Student life can be a lot of fun. Perhaps you’re living away from home for the first time and getting your first taste of adult life. Or maybe you’re enjoying endless parties, themed club nights and film screenings at your students’ union. Maybe you’ve even joined the extreme ironing or tiddlywinks societies.
But living on a budget away from home for the first time can also be a steep learning curve. Whether it’s figuring out how to exercise when you have no money in your bank account, learning to cook healthy meals for yourself, or throwing your first party, there’s a lot to learn. On top of that, you’ve got lectures to attend and exams to ace.
You’ll need some life hacks to get you through. Here are a few of the best.
Build a forest to help you revise
Every student needs a hack to get them through their exams. And you’re in luck; there are plenty of learning aids out there to help. Apps such as Quizlet or GoConqr let you create your own flashcards or notes that you can flick through on your mobile.
“You might not always want to carry around physical flashcards,” says Khadeeja Osman, 20, who is studying at Bath Spa University. “But with Quizlet you can have them on your phone and spend five or 10 minutes looking through them.”
And that’s not all. There are also apps that stop you from procrastinating. For example, Forest app allows you to “plant” a tree when you want to focus. If you successfully ignore your phone, the seedling grows into a tree. Plus, the app has partnered with a real tree-planting organisation, Trees for the Future, which will plant a real-life tree for you when you earn enough credits.
“It’s beneficial if you’re someone who struggles to get off your phone,” says Osman.
Record your lecturer’s rants
There’s nothing worse than losing your lecture notes on the way home. Or looking back through pages of illegible scribbles in search of that one vital comment your lecturer may or may not have made.
But type your notes straight into Google docs and it automatically saves. You’ll also be able to find comments again easily using “control or command F”.
On top of this it’s a good idea to record lectures on your phone, says Lucy Cooksley, 18, studying at Falmouth University. “Sometimes I’ll record what’s going on on my phone and then I’ll voice note the whole thing so I can listen to the lecture again,” she says. “Sometimes a lecturer will go off on a rant or a tangent and it’s good to have that information recorded, because it’s not always included online.”
Do an online supermarket shop at strange times
You’ll want to do your food shop on a budget. MySupermarket.co.uk allows you to compare prices across food stores for expensive items such as meat. It also scans to find the best offers around, so you don’t have to.
If you’re too lazy to walk to the store, you can order groceries online. And being a student means you can do it at strange times to get the cheapest price, says Osman. “I know quite a lot of people who do an online food shop,” she says. “And if you’re a student you can get things delivered at the cheapest time slot. You can also share the cost of a delivery between you and everyone in your flat, she says.
And there’s more. Waitrose may be pricey, but it allows you to rent wine, champagne, beer and sherry glasses in bulk for free if you head into a store to collect them. Perfect if you’re throwing a party and want to save money and the environment by avoiding plastic cups.
Invest in Tupperware
From freshers’ flu, to all-nighters and 3am pizza, students aren’t known for healthy living. “It’s actually tricky to stay healthy during university,” says Stella Matsouka, 20, studying at the University of Essex. “I feel like loads of students have just decided, OK I’m going to get used to this lower quality of life,” she says. But you don’t have to.
Get your seven to eight hours of sleep as often as you can. Apps such as Sleep Cycle, which tracks your sleep, or Relax Melodies, which plays relaxing sounds, may help.
And invest in Tupperware pots. That way, you can cook up a big batch of something healthy on the weekend, such as a casserole, or a lentil soup, and have it throughout the week. You can also pack a lunch, rather than buy something out, which is healthier and cheaper. And you can take healthy snacks to class, such as carrots or bananas, without them getting squashed.
Take the stairs
You don’t have to join an expensive gym to stay active. Walk to your lectures instead of catching the bus – a brisk walk outside is good for your mental and physical health, and it’ll save you money. Plus, you can use a pedometer app such as Stepz or Walker to see how many steps you’re actually taking every day. Also, any time you see an escalator or a lift, avoid it and walk up the stairs instead, to squeeze in a bit more exercise.
Student societies, doing anything from hiking to rock climbing, allow you to exercise on a budget and, if your university doesn’t have a free gym, you may get a student discount at your local gym. “Try and stay as healthy as possible while you’re at university,” says Matsouka. “During the first week everyone has freshers’ flu. So you want to do as much as possible to beat that.”
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