How I survived my first year of university
Well, my first year of university was a success and I’m now moving on to my second year of study. However, ‘first year’ didn’t go without a few bumps and scrapes, in fact, some of it was actually quite hard – but here I am, my liver is in tact, my wallet doesn’t look too bad, and I’m ready to tell you how I survived!
Moving in and settling down
It was my first day, my parents dropped me off at my halls and stayed with me for a little while – probably to get a strong mental image of how I looked before I started – and promptly left as soon as more students arrived in my halls.
I was the first in my communal kitchen, sitting politely waiting for others to join. No-one came, in fact, they were all sitting in their rooms waiting for someone to knock on their doors and initiate conversation.
So I took the chance and introduced myself to one of them – luckily, the others followed suit. Soon after, we were all enjoying a good chat and getting to know each other. I suggested we should go over to the bar and get a few drinks in – so we did.
Hours passed, and we were still talking – it was looking good, everyone was getting along fine. Friendships blossomed over the next few months and everyone had settled down fine.
The money side of things
This is where it began to get tough. Covering the costs of socialising, shopping for food and rent was all fine at the start, but after a few months my finances became strained.
I began to struggle each week when shopping, I had to cut back on some essentials and really live like a stereotypical student – that meant eating beans on toast and bowls of noodles! My debt started to grow and I had to borrow some money off my friends, I was surprised how fast my finances started to spiral out of control, it was really scary.
However, luck was on my side and I managed to get a job. I got paid a few hundred pounds a month, and that was more than enough to get me back on track – but I certainly learnt from my mistakes of overspending!
The main thing I would like to raise here is that students should create a budget. I wish I had created one earlier, because if I did, then I would have been able to avoid the financial mess I ended up in.
If students budget before they go to university, they should be able to remain in control of their finances throughout the course of their degree.
For more information on managing finances and any debt related issues – visit www.debtadvicenow.co.uk
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