University in London

Gingernutmeg

I agree with Feanor - I'm from the north too and there is a huge difference in the general 'cost of living' in London compared to other places. Everything is more expensive, especially when you take into account the travelling round you need to do.

However, I would say that if your daughter gets a place at a 'good' uni, then the extra cost of being in London balances out against the extra that having a degree from a prestigious London uni will (hopefully!) bring, and the fact that London is a fantastic city to be a student in!

Plum_Pie

The first year I lived in London (as a student), I seemed to lose £1.50 every time I breathed out! By the second year I had got my head round it financially. (Best cheap pubs/restaurants/food markets/factory outlet shops for clothes etc.)

Look on moveflat.com for info houseshares and average prices to live in certain areas. Think about transport links to certain areas (KCL is central though!) when choosing.

olive84

i graduated from KCL in 05, did Classics and English. Don't know anyone who got much cheaper rent than £100p/w. However it is so worth it. Kings have an accomodation centre that help you find somewhere if you want, and there are grants you can get to help you out. The transport links in London also mean that you can live much further out and still get to uni easily, saving on rent. KCL's student union is fab, and give you all the necessary forms to get council tax exemption and 1/3 off travel on the tubes/buses. Lots of people I went to uni with are still in London (including me!) and have got great jobs which continue to allow them to live here.

If she goes to Kngs she will have the best start in her career, and the English Department is really good. Also, she will meet tons of people, so when she moves into private rented she can share to bring the costs down. In the 2nd year I lived with 5 other people! All good fun though, best time of my life. If she wants any advice then feel free to ask away.

Oldernotwiser

Feanor wrote: »

I have to disagree, i am originally from the North and i do notice price difference in many every day things including food/utilities etc..

I think that this may be a north /south difference rather than something to do with London. Surely if you order groceries on line from Tesco it's the same prices around the country? Utility companies are no longer regionally based and so this will determine the costs of that.

Oldernotwiser

Gingernutmeg wrote: »

Everything is more expensive, especially when you take into account the travelling round you need to do.

!

But public transport's cheap in London! (And I was a student in Manchester and have lived all over the country.)

Gingernutmeg

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

But public transport's cheap in London! (And I was a student in Manchester and have lived all over the country.)

I agree it's not *that* expensive, and it's great to hop on a bus, pay £2 and then go to the end of the route (as I regularly do). But I have to say that since my partner got a car, we've noticed that our transport costs are a lot cheaper, even taking into account running costs (Smart Car, so it's fairly cheap), and we have a lot more freedom in where we can go. For example, it would cost us more than double if we were to both get a bus to our nearest town than it does for us to drive there and park. Having a car also means that we can save money in terms of food etc - now we can go out of town and stock up, something that we really couldn't do when we were relying on overcrowded, unreliable publc transport. That's brought our food bills down because we can now take advantage of bulk offers. I just think that while public transport in London is ok for day-to-day needs, it doesn't actually work out that much cheaper if you want to travel long distances, do something different or try and save money in other ways (shopping out of town, going out of London to visit family etc).

KizzyK_2

I wasn't saying its not worth studying in London (I can't wait to start my course! ), just that the 3k extra is for living expenses :rolleyes:

LilMissEmmylou

ihatechoosingnames wrote: »

£260?! i pay £400 a month! and it's an ex-local authority building (although the area is quite nice). most people i know who live in london pay around £400, regardless of their area.

i did point out i lived in wycombe outside central london though to imply costs would be higher than that further in you go...

id say do it - london is fab! always so so much to do!

DrFluffy

I pay £300 a month in central London (The City). Shop around, there are bargains to be had! Most of my friends pay around £70-80 a week in and around Bethnal Green/Whitechapel...

xycom1

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

But public transport's cheap in London! (And I was a student in Manchester and have lived all over the country.)

Haha, of course you are joking? Since Ken took over, London transport costs have rocketed. I remember when I moved down to London in 2001 (to study at King's) a single bus fare was 70p. Now it's something ridiculous like £1.50. Similar state of affairs on the tubes and the regional trains aren't much different. I don't use public transport, it's a rip off.

As others have said, around £100 per week for accomodation. I privately rent at present and been costing £650/month for a 1-bedroom flat. Pleased to be moving away from London though in July. :T