Moving to London to study is one of the most challenging things you can do. It’s also one of the most rewarding, but to get to those rewards you need to overcome the stress of living by yourself in an expensive, notoriously unwelcoming and expensive city.
Socialise
If you grew up in London, you already have a baked in a group of friends but if you moved to the city for this new phase of your life, it’s important to establish a support group of peers who are facing the same challenges as you.
There’s no guarantee that you’ll form an immediate bond with the people you’re studying and living with, though this is a great place to start. If you need to cast further afield for close friends, look to the clubs and societies your university supports.
Whether you want to join a London students sports team, volunteer with a charity or tread the boards, you’ll find a huge group of people sharing the same passion: a ready-made pool of friends who can support you as you support them through your shared journey through university.
Save Money
One of your biggest expenses will be housing: you need somewhere to live and house prices in London are the most expensive anywhere in the UK. Though your university will be able to help guide you towards more affordable and reliable accommodation, finding ways to cut down on the amount you spend on rent will make a real difference to your bank balance!
Look for cheap storage London has a great deal to offer, for example, byStored, who also include free pick up of stored items for a bit of extra convenience. I’m not suggesting that London students move into a storage unit. But if you store your possessions in one during the long summer holidays, you could opt for a shorter tenancy and save some money on a house you wouldn’t be using anyway!
Get Around Cheaply
Each individual tube journey may not cost much, they add up quickly, particularly if you’re bouncing around different campuses and libraries to study throughout the day.
While one solution is to get a bicycle and cut down on costs with pedal power, a bike isn’t always fast enough to get you where you need to be when you need to be there. It’s also not a very tempting mode of transport at 6:ooAM on a wet November.
Getting a student Oyster card requires only a passport photo, a bit of admin and a small payment, and will get you up to a third off your journeys for the rest of your academic career!
collaborative post
Leave a comment