Balancing part-time work and studies at KTH as an international student (need advice)
Hey everyone,
I’ll be starting my Master’s in Sustainable Energy Engineering at KTH soon, and I’ve been going through a lot of posts here about part-time work. One thing I keep seeing is people saying it’s better to focus fully on studies, and that even working 20 hours per week can be really exhausting and affect your academic performance. That honestly made me a bit concerned.
The thing is, I do need to work part-time. I’m an international student without a scholarship, and I want to be financially independent instead of relying on my parents for living expenses.
So I wanted to ask those of you who’ve actually managed both:
- How do you realistically balance part-time work and studies at KTH?
- Is 20 hours/week manageable, or should I aim for less?
- Are there certain types of jobs (weekend-only, flexible hours, on-campus, etc.) that work better with the academic schedule?
- How do you structure your weekdays vs. workdays?
- What should I prioritize academically (projects, research, networking, etc.) to make sure I don’t fall behind?
I’d really appreciate honest experiences both good and bad so I can set realistic expectations before I start.
Thanks a lot 🙏