My brother did this and has kept to his budget and then he's worked in the holidays too.

Going off to study Music, I'm very conscious of the fact that music demands a lot more than some other subjects ie; personal practice, masterclasses, concerts and workshops etc as well as the normal workload and lectures.

But perhaps weekends are an option...personally I'd love to work in the jane Austen centre in Bath!!(I'm going to Bath Spa uni)

If you have saved up enough during the preceding months there is no reason why you can;t not have a job at all BUT if you think you need one, make sure it's a job that is sympathetic to the need to be flexible.