Advice from a university student

I've been at university for a while now so i’m pretty sure i qualify as a university student. By living in a student accommodation and attending university 4 days a week i found a few trick to get by. 

CAUTION: This will probably make you bored if you're not a uni student. 

  Accommodation: 

Washing and drying clothes: I've been living in a student accommodation since the 14th of September and i found that washing and drying my clothes isn't the cheapest thing..At my accommodation washing and drying comes to around £5 for every load, that’s pretty price for anyone especially a student. Being on a budget is hard so if you can.. take your washing home when you go and visit, your mum will most likely do your washing for you but if she doesn’t it still works out A LOT cheaper!

 Inspections: If you live in a student accommodation you're most likely to have inspections once in a while. So when they do come up, DO NOT FREAK OUT! All they look for is for a tidy and clean room with no major damages done. Think of it this way.. You're a landlord, what would you like your rented out room to look like. If your room is damaged or has things that need fixing make sure you tell whoever is taking care of the accommodation, read through your contract they will probably fix it for free if its not your fault.

Room/flat mates: I've talked about one of my flat mates who started taking our food but she stopped now.. If this does happen to you talk to them, if that doesn’t work and you live in a student accommodation you can tell the person in charge and they will sort the situation out anonymously. Try to get on with your flat mates after all they are the people you are living with.. Treat them as friends.. last resort move out to another place.

Budget: I didn't want to know about budgeting when i moved in... I was living by myself for the first time, i wanted to have fun and i have an overdraft, noooo worries so I thought. But its bad, really bad.. My bank hates me! So to budget until the next loan I now have a few tips and tricks.. When buying online make sure you look on Google for any discount codes no matter the discount its better than paying full price. Search for something like "promo code for H&M" something will come up. 

Find out what day the supermarket you go to puts out the products that are about to go off their sell by date.. this will save you quite a bit, almost everything can be frozen this stops it going off. If you're planning on doing a shop and you can get to  few supermarkets www.mysupermarket.co.uk is a great website to find the best deals. Keep in mind shopping on online supermarkets almost ALWAYS mess up your order... I got apple pies instead of bread once.

I’m not sure if all universities do this but at my university we have a student union which you can ask for a money loan which is £50, you will then give it back when you get your student loan. You can speak to them if you have no food in your cupboards and can’t afford to, they give you a basket which contains the necessary food to live on. If you find yourself short of cash ask your parents, they are there to help you.

  University life

Travelling: If you travel quite a lot a rail card can be quite useful, you do need to pay for the rail card but it lasts you a year and the savings are great. If you travel by bus (which i no longer do) find out what kind of discounts they do, i know that from 16 to 19 they do a young person’s ticket which does work out cheaper.

Your course: This really depends on what kind of course you’re doing but if you’re doing something art related expect to be spending A LOT of money and dedicating  lot of time. Work out a budget to put into your course and a budget for living. Try to get on with the people in your course because they are the people who will help you most.  There will be times where you will get overwhelmed and want to quit but try it out longer it may only be a phase, if you’re truely not happy then don’t waste your time & money doing something you hate. If you're finding it hard to cope talk to someone, your course leader or someone at your student union can help you with what you need, dont feel like you're alone.

Late nights: Lets be honest if you’re anything like me you know all about late nights from college. I used to stay up all night doing work to catch up and university wont change you no matter how much you think it will. Work out a schedule and stick to it like a life or death situation. Pro plus and coffee has helped me get through many sleepless nights and days at uni. Sleep is important so if you can avoid it, don’t stay up for too late and if you do take regular breaks.

Family, friends and boyfriend/girlfriend: Yes you’re at uni, yes you may be having an awesome time away from home but don’t forget about family and friends. Visit home at least once a month to catch up on everything, your family and friends can begin to feel like you no longer need them which can upset a few people, plus you need to get away from uni to relax with people you love.  If you have a girlfriend/boyfriend and you’re living away from them make sure they know they play an important part in your life, visit them regularly and don’t let uni life take over. Try to balance your time with everyone including “Me time”, relax, take a break, make sure you’re not getting overwhelmed. 

University friends: Make friends with people outside your course, the best way to do this is hang out with flat mates or going to uni events.  Try getting involved with university activates like sports, communities and so on. Volunteering is always a great way to meet people and help the community.

Until later.. Goodbye my lovelies

Sincerely Ady xoxo