Long boi merch

[Catherine.]

That's why i chose to stay at home. Heh.

Wouldn't be too easy for me - I live in London, bit of a commute to Norwich.

[Behelzebub]

Well, you're getting at least £1000 more for your maintenance loan that I currently get in a year, I'm assuming that means you're at uni in London... I was quite lucky in that my mum uncovered a savings account in my name with about £2000 in it before I went to uni so I've basically been living off that for the past 2 years, and my mum very kindly donates part of her wages towards it every 4/5 months or so. The best advice I can really give is just to get a job over the summer and try and earn as much as possible. Or failing that speak to your parents, I'm sure they'd be willing to spare a bit of cash to help you out.

[Andy B]

Can't help as when I went to uni I got a grant which paid for my accomodation then my student loans went on what I needs to eke out a basic survival. Clubs, beer, DVD's etc...

However if it makes you feel any better my yearly accomodation costs are £15,600 and that's before any bills! Add to that council tax, water bills, electricity, gas, tv licence, my own student loan debts, food, my cleaner, dog bills and my extravagant lifestyle and I'm left with hardly anything either.

Most people these days have to get a part time job to help them pay for stuff. I suggest finding one with a high hourly rate with very few hours.

[Catherine.]

I suggest finding one with a high hourly rate with very few hours.

So the perfect job then?

[Andy B]

Well I'd say either DJ'ing or stripping. I had to go down the DJ route as I couldn't make ends meet stripping. I knew a few people who did though.

[Jono]

I think my maintenance grant will pay almost all of my tuition loan off, and with the bursary each year I'll be able to pay the rest off along with having a few hundred back for travel. Not planning to take out any maintenance loans.

[Catherine.]

I'm thinking I should have just applied to uni's in London, stayed at home and saved tonnes of money, whilst not having to worry about horrible flat mates and the potentially lethal food. :S

[Jono]

I'm thinking I should have just applied to uni's in London, stayed at home and saved tonnes of money, whilst not having to worry about horrible flat mates and the potentially lethal food. :S

It depends what you're going for doesn't it. I'm happy with just spending my days in the city as opposed to my small town and getting more of an education.

[FreakaZoid101]

I could never have applied to London. Birmingham's too big a city for me. London would just be stupid for me. Also, I've never really liked the place.

[Lucinda]

Accommodation here is very expensive in halls. It costs a lot more this year but I paid £3704.50 for accommodation last year (the university portal tells me, I don't know that off the top of my head) which is actually more than I received in loan money. I don't know why they call it a 'maintenance loan' because unless your parents are retired/unemployed, or you don't know them, you don't get enough money to live unless you choose to live in a cardboard box.

When Mr Andy B went to University, he got a loan and a grant and didn't pay any fees. Not all that many years later, I have to pay for everything.

My parents thankfully help me out, they pay for my accommodation because there's no way I could pay it unless I got a job during term time which they don't want me to do because I'm paying so much for this degree that I want to get as much as possible out of it.

Anyway, the Government are lying and cheating us all in their attempts to send more and more people to University.

[superchris0110]

Its a con. They are charging something like 4.5% interest on it because that is apparently the rate of inflation. Yet the other day BBC news had it down as inflation reaching 3% for the first time in a while. Every single way possible, the government are screwing us all over, so the sooner you can pay it back, the better

[Hammer]

My student loan this year didn't even quite cover my accommodation. Getting a student bank account with a big overdraft is the way forward. There's not really any other way around it. The loan rarely gets you by on its own.

[matt_32510]

Get a part-time job, helps with extra funds and helps you meet local people in the area that you will be studying.

[Catherine.]

Thanks for all the advice people, i'll just have to eat own brand products

[Lucinda]

Thanks for all the advice people, i'll just have to eat own brand products

Sainsburys Basics all the way! Well, for food they're generally good, especially vegetables and fruit. Avoid their kitchen equipment though, the saucepans go rusty and the knives don't cut.

[FreakaZoid101]

Sainsbury's basics are amazing.

Sorry if this is too personal, but can't your parents put anything to your living costs. I know my friends' parents are like paying for their accommodation.

[Catherine.]

Sorry if this is too personal, but can't your parents put anything to your living costs. I know my friends' parents are like paying for their accommodation.

They might be paying a little but I have a twin and he is also off to uni so trying to support both of us will be hard. I'd prefer independance from my parents anyway.

[FreakaZoid101]

They might be paying a little but I have a twin and he is also off to uni so trying to support both of us will be hard. I'd prefer independance from my parents anyway.

Ach. I suppose it's easier if you only have one kid at uni at a time.

I'd prefer independence too but if I went completely independent I would feel like I'd only ask for money when I'm desperate. Whereas if it's something regular it won't seem like a favour.

[Lucinda]

A lot of people I know have contributions from their grandparents. All my grandparents are dead but I suppose the money they left my parents is helping to get me through uni. My sister is living at home and is completely financially dependent on my parents and they had to get her through uni as well. Having twins must be difficult to finance when it comes to uni though.

Weird to think that when we were born going to uni was so much different in money terms. It was seen more as something that is good for society so the Government should fund it rather than just something for the individual which the individual should fund. Damn Labour government. (end of rant).

[Jono]

My parents would probably have a heart attack if they had to help contribute with my uni fees. They just wouldn't be able to afford paying even a small amount of it, which is why I was put off university in previous years. Luckily there are grants for the families that can't afford it, otherwise I'd not be going.

[FreakaZoid101]

My parents would probably have a heart attack if they had to help contribute with my uni fees. They just wouldn't be able to afford paying even a small amount of it, which is why I was put off university in previous years. Luckily there are grants for the families that can't afford it, otherwise I'd not be going.

Fair enough. I'm splitting the accommodation with my parents (at least that's what's been decided lately, it keeps on changing) because the 7 years for my sister in Glasgow (and the weddings of each my brother and my sister) have set them back quite a lot. My dad's moving to the Middle East when I start uni because the jobs pay much more there. Also they've been in contact with me about a scholarship too, which could help a bunch. It's like that at school too. I have friends who complain about not being able to get EMA, and I'm on a partial scholarship and a partial bursary. just nodding and smiling because my dad's the only one on an income, and because he's self employed it's not the steadiest of things. That's why I'm always in and out of jobs.

Cuh. Money matters suck.

[Bumble_85]

The only time I've had money from my parents is when I've run out and then I've paid it back the next time I've had money. Hurrah for getting a job soon.

[KingTutsWWH]

Having read all of this I've realised how fortunate I was when I went to Uni. I simply cannot believe the way this Labour Government treats students. Makes me sick.

When I studied, the Conservative government of the time (early 90s) paid my tuition fees and gave me a full grant for 4 years. I got a student loan and had a much disputed overdraft (don't mention the words The Royal Bank of Scotland to me, ever!). I worked 2 nights a week in the bar at The Glasow School of Art (got to see some excellent DJs and this was my concerts/treats fund) and I also found work throughout the summer break to pay off my overdraft.

This all seemed to work out more or less ok for me. I needed my parents' financial assistence for emergencies, but they had to pay for my flights from Glasgow to Malaga during the holidays, so I tried not to ask them too often. It is good to have your independence, but I can see it must be very hard for you lot nowadays.

But then again, I didn't expect to have a mobile phone, laptop, broadband, a tv in my room, cable or any of that shizz when I was studying. They barely existed in those days anyhow.

PS. Haha. What I just wrote reminds me of this:

[Serin]

How New Labour expects to get more people to university from low income families with the current financial arrangements in place is beyond me but you tend to notice these wretched contradictions becoming increasingly common the longer they remain the incumbent party of government and they seem completely oblivious to it.

[Andy B]

London is not too big. It's easy once you figure it all out. You can walk across central London in half an hour! As for saving money, buy own brand cleaning goods. Never skimp on food. You can spend the same on ingredients and make real food as you can buying crap microwave food. It just takes longer to cook.

Oh and unless you have a great reason for staying at home for uni I believe everyone should get away from home. Bad housemate are part of it. Dodgy halls, shared flats are part of the experince. For all the bad times at uni. The good times far outweigh it. When was the last time you had a house full of people drinking and dancing and all your furniture locked up in one room and ransoms crashing out on the kitchen floor at 5am while you try to get an hours sleep!

It's ace!