How do student survive?

LarryPlane

Last year I saw a lot students struggle on a bursary, which was less than the SL. After most students had paid for accommodation and food they had about a fiver a week to play with. But they were fed three times a day during the week, which left them to manage at the weekend on 2.50 a day! Most had savings (a lot of mature students at my college), some just did the credit card thing, but there were a few who wanted to do pubs and events every other night every week of term. Their debt levels now, entering their second year, must be enormous.

The way to survive as a student is simply to not go to every single event. Pick and choose how much socialising you attempt, use the library for books and DVD's. Borrow resource material if you can. Shop at Aldi. Buy clothes from Primark. Everytime you go to buy something, ask yourself if you really need it.

Being a student is much like being in a low paid job. I guess the problem with most students is there young age means they haven't experienced low paid employment and don't know how to cope with it.

Unless you are on a course that requires you to pay hundreds and hundreds of pounds for course trips (for which you should get student discount), materials or books (which you should be able to find second hand if the course is at all established), then you should have no reason you need to be a poll dancer.

In other words, if you spend more than you have, you can't complain if you need to go find work to top up your bank balance.

dawyldthing

i survived by looking for the most cheapest accomodation (never paid more than £227.50 per month and then never had the heating on, switched all lights off (i can't do with Blackpool illuminations, never have been able to and never will be able to!), cheapest virgin package, living with 5 peoples (cheaper bills all round as it doesn't matter how many of you are in the house the tv licence and water rates stays the same.

You can get cheap nights out, if you don't drink like a fish and pre-drink before going out. I don't think i have ever spent more than £20 before. Live within your means ie if you know you have £50 for 3 weeks you know your walking everywhere). You can usually get cheap nights out - look for places with free entry, cheap comedy nights, 2 for 1 orange wednesdays for the cinema, join sports teams through uni as it gets you out the house and once you have paid the initial sign up theres not much else to pay apart from if you play you pay a few quid subs for the transport.

transport - look for the cheapest. Avoid taxis at all costs and walk everywhere when possible. i've lost count how many times i've seen people stand longer waiting for a bus than it would have taken them to walk it to where they wanted to go!

Student discount - use it everywhere. Mcds give you a free mcflurry with a meal deal was my fave.

Books - keep an eye on notice boards as you never know what cheap books you can get and no postage charges.

i'll keep thinking

mumfirst_2

Hi all, whilst living as a student is no laughing matter, reading this thread has really made me chuckle - why??? because my I know everything, mum knows nowt dd1 is due to start uni next year and we are currently doing the trail for her to find where she wants to go. I have in my wisdom attempted to discuss finances - i.e. how the **** are we going to afford it etc (single mum on less than 20 grand) but apparently I don't know anything, everyone manages on the loans and grants, there is no need to save anything she now gets from her part-time job (on the visit to Manchester earlier this week, whilst i took sandwiches and a flask - she bought a starbucks iced something for FOUR QUID!!) and no-one actually lives on beans on toast at Uni, of course she will be able to eat out all the time - perhaps I should make HER read this thread OR should I just sit back, wait and say I told you so???

tetra-xo

mumfirst wrote: »

Hi all, whilst living as a student is no laughing matter, reading this thread has really made me chuckle - why??? because my I know everything, mum knows nowt dd1 is due to start uni next year and we are currently doing the trail for her to find where she wants to go. I have in my wisdom attempted to discuss finances - i.e. how the **** are we going to afford it etc (single mum on less than 20 grand) but apparently I don't know anything, everyone manages on the loans and grants, there is no need to save anything she now gets from her part-time job (on the visit to Manchester earlier this week, whilst i took sandwiches and a flask - she bought a starbucks iced something for FOUR QUID!!) and no-one actually lives on beans on toast at Uni, of course she will be able to eat out all the time - perhaps I should make HER read this thread OR should I just sit back, wait and say I told you so???

For my last week of uni, last year I lived off bread and butter. Not even beans on toast!

littlepinkstars44

I'm quite lucky that there are 3 big unis in Glasgow, and about 10 different colleges.
I live at home and only pay my mum £150 a month. Theres no way i could cope on my own, i tried it once, moved to Dundee and started a course there, i lasted till the Jan then came home. No where near ready to be living on my own, which is probably quite sad to say concidering i'm 23.

As for books, i had to buy one last year we were told we HAD to buy it, i've still never even opened the thing! All the books we need for our modules are e-books and available online.

ThinkingOfLinking

Go for somewhere with all bills included; one thing about my Halls is I can crank the heating up and not have to worry about a shock landing on my doormat down the line!!

Also, learn to love wildlife. My new roommate(s) is/are rodents!! I've also shared my room with spiders and big scary moths.