Top Tips For Moneysaving At University!

How NOT To Approach University –

So with the influx of new students heading off to university in September, one of the biggest things many people are worried about is how to make their money stretch forwards. Not all of us are spoilt/rich/lucky enough to have parents who can throw £30 our way if things get tough. If you’re worried, here’s some common-sense money saving tips from yours truly!

1. NUS Extra Card. Some people write this off as not being good, but the little things add up, and a 10% discount here and there can save you a fair bit in the long run. It’s £12 a year and gives discount on over 150 brands and chains. Also, this isn’t just restricted to university students – if you’re at a sixth form or college with a students’ union, you can get an NUS Extra card. Buy it at http://www.nus.org.uk/en/nus-extra/.
2. TV Licence. Come on. They’re not expecting us to live without TV during the term time, are we? And if you’re lucky to live in nice halls like I did for my first year, you may have a communal TV in your lounge (we had a flatscreen, which was nice). But when you’re desperate to watch Breaking Bad and everyone else is engrossed in University Challenge, or when you’re dying to see Doctor Who but everyone else is pre-drinking with The Hits blaring, you need your own TV. If this describes you, getting a TV licence may be an expense you feel you can’t live without – but you can. You don’t need a licence if you’re streaming programmes AFTER THE LIVE BROADCAST on websites such as iPlayer, YouTube and 4oD (or projectfreeTV, but of course, as good, law-abiding students we’d never watch illegally-uploaded programmes, would we?) . In short; thinking about getting a TV licence? Here’s my advice, don’t bother.
3. Shop Smart, Spend Less. Contrary to popular belief, Sainsbury’s isn’t budget food – not when you’re a student, unless you’re getting goodness knows how much money a week. I was on full loan and grant, and I certainly couldn’t have afforded to shop at Sainsbury’s. Tesco and ASDA are slightly better if you go for their Smart Price/Basics range, Morrisons is good but for absolute value, I’d go for ALDI. It’s my favourite supermarket anyway, and there’s a reason why it’s been voted the best for the past few years – the food is good taste and good quality and a really good price. So if you’re the sort who feels judged/judges others based on where they shop, get over yourself and enjoy the savings!
4. Don’t just say “I’ll get an overdraft”. It’s not free money. I did my first year without a job and without an overdraft, and I definitely couldn’t run to the Bank of Mom and Dad at any opportunity. I’ve had to get an overdraft for 2nd year, but that’s because I’m learning to drive too, and it’s expensive. Don’t get an overdraft because you want to drink expensive stuff; either get a part-time job or live within your means. An overdraft should be a last resort, really – you’ll have to pay it back eventually!
5. Learn to cook. Goes without saying, but buying takeaways will drain your bank account faster than you can say “£1 shots”. Learn to cook – you don’t need a Michelin star to be able to whip up a few portions of lasagne or cottage pie and fridge/freeze it to have a portion for dinner once a day. It’ll save money, and impress your parents.
6. Pre-drinks! I’m not going to tell you not to drink. You’re a student! If you don’t want to drink, don’t. If you want to drink in moderation, go for it. If you want to get completely hammered every night, upload the pictures and send them to me so I can laugh! But don’t waste money on drinks in the bar when you can get suitably drunk in your flat/house before heading out! Drinking games like Ring Of Fire are great for getting you suitably tipsy and saving you a bit of money. Again, I recommend ALDI for cheap vodka/rum/SoCo/whatever tickles your fancy.
7. If you can get a job, do it! Again, common sense. I didn’t last year, because I was worried my university work would suffer – that said, my course has long hours. Several people I knew didn’t have many hours of lectures, and were easily able to balance a job alongside uni work and a social life. This one is something only you can decide, but it stands to reason that if you can get a job, you’ll probably get more money.
8. Make sacrifices. What’s your phone bill like? Spending £30 a month on unlimited texts when you always use Facebook Messenger and SnapChat anyway? Got unlimited minutes, but you have a phobia of talking on the phone? Call up your service provider and try and get the cost down. I’ve got a Lumia 800 on EE for £20 a month, with 300 texts, 100 minutes and a load of data, because I text rarely and use Facebook Messenger most of the time.
9. Watch out for deals. Facebook pages like “10 Ways” (https://www.facebook.com/StudentMoneyTips?fref=ts) are great, because they’re frequently posting new offers that students need – glitches in particular shops that give you a good deal, as well as sales that you might have missed out on otherwise!
10. Know your best-before from your use-by. This is an invaluable tip; perfect for reducing food wastage. A MoneySavingExpert recommendation; they’ve created a guide to help you work out whether food is safe to eat or not. Don’t throw something about just because it says “Sell by ______” – that’s for the shop, not for you!
11. Take advice from the experts. No, I don’t mean me! MoneySavingExpert has a great section just for students, where they bust many of the myths about student loans and tuition fees, as well as giving advice on how to get the best student bank account and how to make your loan go further.  Their student section is here – http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students

These are just a few common sense tips; it really is just a case of being smart and putting necessity before want. You can have a great student life and a great university experience on a tight budget without getting food poisoning (well, making no promises about that!) or overwhelming debt! Follow these rules, and hopefully you’ll end up like this –

Rather than like this –

I knew it would happen!

Right, some of you may remember back in January 2012… 18 months ago! – when I said I’m terrible at blogging, and this would probably not last until February? Yeah, I was a little bit wrong, but not entirely. I really am awful at blogging.

I’ve just been so busy! I’ve moved out of uni, meaning my room is now a complete state and needs me to sort it out sharpish. I’ve got rehearsals for the play, which I need to learn all my lines for. I’m trying to apply for my provisional driving licence, at the same time as getting ready to go on holiday and just a billion other things that are stressing me out to the max!

I really haven’t done much writing at all, to tell you the truth, and I really want to! Anyway, hope for more updates when life irons itself out… but I’m not promising!

Assessments, assessments everywhere…

… and not a spare second for me.

Unfortunately, it’s true. I’ve cut down my NaNo goal and I’m not even sure I can reach that, because assessments have taken over my life. If I’m not rehearsing for a practical assessment, I’m learning lines for something else, or writing an essay, or writing material for the radio show, or doing something or other that takes up a hell of a lot of time and leaves me with none for myself. I don’t resent it or regret it – I love my course and I’m determined to pass – but I’m looking forward to the end of May, when it’s all over and then I’ve got the summer and then second year! Uni’s going so quick, it feels like a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kind of thing! 😦

It’s half past one in the morning, and no, I’m not staying up so that I can get some writing done – I’m up because I can’t sleep, just like I haven’t been able to sleep properly for the last few days. I’m only getting four hours sleep at a time because I’m up the next morning at eight or earlier each time, and it’s driving me crazy! I’m exhausted all the time anyway so this doesn’t help!

Still, I’ve started a not-so-new-but-still-newer-than-others project. It’s been in the pipeline for a while, but I was inspired by a song I heard and everything about it changed. It’s now from a different perspective, and in the FIRST PERSON (cue: “ooooooh”). I never write Terra Firma Fleet stuff in the first person, because Christopher Maine does it all third person, but I couldn’t resist. It’s also from a guy’s perspective, rather than the usual character.

Now, with regards to this character, some might think she has too much happen to her in her life. She’s constantly in one scrape or another, and at times it might seem gratuitous – like I just want bad stuff to happen to her. There’s method to my madness, I assure you. The thing is, in Terra Firma Fleet, she seems like such a kick-ass character – what I’ve read of her, anyway. She is cool, calm and collected and knows exactly what to do – and that isn’t just a skill you’re born with unless you’re really lucky (and a little tip – don’t call her lucky, ever!).

She’s seen a lot, and she’s been through a lot. She’s gotten hurt, physically and emotionally, and it’s quite a contrast to the idyllic childhood she had, but it’s supposed to be that way, because something’s got to prepare her for the storm coming ahead, and when you look at it in that context, it all seems a lot more proportional.

Just something I wanted to get off my chest.

You Know You’re A Student When…

This is inspired by a thread on The Student Room.

You Know You’re A Student When…

• You like pasta. Even if you’ve never liked pasta before, you’ll learn to like pasta.
• You take as many “Free Pizza” and discounted pizza vouchers as you can at Freshers’ Fair, and you’re still working your way through them months later in March.
• When you become an expert bargain-hunter.
• Suddenly, ASDA and Tesco are too expensive. ALDI basics all the way!
• Waking up with unexplained bruises all over your body is a sign of a good night out, not a worrying and potentially fatal illness.
• You don’t have egg cups, so you put your boiled egg in a shot glass.
• Going home to your parents’ cooking and a nice Sunday dinner is like dining out at a 5* restaurant (seriously – you’ll never know how good a proper spaghetti bolognaise tastes until you’ve been living off your own sub-standard equivalent for weeks).
• You live in woolly clothes, especially in the winter, because even if the heating is included in your accommodation cost, you can guarantee it’ll be crap or will break.
• 18p noodles are the way to go because 64p SuperNoodles are too expensive… but £14 on a bottle of vodka is fine and dandy.
• A half-marathon was possible but walking the five minutes to ALDI feels like a Himalayan expedition.
• £4 for washing? No chance,  I’ll take it home!
• “Please don’t use Colour Catchers in this machine”… “Bitch please” *throws eight in there*
• The flat is only ever clean on two occasions – before a flat inspection, or before a parent comes to visit.
• In college, the thought of so much free time is incredible. In uni, you either don’t have as much free time as you had in college – and the days when you do have free time, there’s nothing to do but tidy up.
• Milk is one of the most valuable things in the world. If you have it, you’re basically royalty. When you don’t have it, it feels like the world is crashing down around you. It can be used as a bartering tool when desperation strikes in your flat.

 

more to come!

Aaaaand we’re back!

Wow.

So… um… where was I?

Oh, right. Before my life erupted like a volcano of… busy-ness.

Directorials are finished, and while in some ways I’m happy – no more lines to learn or rehearsals or stressing over it all – at the same time, I’m really going to miss it. ‘4.48 Psychosis’ by Sarah Kane is one of the pieces I was in, which we performed today, and it seemed to be really effective – I think the audience ‘enjoyed’ it, if you can enjoy that piece, and it seemed to have an impact on them, which is the important thing. I was very emotional at the end, that’s for sure!

So, back to normal functioning I guess – once I’ve shifted this illness. Yes, typical me – I managed to get myself poorly in performance week. Now that the performances are over, it seems to be fading away – rather, it did, but in the past hour or so it’s come back with a venegance. I have a streaming cold, my throat feels like sandpaper, it hurts to drink but if I don’t drink it hurts too, speaking is painful, singing is impossible… you get the idea. I’m convinced I would’ve performed better in the performances had I been completely healthy, but it’s made me excited for next year, when I get to be the director!

So the plan for the next few days is to do very little. I need to catch up on sleep and sort my life out – tidy my room completely and get stuff organised, do a bit more writing and make sure all of my work is completely up to date. Most of all though, sleep.

Talking of sleep, I think I’d best be drifting off now. Once more unto the breach, good friends, once more…

Bad Timing!

I feel like I’ve completely burnt out, ahead of possibly the biggest week since I started uni. We’re performing the directorials this week and honestly, I feel like everything’s just landed on me at once. I know all my lines for one performance but hardly know any for another, we’re really not prepared, and although right now I should be getting out of bed and going to my radio lecture, I’m still in bed because I feel so sniffly and worn down.

In other news, Train were incredible. My first ever band concert – the only other concert I’ve seen is Idina Menzel last year – and it was amazing. Such a good atmosphere and a phenomenal band, and the best bit was going to see them with my fiance. My Spotify is now full of Train songs – I’m listening to “Feels Good At First” right now.

I really do owe you guys a full blog post and some more stuff about uni, but right now I’m going to try and drag myself out of bed and get to this lecture on time. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going today – everything’s so confusing! – but I can’t wait to get into bed tonight and sleep!

Me And My Hectic Life!

I apologise for the lack of updates recently, my life appears to have exploded. That or someone’s replaced the old Maddy who sat in her room writing all day with one who actually has loads of stuff to do and doesn’t seem to get a moment’s peace to just sit down and blog. I think it’s the first one, my life has been feeling very ‘splodey lately.

Glyndwr Uni is currently hosting Ffresh Festival, the Welsh student film festival, and it seems to be going really well. I’ve been doing a couple of hours of volunteering on the registration desk yesterday, and I’m doing the same this afternoon – in 45 minutes, to be precise – as well as helping to judge the best actor award (not just me – there’s three of us doing it), so it means going to watch all the showcases (the one we saw this morning was very good!) and then making a decision.

As well as that, directorial performances are next week and I’m in two, so rehearsals are still ongoing. I’ll be honest, I’m looking forwards to getting them over and done with now. Having to schedule in rehearsals every week around everything else is mad. I’ll be glad of a break!

Going to see Train on Saturday and honestly, I can’t wait! I’m so worried that something will go wrong – we’ll lose the tickets or they’ll cancel last minute – because I’ve wanted to see Train for ages, they’re my favourite band and I love their music so much. I think my Mom’s still convinced that she’s coming with us, and honestly if I knew she liked Train when I was buying the tickets I would’ve gotten her one too, but she didn’t decide she liked them until around the day after tickets sold out. Next time, I promise!

So, lots has been happening in the world – I know I said I wouldn’t post too much on current affairs but it’s been a big couple of weeks – since I’ve been AWOL.

Oscar Pistorious and the shambles that has been his bail hearing – how it’s going to be a fair trial now with all the mistakes that have been made is beyond me, but I’m hoping it is all just a big mistake and he really mistook her for a burglar.

The human incarnation of a Chucky Doll calling the-woman-formerly-known-as-Kate-Middleton “plastic” and basically having a go at her because she’s pretty – what else would have sparked such a vicious and personal rant? It’s fine to have an opinion, sure, but there was some definite bitterness going on there – which made me giggle really; it’s been good for the Twitter lulz.

Bedroom taxes and workfare schemes galore; political cock-ups I’m not even going to delve into because I could spend all day ranting about Ian Duncan Smith; but I’ll spare you that one.

Still, the story that’s caught my eye isn’t a miserable one, or one filled with anger and bitterness. It’s one of hope; one that’s really affected me in a way I didn’t think it would. I’m referring, of course, to the announcement of Mars One (at least, it’s the first I’ve heard of it) – the plan to start a colony on Mars. I’m thrilled, because it’s a step towards the universe I’m writing about – Christopher Maine’s universe, of course – becoming a reality, and I never thought we’d even taken one step towards it during my lifetime. I really hope it becomes a reality and isn’t another of those far-fetched schemes, doomed to failure, because the hope the news has filled me with is surprising.

So that’s just a little update from me, to warn you that it may be a while until you hear from me again. I’m still alive, still plodding along (or rather, running at everything head-first and hoping it doesn’t hurt too much) – I’m just a busy bee!

Halls Etiquette – How To Be A Good Flatmate

This is all about how to be a good flatmate. A lot of worries I see are from people who aren’t used to communal living – they’ve only ever lived with their families, like me before I went to uni – and they’re worried that they’ll have issues adjusting. Here are a few handy tips on how to have a harmonious household in halls!

 

1. Do your fair share of chores. 

This depends on your halls of residence and their policies, but it’s invariable that everyone will have to do some chores. If you’re in catered, obviously cleaning the kitchen regularly won’t be involved, but everyone needs to do their bit. I’m in self-catered so this section is quite specific to self-catered, but make sure you wash up your dishes – don’t try and make a cleaning rota, because it won’t work in the long run. If everyone cleans up their own stuff as soon as possible after you’ve used it, it’ll work out a lot better. Taking bins and recycling out, mopping and sweeping the floors, cleaning the ovens and microwave etc is all important too – it’s all our responsibility in the halls we’re in, so if you do your bit it’ll go towards keeping everything nice and peaceful.

 

2. Get involved. 

This doesn’t necessarily mean go out drinking all the time if you’re a teetotaler in a flat full of heavy drinkers, or join the gym if you’re seriously unfit in a flat full of bodybuilders – just be involved in the flat. Don’t hide away all the time or ignore the people in your kitchen and lounge when they try and talk to you – if you do it right your flatmates can be like your family, so it’s important to take an active role in the flat and just be yourself! Be friendly and approachable and you’ll have a great time.

 

3. Respect the rules. 

In my flat, if something is wrong in the lounge or kitchen, it’s a £25 fine for every member of the flat – regardless of whose fault the issue is, or even if you weren’t even there when the issue occurred. Sometimes the fines can be even heavier, which means if you’re responsible for them, you’re not going to be hugely popular with the other members of the flat. Respect the rules and take care with what you do.

 

4. Respect your flatmates. 

A bit of mutual pranking is fine – it’s uni, you’re there to have fun as well as learn, everyone’s bound to get pranked at some point. I’ve had plastic spiders put in all my kitchen drawers and cupboards, and I’ve gotten off very lightly compared to most – people have had their bedrooms tinfoiled or filled with plastic cups or balloons, or they’ve had all their stuff hidden. It’s all fun and games, as long as all parties are in on the joke. If you’ve stolen someone’s key and they ask you to give it back, give it back. Don’t take things too far – you could get your flatmate in trouble and even cost them a fair bit of money if you do any serious damage, as well as ruining a friendship.

 

5. Don’t be so noisy!

It’s all well and good to have a laugh and have fun, and yes – you’re bound to go out drinking and come home screaming “Let Me Love You” out the window at almost one in the morning (yes, I am speaking from personal experience, I can’t hear that song without cringing!). However, try and retain some respect for everyone else in your halls. People have early starts, you’ll need your sleep at some point too – and it’s sod’s law that when you need sleep, everyone else will go out and keep you awake. Your halls will probably have noise rules – ours is no loud noises between 11pm-8am – and respecting them is always wise, otherwise you could have another hefty fine going your way!

 

6. Share, don’t steal. 

Stealing food is a MAJOR no-no in halls. It creates some seriously bad relationships with your flatmates, who’ll hate you for it – money is a struggle for everyone at uni, and what may seem like “just a carton of milk” or “just a packet of bacon” to you, is someone’s breakfast for the whole week gone because money’s tight. If you need something, ask to borrow it – and replace it afterwards. Same goes for cutlery – don’t just use it; ask if you can borrow it and wash it up straight after using it!

 

These are the most important tips I can remember – if anyone has any others, feel free to comment!

Freshers Week: Day Two

This day will probably start a few hours later than most, especially if you’re nursing a hangover from the night before! It’s probably a good time to switch Facebook on, because no doubt you’ve met a couple of people the night before who were still sober enough to send you a friend request when they got home. It also might be worth posting on Facebook/sending a text, just to let your family know that you’re still alive – they’ll probably appreciate that. 

For me, day two was a Tuesday. Once I’d woken up and cleared away the hangover – it wasn’t too bad, in all honesty – I finished unpacking and sorting my room out, making sure everything was nice and tidy, and taking some pictures to show my family at home. 

In the afternoon, the uni and the students guild had arranged a treasure hunt to help us get to know the campus and other people. It was quite fun really, we all got into groups and had to go around the campus finding all these places (which really helped later in the term, I’d have gotten lost without it!), and finishing with dinner in the student bar. 

In the evening, my fiance came up to visit and stay the night (it’s allowed in our halls, check with your halls residence agreement and policies to find out if it’s the same for you), and we spent the evening together. However, the student bar had a DJ on from 8pm until late, so for people who did want to go out, there was the option of doing so. 

Freshers Week: Day One

This day is also commonly known as “Move-In-Day”, or “D-Day” if you’re really nervous about it. This also tends to be the day that students dread the most – perhaps second only to the first day of induction or lectures. This day only really applies to students who move into halls, as opposed to commuting from home, because from experience you move in about a week or so before you start your first lectures.

I moved into my halls on September 17th 2012, my first induction was on the 24th and my lectures properly started on October 1st, so we had two weeks to settle in before we had any real lectures – and a whole week before we actually met our lecturers and found out about our course for the first time! Other places do things a little differently, but this post is focusing on what happens the day you move into halls.

A particularly contentious issue always seems to be whether parents go with you and how long they stay for. Truth is, there’s no right or wrong answer, and if people laugh at you because your parents stay for a while, that’s their problem – not yours. If they’re immature enough to care about something like that, they’re probably not mature enough to be at university. Having a good relationship with your family is never a bad thing.

I left quite early in the morning, because I didn’t want to be too late arriving. I said goodbye to my family – it was really difficult, and I cried at first in the car, but eventually that was replaced by excitement. It was a two hour drive from home to uni, and my Mom drove me up there, with all my stuff in the back of the car – we have a people carrier, so we managed to fit everything in, but if you’re taking a lot of stuff and only have a small car, I think you can rent out vans or bigger cars for a day – always worth keeping it in mind.

Don’t worry if your whole family want to come, or if none of your family can make it and you have to make your own way by bus or train (although good luck hiking all your stuff about by train – try and get it sent up to you by car or post later on if you can’t take it up in a car). At the end of the day it should be your choice, but obviously sometimes family kick up a fuss and get their way, or there are commitments they really can’t handle, and you may feel pressured into letting your whole family come and wave you off. Don’t get too stressed – when we moved in, there were some new students where it seemed like it wasn’t just parents and brothers and sisters – it was grandparents and aunties and uncles and cousins and goodness-knows-how-many-other relations coming to wave them off. Others turned up with just immediate family, others – like me – were with just one parent and some even arrived on their own. There’s no right or wrong way of doing it.

As for how long the family members stay, it helps to remember that it’s a big event for them too – yes, it’s your day, and that needs to be remembered, but it’s a big shift in the family dynamic, especially if you’re the first in your family to go to university. Your parents will probably have issues when it comes to leaving, because it’s like relinquishing their son or daughter into the big wide world – understandable, but also annoying when all you want to do is settle in! For me, Mom helped me get all my stuff out of the car and into my room, and then she left, to do a bit of shopping before going home – more because we knew both of us would end up in tears and find it harder to say goodbye the longer we put it off. It’s difficult, but usually parents are pretty good at knowing when the suitable time to leave is.

If your parents aren’t so blessed with tact and want to stick around for hours/days/weeks, there comes a time when you have to put your foot down and gently but firmly explain that you want to settle in and get to know your new flatmates, and you can’t do that with your parents hanging around (obviously you can, but it might be difficult, but it’s always easiest to say you can’t do it with them around). In some cases, if you’re travelling from a distance, parents have to stay overnight – but if possible, have them stay in a hotel rather than in your flat/room, because the first night is when you get to know each other and go out as a group for the first time.

Sometimes your parents will want to take you shopping for your first full shop, and don’t turn it down – hey, free food! – but also, when your flatmates inevitably get together when you’ve all arrived and decide to go shopping, as we all did, don’t hide away in your room. We all went on a trip to Sainsbury’s and ALDI, and we also wandered around the town for ages, and although we didn’t buy very much at all, we got our bearings with regards to the town and also we made friends pretty quickly. It’s really good for getting to know each other – in the first few days, do as much as you can in a group with your flatmates. There’s no guarantees that they’ll be your best friends, or even that you won’t drift apart during the year and realise you’re not similar, but it’s better than being alone for the first few days!

Then, in the evening, there’ll generally be some sort of party – there was for us. We had pre-drinks at our flat first, where we played Ring Of Fire and had a laugh, and then we all went out to the club. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the nightclub in town that serves as the “student night”, but if you feel the same, don’t worry – I know quite a few people at uni who are yet to actually go there because it doesn’t interest them, and they don’t seem to have suffered for it. Similarly, don’t worry if you don’t drink, or aren’t a huge drinker – it’s perfectly possible to still have a good time during freshers’ week.

In the end we all got home at around three in the morning and I fell fast asleep, still with most of my stuff in boxes on my bedroom floor.

If you have any other questions about the first day of freshers – or starting uni in general – feel free to ask them in the comments box below!