You can get by without it, but I would recommend either saving a fat wedge (at least 1k) before starting uni or having a part time job. Personally, I saved about £1500 in the summer before uni and concentrated on enjoying my first year, worked second year.
Uni - Living at home?
- Thread starter Scythe
- Start date
You can get by without it, but I would recommend either saving a fat wedge (at least 1k) before starting uni or having a part time job. Personally, I saved about £1500 in the summer before uni and concentrated on enjoying my first year, worked second year.
Soldato
- Joined
- 20 Mar 2007
- Posts
- 3,095
- Location
- Norwich
My loan and grant leaves me with £10 a week to live on after accommodation is paid for. I support myself with a part-time work, from which I get about £360 a month, I certainly don't spend all of that though!
Associate
- Joined
- 2 Dec 2004
- Posts
- 314
- Location
- Parallel Dimension
Definately get in halls, even if it saves you money you have the liberty to get away from your parents and do whatever the hell you want. The freedom you get at uni will help you a lot when you eventually have to move away... you get to deal with bills and it's just generally an individual life experience, unless you want to be round your parent's house when you're thirty.
I met so many friends at uni... and the majority of them I still keep in contact with and go on nights out with. Uni was prolly the best experience of my life because of it.
I met so many friends at uni... and the majority of them I still keep in contact with and go on nights out with. Uni was prolly the best experience of my life because of it.
Perhaps.I'm just too mature though, I couldn't put up with the idiocy every night.
The best students know when to be silly and know when to be serious, ending up with a healthy balance.
In all honesty, finding that somebody has slipped a slice of bread into my cup of tea doesn't get old
You stay at home and you're bound by your parents rules, stay on campus you're only limited by your alcohol consumption and your imagination.
I lived happily off my student loan. Only money I got was £20 a week from a few hours work and working the summer
MW
I lived happily off my student loan. Only money I got was £20 a week from a few hours work and working the summer
MW
Associate
- Joined
- 9 Jun 2005
- Posts
- 2,207
- Location
- A Beer Garden in the Toon
I stayed at home during Uni.
Biggest mistake I ever made.
While all your mates are a short walk from each other, you'll be a drive or bus-ride away. Every time there is an impromptu drinking session or other event, which in Uni is quite often, you'll miss out.
Biggest mistake I ever made.
While all your mates are a short walk from each other, you'll be a drive or bus-ride away. Every time there is an impromptu drinking session or other event, which in Uni is quite often, you'll miss out.
Hey dude i was having this debate for ages in my head and then have decided to go for it. Im quite a shy guy and was worried about it all living there etc
But now i know someone else going and cant wait to get there
id say when i am there i will love it.
Id say embrace it if you can, you only live once and could be a good decision for you.
(ps. i live in a small town with nothing to do)
so cant wait to get out and about =D
But now i know someone else going and cant wait to get there
id say when i am there i will love it.
Id say embrace it if you can, you only live once and could be a good decision for you.
(ps. i live in a small town with nothing to do)
so cant wait to get out and about =D
Definitely not. If you don't spend stupid amounts of money on alcohol and fast food you're fine.
I find I have £300-£400 leftover from each installment (3 in total) of my student loan which I can spend on whatever I want!
it's brilliant! If you're sensible with your money you should have zero problems whatsoever.Also, all the talk / sterotype about students scraping together meals and having no money isn't true either. It's only the people who spend all their money on alcohol, are 'stupid' every night and generally 'wasters' who find themselves in that situation!
I think I'll take this approach. How do you cope, have plenty of money for nights out during week etc?
I'm not applying until september for entry in Sept 2010., when do your accommodation options have to be confirmed? I imagine it will be after you accept your place?
According to the student finance calculator, I'll have around £1100 before grants to spend on food, much booze etc. Along with around £1000 savings, I will have £2100 to spend. Does that sound feasible?
Thanks for all the advice people
much appreciated!![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
I lived at home for Uni.
The first year I spent all my time in my bedroom playing Counter Strike, arguing on the internet and wondering why girls didnt like me whilst my Uni mates, mostly female, kept asking me to go on nights out.
Miraculously, by the time I realised I was a **** they'd not given up yet so I sorted myself out and the second year was absolutely amazing. Living at home made very little difference, I was out 3-4 times a week and it took me about the time to drive to the Union as it took them to walk there anyway. The added bonus was that I had enough money to run a reasonably nice car at the time and enjoy my other hobbies as well, whereas they were all skint. Was great, had an amazing time.
Third year was placement year. Got a reasonably local placement. Another good year - living at home meant again I had plenty of cash and was able to waste it on executive saloon cars. Spent loads of time at my girlfriends anyway.
Final year - like the second year only I spent more time round my GF's in private halls so I got a bit of the 'living away' experience and frankly I didnt think I was missing much, loads of morons making stupid amounts of noise at 4am for no discernable reason, slamming doors, etc etc. Whether the experience is any good for you rests on who you live with. Shared house with mates? Epic. One of my mates lived like this and the amount of random stuff was hilarious. However if you get stuck with random idiots it can be hell.
So yea. Worked well for me. Meant I got to do Uni, have money, have a good time and have a social life without being crippled with loads of debt.
The first year I spent all my time in my bedroom playing Counter Strike, arguing on the internet and wondering why girls didnt like me whilst my Uni mates, mostly female, kept asking me to go on nights out.
Miraculously, by the time I realised I was a **** they'd not given up yet so I sorted myself out and the second year was absolutely amazing. Living at home made very little difference, I was out 3-4 times a week and it took me about the time to drive to the Union as it took them to walk there anyway. The added bonus was that I had enough money to run a reasonably nice car at the time and enjoy my other hobbies as well, whereas they were all skint. Was great, had an amazing time.
Third year was placement year. Got a reasonably local placement. Another good year - living at home meant again I had plenty of cash and was able to waste it on executive saloon cars. Spent loads of time at my girlfriends anyway.
Final year - like the second year only I spent more time round my GF's in private halls so I got a bit of the 'living away' experience and frankly I didnt think I was missing much, loads of morons making stupid amounts of noise at 4am for no discernable reason, slamming doors, etc etc. Whether the experience is any good for you rests on who you live with. Shared house with mates? Epic. One of my mates lived like this and the amount of random stuff was hilarious. However if you get stuck with random idiots it can be hell.
So yea. Worked well for me. Meant I got to do Uni, have money, have a good time and have a social life without being crippled with loads of debt.
[TW]Fox;14313878 said:
Thanks
Yeah the advantage of living close is that it's no problem to get to the campus if anything is happening, and I live closer to one of the main towns (Hanley) and the main campus in Stoke (=clunge
) than the other campus, as I live between the two campuses.^ Nice to see at least some people had a good time at home (though I wont be spending my money on cars and it'll be unlikely I drive) , I'll hopefully save up some money in first year then move out with friends in second year. I've got a five year degree anyway so lots of time to move out .
, I'll hopefully save up some money in first year then move out with friends in second year. I've got a five year degree anyway so lots of time to move out .I lived 5 mins drive from uni in the second half of first year and still managed to miss out on a lot. I found that it was easy to be involved in planned nights out but less so if my friends just wanted to go to mess around in the evening. Even going to the union after class was a pain as I'd either have to leave my car overnight or go home and get a bus back.
Prior to that I stayed 25 mins away and I found it very difficult to spend time with friends after classes without a lot of hassle.
Prior to that I stayed 25 mins away and I found it very difficult to spend time with friends after classes without a lot of hassle.
Yep, pretty similar situation for me, except I'm going Stafford.
Really undecided on what to do, I think I'm gonna see how my financing opens up my options.
As aformentioned, its not necessarily the night life that you miss out on, but potentially silly escapades and events. One house I knew made something they called the doom throne, which basically had 2 broken lazy quest packs attached to it. It occationally beeped or went off by itself in the corner...
One thing is for sure is that you can still have a good time if you do stay at home. I just think that you might miss out on the less obvious.
First year -> MOVE OUT! Biggest mistake of my Uni life was staying at home. Although I knew a few people at home that went to the same Uni I completely missed out on loads of experiences that my current friends have from my course because they lived in halls.
I would recommend living away.
I lived at home for the first year , though when I say year this is not quite true, I was hating after a couple of months missing out on all those random nights out that suddenly seem like the best idea in the world at 1am after 10 cans and a couple of games of Smack the Donkey (Strange game we made up at uni with my best mate at uni Donkey, he was a big rugby lad who was sure if his invincibility. The challenge was to knock him over, sounds pathetic but it made a years worth of amusement especially when I finally rugby tackled him on one of the last nights in halls, sending him flying backward onto his bed and our combined weight shattering all the boards in the bed, breaking off one of the beds legs and making a noise like an earthquake going off in a china shop whilst a brass band was marching through )
So after a couple of months I ended up pretty much living on my mate aboves floor and another 2 lads who used to take it in turns to put me up. By the end I had blagged my own free card to get me into the halls, dinner pass and me and the lads stole a sunlounger from someones garden to use as my bed
Next two years I lived away with all the mates I made in first year and honestly they are the best memories I have when I look back. Truly great times that I am so glad that I never missed out on.
In regards to jobs I had a part time job in a bookies which I worked in every Saturday and alternate Sunday, gave me my beer and food money and I wasted my loan on dvds, games and general junk.
Unfortunately these days I have to sensible and employed, but at least you have the memories
Go for it and enjoy!
I lived at home for the first year , though when I say year this is not quite true, I was hating after a couple of months missing out on all those random nights out that suddenly seem like the best idea in the world at 1am after 10 cans and a couple of games of Smack the Donkey (Strange game we made up at uni with my best mate at uni Donkey, he was a big rugby lad who was sure if his invincibility. The challenge was to knock him over, sounds pathetic but it made a years worth of amusement especially when I finally rugby tackled him on one of the last nights in halls, sending him flying backward onto his bed and our combined weight shattering all the boards in the bed, breaking off one of the beds legs and making a noise like an earthquake going off in a china shop whilst a brass band was marching through
) So after a couple of months I ended up pretty much living on my mate aboves floor and another 2 lads who used to take it in turns to put me up. By the end I had blagged my own free card to get me into the halls, dinner pass and me and the lads stole a sunlounger from someones garden to use as my bed
Next two years I lived away with all the mates I made in first year and honestly they are the best memories I have when I look back. Truly great times that I am so glad that I never missed out on.
In regards to jobs I had a part time job in a bookies which I worked in every Saturday and alternate Sunday, gave me my beer and food money and I wasted my loan on dvds, games and general junk.
Unfortunately these days I have to sensible and employed, but at least you have the memories
Go for it and enjoy!
Oh trust me, I didn't miss out on any of the crazy ****. In fact, even though I opted to stay at home I think I spent most of the 1st year sleeping things off on different settees.