To work freelance or not while at Uni?

[DCS2014]

I am in the middle of wondering whether or not to work freelance whilst still at University.
I have developed and own my own website which I use to detail most of my portfolio from work I have previously done within web development. I started working in web development back in 2007 and gave it up to serve in the military and I am now going into my third year of my computer science degree. I am aiming to working either in software engineering or perhaps a scientific research role.
I am qualified within web development from college in 2006. CISCO CCNA, Microsoft certified, compTIA and I also do open source development work.
My Father is a software manager at a very successful company and he says I should just focus on my degree and get a proper career after Uni instead of putting any of this into the mix up.
It seems that there are tons and tons of freelance developers around now. Most of whom clearly have next to no real educational knowledge of actual programming. Many I have spoken to have zero idea about what we even learn within our first year at Uni in relation to say the Java language. Google search shows that there are many cowboys at it.
Is it worthwhile even working freelance?? Some very mixed views on this topic.
Web development is not my passion but I would like to beef up my portfolio even further. I feel very torn.

 

[freesoftware]

Your the only one who can answer this. If you are asking the question does it mean you have doubt in your own mind and if you have then maybe you already have answered your own question.
I would ask myself do I have the spare time to do justice to a business and its clients.
I thought most students preferred the students union bars !!!

 

[paulears]

Web development is not my passion

That sums it up for me. With your uni work, doing dull, uninspiring work for a few quid, in a saturated market doesn't look very appealing does it?

If web development is not where your work after uni is aiming, why would you want a web portfolio?

 

[DCS2014]

Yeah I have too many doubts about it all. Best avoiding it. The market is far too saturated and I honestly would support industry regulations. Far to many cowboys at it. I see it all the time, people with terrible work, poor coding skills who are advertising for £99 for a " custom " website.
I work for an actual company in the past and had to pick up the pieces for clients whom sadly were scammed by these people.

BTW, this is a great site. Loads of info.

 

[Ste Hughes]

Just try it, what have you got to lose?

It's summer, study time is over and you will have free time on your hands. Work at it for a month and see if you like it or not

Get some business cards printed (£15) - domain and hosting (£15) and get out there.

 

[rob_james]

If you need the money - do it for the money.
If you intend to work in the field afterwards - do it for the portfolio.

But from the sounds of it, you don't even like the work anymore - so don't do it at all.

 

[pickaweb]

I think it is a great way to get some experience and extra money, which always helps when you are a student.

 

[simong93]

Get out there and do it. Look at it this way you are in no rush for the money or the work, but say in 4 months you get one client who tells his friend who in turn tells there friend and there you have it a nice little money earner. By not rushing you can charge your prices and find some nice clients.

Honestly what do you have to lose.

 

[mreardongraphics]

I have freelanced from my first year of GCSEs and will do the same through uni.
Just make sure to not bite off more than you can chew! But really, the worst that can happen is you have to stop freelancing..not too bad.
Just make sure to put studies first 100% of the time and go from there.

 

[Poppy Design]

As you will be freelance then you should be able to control the amount of work you take on - just take on what you can do without it effecting your studies - you dont know what will happen when you finish uni ie you may not walk into a job you want so useful to have this side of things up your sleeve as a backup ie where you might do agency work etc

yes it is saturated market (and people doing a crap unprofessional job at silly prices damages us all) but there is always room for someone/a company who do an excellent job at a fair price etc

 

[IanG]

Of course you should gain experience to augment your degree and strengthen your job prospects.

Of course you should earn money whilst at uni.

Of course you should do the job properly.

Of course its a difficult market.

Of course on the determined succeed and only the very determined do it without asking.