Managing your own finances as a student is hard. At first it can feel like an impossible challenge, especially after the protective bubble of home life. I’ve only been back at university for two weeks and I’ve already managed to lose my purse and two bank cards (which I had re-issued for no reason, since I found them next morning)!
Nevertheless, despite this minor mishap, just a fortnight into semester two of university and it already feels like I’m back into the swing of things. In fact, funnily enough, living at uni has begun to feel more normal than living back at home. I would even go as far as describing this beautiful place as home. Here, I have my closest friends around me nearly every day, and each twenty-four hours proves to be unpredictable, exciting, interesting and challenging. Not to mention financially draining.
So, what have I learnt so far about maintaining a balanced university life?
Here are my five tips on sustaining yourself whilst living independently:
1. Eat proper meals.
Yes, I know it can be tempting to live off chocolate and energy drinks now that you have no nagging parents on your back… but how long can you sustain that lifestyle? Remember that you are here (at least, I hope you are) to get a degree above all else.
When I first arrived on campus, I had this vision of cooking myself a proper meal from scratch every single day. Within the space of a week, this had already proved impossible. However, what I have learned from this is that making small adjustments, such as using ready-chopped vegetables and freezing leftover meal portions, can make life so much easier.
2. Get your sleep.
I know it can seem like a great idea to stay out late socialising with your friends every night of the week, but your sleep deprivation will catch up with you. Do you want to become the student that dozes off in the 9 am lecture? I thought not.
The occasional late night is absolutely fine, but you should at least have a generally healthy sleep pattern.
3. Don’t take on too much.
It can be tempting to join every single club and society that takes your fancy, but it is important that you also have some down-time (and keep on top of all your university work).
As a lover of languages, I am a teensy bit addicted to learning them. My latest goal is to speak Italian (my recent love of Andrea Bocceli’s music could have something to do with this), so I have signed myself up for weekly language classes at the university. However, I know that it would be silly of me to try and join numerous societies on top of this - I could not cope with the lack of time to myself!
4. Find what relaxes you.
After two weeks of living at university, I found myself to be very jittery and restless. As someone who used to practise nearly an hour every day, I was beginning to feel the painful withdrawal of having no piano to turn to for comfort. When I finally booked a practise room at the university, I felt immeasurably better, and much more relaxed after a play on my favourite instrument.
I now know that, when I am feeling stressed, rather than telling myself “you have no time to play the piano” I should make time for practise, because I know I will come away in a much better mindset.
5. Budget!
Write out your expenses. List the things you need before you buy them, so you don’t make any impulsive decisions.
Save a little money each week just in case.
Don’t let other people coerce you into a night out or a meal you cannot afford.
Don’t go into your overdraft unless absolutely necessary.
Above all else, grasp every opportunity you can. Try out that experience you’ve never dared to before. Spend as much time as you can with your new-found friends, and always be open to making new ones.
Most importantly, enjoy yourself! But also know that you are allowed to experience difficulties; it’s an important part of life to learn how to overcome and live with them. Just don’t make your lack of money the problem!
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