Ah, university life. What images float through your mind at the mention of your forthcoming career in higher education? Endless days sprawled on the grass happily skimming through your reading list? Raucous evenings in the bar followed by peaceful mornings sleeping off the excesses of the previous night? Time to do with what you will, as long as you factor in lectures, seminars and essays?

The lovely thing is, you are totally right. Well, mainly right. Half right, at least. OK, a bit right. Because, before you get stuck into that daytime TV habit, you might want to think about the other side of the student experience: rushing to work, checking your payslip and heading home early from the pub because your boss will kill you if you're late tomorrow morning.

Once upon a time - back when you had to own half a county before you were allowed to go to university - working for money during term-time would have been unthinkable. These days it's the norm, and getting a job is right at the top of many new students' To Do list.

Unsurprisingly, the older and more traditional your institution, the less likely you are to be surrounded by people dashing off to evening jobs. Oxford, for example, discourages students from taking term-time jobs and the student union at Cambridge says hardly any of its students do.

But virtually all universities recognise that at least some of their students will be working during term time, and are sympathetic to the pressures they will face. In fact, entire departments of many university careers services are devoted to helping students find term-time work.

You might think you'd rather work your way through university than saddle yourself with a load of debt. But are you sure you are willing to sacrifice something of your student experience and, potentially, the quality of your education in order to avoid taking out a loan?

Because a term-time job will affect your life. Ama Uzowuru, vice-president for welfare at the National Union of Students, says: "Taking a student job is a big deal. We did a report recently, and 40% of students who worked said that it had an impact on their studies."

Obviously, taking a job does not mean you're guaranteeing yourself a sub-standard degree. But there will always be the same number of hours in the day, and if you're going to spend some of them at work, something else will have to give. Effective time-management skills are essential.

Let's consider the positives of term-time working. As well as the financial benefits, you are gaining experience and skills. You might think that working at Pizza Hut has little to do with your prospective career as an aeronautical engineer, but you'd be amazed by what looks good on a CV.

Many people also find working pretty good fun. They meet new people, widen their social circle and give their brains a break from the academic treadmill.

In addition to university careers services, there are plenty of ways to find a job. Check out websites (a Google search for "student jobs" brings up 8m results for the UK alone), noticeboards and the local Jobcentre, and don't forget word of mouth.

Think laterally: retail and hospitality are the most common jobs for students, but you could investigate work in an area related to your degree subject for bonus CV points, or do some private tutoring in the subject in which you are, after all, something of an expert.

But if your work-life balance begins to go astray, sort it out as quickly as possible. You are primarily at university to get an education, remember, and as understanding as your tutors may be, they will have to fail you if you haven't done your essays because you've been too busy at work.

Uzowuru says the first step is to ask for help. "Go to your union; go to the advice centre. The university will have a counselling service, too."

You might think there's nothing that can be done, but you're probably wrong. "There is lots of money in terms of hardship funds and bursaries," says Uzowuru. "Make sure you've got access to all the money you're entitled to."

And you could also go in the other direction and explain matters to your boss. Employers of students are used to the unusual demands on their time and, if you're a good worker, they'll probably be more than willing to be accommodating. If you're lucky, you could end up with a promotion, 86 per cent for your latest assignment - and a healthy bank balance into the bargain.