How I improved my budgeting skills at university

A huge part of university life is budgeting your own money. I remember getting my first lump sum of my student loan and thinking “Jackpot!” And then I realised that I had to make it last for the next 3 – 4 months and then thinking “… well never mind…

I’ve decided to write about my student budgeting experiences over my last three years in Southampton in the hopes that it might help Life at Southampton readers, prospective undergraduate students and those continuing their courses. I have my proud moments, such as getting a part-time job to help with costs of living and saving some cash. I also have things I wish I did differently, like ordering fewer takeaways! But nonetheless, budgeting is a learning experience.

I am happy to say that I am leaving university much better at managing my money than before.

First Year 

Rent and Bills 

Rent was my biggest expenditure of the whole year. It was taken out in instalments that cover each university term through a recurring card payment. Of course, it wasn’t great seeing my bank balance effectively dwindle when payments were due but there were perks to this. I always knew exactly when the money would be coming out of my account. This was my first test of responsibility. If you take note of payment dates and make the most of the chance of foresight you are given, you will do just well budgeting for rent in first year.

On the other hand, bills such as water, gas, electricity and internet were all included when living in halls. As a student, I didn’t have to pay for Council Tax. This applies to most full-time students – just remember to allow the University to share your details with Southampton Council so they know not to charge you for tax. Don’t worry if you forget to tick the box that says 'share my information' on your student records page. You are able to amend this, however it is always better to let the council know about your status as soon as possible to prevent any charges from incurring.

My other expenses also included my monthly phone bill and my cherished music and movies subscription. I had a wall calendar which marked when payments were outgoing for these just so I could keep track of when money was leaving my account. I opted for the cheapest phone plan with my service provider. The University of Southampton provides free wi-fi on campus and in halls. This meant I really didn’t need a large quota of minutes as I was able to use WhatsApp to call and text friends.

Moving into my room at Connaught Halls 

 

Food 

Living in Connaught Halls in Wessex Lane had many perks. Connaught is part catered,Two meals per day were included in my rent so it was super easy to budget for this expenditure. Meals included breakfast and we had the option of lunch or dinner. There was a good array of meals to choose from in catered halls – we were able to have the option of cereals, fruits, pastries or a fry up! A good money saving tip if you’re about to enter catered halls is to take what you can’t finish back to your kitchen so you have some extra fruit or pastries lying around if you wanted a snack. Another good thing about catered halls is that I was able to have my second meal as lunch on campus or dinner at the Connaught Dining Hall. This was especially useful if I knew I wasn’t going to be back in time for dinner service.

Connaught Christmas dinner with hall mates. I later moved in with this lot! 

Transport

Living in halls meant a free Academic Year bus pass with Unilink. The bus routes go around the city and everyone can use the service – students, staff and locals! I absolutely love the Unilink service – buses typically come every 10 minutes or less and are well connected to other routes provided by other transport companies. What’s more, the Unilink office is located on Highfield campus, so if ever there is an issue with your bus pass or if you want to top it up, you may visit their office above the Union Shop and you’re good to go! The transport system back home in Surrey does not even compare to the one here in Southampton. The frequency and the reliability of services here really do make travelling around the city incredibly easy.

In addition, my undergraduate bank account came with a complimentary 16-25 Railcard, so I saved 1/3 off train tickets whenever I travelled back home.

Course materials

When I looked at the reading list for my course I was initially shocked. Was I to buy every single book from this list?!

Nope. Absolutely 100% not.

In my course, BSc Politics and International Relations, the reading list is there as a guide to which books or authors are relevant to your module topics. We were not expected to buy and read every single book on there. Core readings are important, but most of them are made accessible by course convenors online via WebCat or Delphis for free! As a tip, I would say don’t buy the all of the books on the reading list before the start of uni. Wait until the first week is over and then decide which you need to buy and which you can borrow from the library.

I did purchase some books because I found it helpful to write annotations on pages. However, I saved a LOT of money by buying second hand or previous editions online as opposed to buying new at the shop. I was always able to borrow the newest editions from the library or from my course mates if I needed access to the added content. Most of the money I spent on course materials went to stationary. ‘Cuz you know, you gotta have those colourful highlighters…

Just some of my course textbooks. Many of these were borrowed from the library.

Clothes and toiletries

I don’t really spend much on clothes and toiletries but I do treat myself to a shop once every three months. Even then I only typically buy one garment. I spend more money on makeup than I do on toiletries but, again, this is only on rare occasions when I am running out. One of the best things about being a student, though? Student discounts of course! Take advantage of student discount shops online or get some of your money back by going through cashback websites.

If you’re someone who likes to shop, be wary of giant shopping trips when student loans come through. If you do go out shopping, go out with a budget in mind and pay with cash so you can actually see the money leave your hands, thereby preventing you from overspending.

Fun, entertainment and miscellaneous

Now this what I spent a lot on in first year. Like many other students, going out was an integral part of my life as a Fresher. I allotted a £150 for going out during Freshers' Week which was more than enough. Throughout the year, a lot of my money went on taxis home. To some, this may have been a waste of money but investing on getting home safely was something I was prepared to put cash towards. Southampton has a ‘student night’ for every night of the week which gives drinks deals and cheaper entry so I saved money by making the most of this.

As a money saving tip, I found it a good idea to take cash on nights out and leave my card at home. This prevented overspending and lost property! Although I didn’t always do this, I definitely found myself spending a lot less without my debit card! If you do find yourself with no cash for the ride home, Union Southampton has a Student Taxi Scheme with Radio Taxis which allow you to pay your fare later at the Box Office. Just hand the Taxi driver your Student ID card.

Second and Third Year

I’m going to be comparing Second and Third year together as my living circumstances were essentially similar. I’d like to think I got better with money after my stint as a Fresher and that I had mastered it in the last year of Uni. Looking back on it now, I have some incredibly proud moments and some that I could have done differently.

Rent and Bills

Naturally, second and third year lent me more responsibilities. This time, rent was taken out monthly and I did have to pay bills separately, as I had moved out of halls. I had a recurring payment to my landlord so the money was taken out automatically at the start of the month. On the other hand, bills included water, gas and electricity. I paid £30 per month to a house account with the rest of my housemates and our bills were paid through it. I opted for the money to be automatically taken out too. This gave my housemate, whose name holds the account, some relief knowing that my share would always be there when payment is due.

I kept my phone bill and my music and films subscriptions.

My Third Year house

 

Food

My part-time job which I had since first year was what I used to pay for my weekly food shopping. Part-time work whilst studying was a necessity for me. You might be concerned about the effect this will have on your studies and this is something that you need to monitor carefully, however I found that part-time work helped me get through my degree. I worked from 6 to sometimes 10 hours per week at the average rate for a 21-year-old.

Your student loan is not affected by any part-time employment, and working for just 10 hours a week at £5.50 will provide nearly a third of the income from a full student loan. There are plenty of part-time work options in the city and even on campus.

Transport

Moving out of halls meant I had to say goodbye to a complimentary bus pass. I was able to save up some money whilst working more hours during the summers before second and third years so I bought Academic Year passes. I travel around the city often – sometimes twice a day – so I thought it was worth investing in.

Course materials

Once again, it wasn’t necessary for me to splurge on books. I saved some money by buying second hand again. Still, by the end of third year I had a LOT of books. I made some of my money back by selling my books on Facebook. I also sold some to John Smith’s bookstore on campus as they buy back the latest editions of core books.

Fun, entertainment and miscellaneous

During second year, I found myself opting for entertainment offered by the University. Prices at Union Films (our on-campus cinema), for example, are at least a third cheaper than regular tickets. Union Southampton also offers other means of fun such as lunch deals at The Bridge and drinks deals at The Stags. I still enjoyed the occasional night out but I found myself going out less and opting to spend my money on food and a pint!

I also had some money to buy a gym membership. Finally buying a gym membership turned out to be the best decisionSport and Wellbeing membership allows you access to all of the University’s many sports complexes as well as fitness classes, outdoor courts, swimming pools and many more all for £155 per year for students. Super cheap – plus, who doesn’t benefit from a gym break during revision? It’s great for your brain as well as your body.



So there we go: my university budgeting experience. The last three years have been challenging with money but with some advice from friends, family and a little bit of research and a ton of sensible judgements, living as a student is really not all toast and bake beans. I realised that with less self-indulgence, I was able to live comfortably.

If you have any tips on student budgeting, why not leave them below? If you need someone to talk to about budgeting here at Southampton there is plenty of ways to get some financial advice. You can always speak to a financial advisor from Student Services or from the Union's Advice Centre.

Happy budgeting!

Rylyn

Some final thoughts

So, this is my last blog post, which I'm writing sat on the UniLink bus on my way to the train station. Today is the ONS conference 'Transforming the census: 2021 and beyond', held at the Winchester business school.

I've been looking forward to this conference for ages because it's being organised by the department that I will be joining in October, so I'm hoping that it will give me an insight into the work that they do and ideas for what I might be doing for them!

Four years ago I would never have had the confidence to sign up for a conference on my own, and I still wouldn't be going if not for the University of Southampton. My four years here has seen my personality grow in leaps and bounds.

Whilst I'm still not convinced that I know 'how to adult', I'm really excited for the future. Having spent the past 20 years in education, I'm a little afraid because it's really the only thing I've ever known, but then I remember everything else I've done that I never could have seen myself doing before I came to uni, and I know I'm more prepared than I believe.

However I am very glad that I'm not leaving Southampton - and not even the University really, since the ONS is only up the road in Titchfield and works closely with the University and my department, so I hope to still see many of the lecturers and undergraduate students that I know.

Since this is my last chance to do this publicly, I would like to thank all of the wonderful staff at the University who have helped me, taught me how to think and how to question and made my time here absolutely wonderful. Without their hard work, I would not be in the position that I am today and I am extremely grateful to them for that.

Finally thank you to the team at Life at Southampton for adding something extra to enjoy in my final year!

And because I can't resist, some photos from my last few days in Rome....

The Duomo and Basilica in Florence looking beautiful in the setting sun

The Colosseum, ever impressive

Ruins, but what ruins! 

Emma

So long (and thanks for all the fun)

So here it is, my final ever post for this here blog, as my own Life at Southampton comes to a sad, but hopeful end.

As of this week, I’ll no longer be a Hampshire resident, and as of 14th July, I’ll be a fully-fledged graduate of the University of Southampton. Scary, yet encouraging stuff.

I started my time here in September 2013, and over the past three years I’ve encountered a lot, and all supposedly for a shiny piece of paper and the ability to put a few extra letters at the end of my name.
Well, that’s what a lot of people see a degree as anyway, but weirdly enough, not me. Not anymore.

Going to University just feels like the next logical step for a lot of people, especially those who find themselves powered by education and academia from a young age. It’s only when you get here that you realise that it’s so much more than simply just another qualification.

There’s a fairly standard psychological understanding amongst a great deal of the general public (which may be in actuality, very wrong, so apologies in advance if it is) that as a human being, you learn and experience more new things in the first five years of your life than you do over the entirety of the rest of it. In the grand scheme of adult life, university is essentially this early learning period.

Freshers week era Ben, pre-beard and so full of energy. A lot has changed!

When first moving in to Montefiore halls in Freshers week 2013, I barely knew how to cook, clean or even simply just manage my own time. Within weeks I was quite the opposite. Within months I was even, dare I say it, more comfortable in my new life than my old one. Now I can very happily state that within years, it’s been the biggest positive change in my life to date.

It wasn’t just about waking up every morning and doing the bare minimum either. Once you have basic survival down (usually in a matter of hours/days), life at university becomes just as much about embracing every opportunity given to you. It’s a hotbed of activity, and your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to ride every wave possible.

In the last three years I’ve had articles published online and in print magazines for several different publications. I’ve launched original TV and radio shows alongside friends. I’ve made films, interviewed Hollywood superstars, created my very own annual student film festival and even managed to spend a week standing in the background whilst some insanely talented and important people shot scenes for the latest Mission: Impossible.

That’s not forgetting the crazy-amount of lifelong friendships I’ve formed whilst studying here, or the First Class Honours degree I’ll be walking away with either.

My heartfelt farewell to Avenue Campus was soewhat obscured by scaffolding, but I guess the sentiment remains

My life at Southampton has been irreplaceable, and I honestly couldn’t imagine a better way to spend three years. Obviously though, as I feel that I must point out in almost every single one of these blog posts; this won’t be the same for everybody.

Over the past year I’ve enjoyed sharing my university experiences with each and every one of you. Blogging has kept me sane during deadlines and helped to put a whole bunch of big-picture things into perspective, but I am fully aware that I am just one person, leading one particular path.

To quote a very famous wizard from a very famous trilogy, ‘All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you”. If you’re an explorer, explore. If you’re not, you really don’t have to. University is one of the first times you can really just embrace your personality: just be you, whoever that might be.

A degree is not just a piece of paper, it’s an induction into adult life, and it’s entirely what you make of it.

Now, before I start rambling on even more, I should probably just save us all a bit of hassle and be on my merry way. Southampton, it’s been an absolute pleasure. I guess it’s finally time to turn and face the strange.

So long, and thanks for all the fun.

Ben

Summer plans and exam results

I’m now back home in the country where the sun never sets. Norway is amazing and I love the long summer nights, but when it gets dark around midnight and light around 3am, it can get a bit confusing throughout the day.

Apart from that, I hope that my blog post about why it is so very important to vote and about the EU referendum made at least someone go out and do their civic duty yesterday. As I’m writing this blog post the results aren’t ready, but I’m extremely eager to find out.

Some other results that have recently been released are the results for semester two, which came out yesterday. I hope all continuing students here at is pleased with their results and do remember that if you’re not, it’s not the end of the world. You can read my fellow blogger Rylyn’s tips on how to cope with exam results anxiety.

Please, do always remember the great opportunities you have through the University to get help if you’re not happy with your results.

Personally, I’m quite happy with my results and I’m therefore very ready to enjoy my holiday!

 Hello, glorious Oslo Fjord.

There is not too much planned apart from a short trip to Denmark and my annual trip to Romania before I go back to England. At some point before any of my trips, I need to properly unpack all my suitcases from England. One would’ve thought that after living abroad for two years I’d know the best ways to pack and unpack quickly, but I don’t. I do, however, promise than when I learn the quickest way of unpacking I will share it on the blog, because currently it’s hard to see the floor in my room!

Apart from the desperate tidy my room needs, I’m excited to follow the Euros, read some good books, hopefully read something course related and catch up with friends in between all my trips. It has become the new normal for me to only properly see my friends from Oslo twice a year. It is mostly during summer we are all back home in Oslo for more than a week or a couple of days. As sad as it might be, it has at least made me appreciate not only my friends from home, but also my parents a lot more than before. People I saw on a daily basis have now become people I don’t see for months and months, so when I first see them I treasure every second of it.

If you are going to start university in September, you will soon understand what I mean and if you are at university already, I’m sure you can already relate!

In these glorious months of holiday that are in front of us, I will continue blogging on Life at Southampton and I would appreciate any suggestions on what you would like to read about – so comment with your suggestions below!

Alexandra

Staying healthy on campus: the University Health Service

I was recently taking a stroll around campus after picking up my dissertation script and came across the University Health Services building (Building 48). I personally have never been in the surgery before as I have always been registered elsewhere but I have wondered about what it offered students. It turns out that having this little building within minutes away from the general student body is incredibly useful!

The practice is part of the NHS but its location means it has also become an integral part of the student environment. You don’t need to be a student, although you do need to be living within its catchment area before you are able to register yourself. It certainly is convenient for students, staff and locals alike.

Based on the Highfield Campus, you will be able to find it just in between the Murray building (Building 58) and the Physics building (Building 46).

The surgery on campus

Services and support available

The Travel Clinic

As summer is approaching many of us may be travelling to distant and tropical areas of the world. If you need travel advice and vaccination, the practice is able to give you some help. It is worth noting, however, that some vaccines are not provided by the NHS so be wary of the extra costs that may come up. Simply go to their website, fill in a travel clinic form and drop it off at reception. Alternatively, you may be able to pick up a form on reception itself.

Anxiety, Depression, Stress or Worries

Although the practice does not have specific services for counselling or therapy, they are able to give you some advice on who you may be able to chat to within the University and around Southampton city. In addition, as well as being able to chat to the nurses in the surgery itself, students can speak to trained staff from the University’s counselling service. Just contact Enabling Services to arrange an appointment or you can drop in during the week. They also have plenty of information about mental health and wellbeing.

Sexual Health Service and Advice

The practice encourages safe sex so they are able to offer advice if you need it. They may provide you with some methods of contraception for free.

Minor Surgery

Have you ever been worried about that mole that’s mysteriously changed shape recently? The practice’s doctors can have a look and, if need be, are able to surgically remove or treat by cryotherapy a variety of skin lesions, such as warts, verrucae, moles, skin tags, abscesses, ingrown toenails, and cysts. Just take a leaflet from reception first and read up on the operation so you have more understanding of what will be involved.

Special consideration reports and sick notes

The University Health Service may be able to provide you a sick note, letter or a medical report if you meet their specific criteria.



It is fantastic to know that these services are on campus and is just minutes away when you need them. What’s more, rather than simply going to accident and emergency options like the health service on campus may relieve busy hospitals. Not only may they be able to provide the service themselves but they can refer you to someone who may be in a better position to help you out.

It is not just the University Health Service that provides physical and mental well-being support for students and staff. The Student Services Centre (Building 37) also provide a wide range of help and support too.

A-Level results come out in August, so if you are going to be a student starting in September at the University of Southampton, make sure that registering yourself at your local GP is one of the first things that you do.

Stay healthy!

Rylyn

Celebrating abroad: results in Budapest

With results flooding straight into our email inboxes this week, my friends and I thought it best that we were in the most comfortable place possible when we received them, so we flew off to sunny Budapest for a few days!

It might not be top of most people’s lists of places to visit, but the Hungarian capital is a total holiday haven for students for a whole number of reasons.

Artistically speaking, the buildings are positively gorgeous; a beautiful mixture of old-school Gothic architecture with waves of more modern influences. The classical thermal bath-houses are a definite must-see - a lot of them even have regular swimming pools now too.

For the Historians among us, the city has a super interesting background too; from the still firmly intact Buda Castle to the constant call-backs to the country’s former-Soviet past. Statues of all sorts of interesting figures from Hungarian war heroes to Ronald Reagan are dotted all around the city.

 Even our apartment building was just a joy to look at

I even have a personal connection to the place too, which felt stronger as I was wandering around the streets. My mum just so happens to have been born in Budapest, and she fled the city and the country as a young child during the Hungarian Uprising of 1956, so it was fascinating to be able to see how far the city has come in all that time.

Not to mention that the wobbly currency makes everything insanely cheap. A fancy meal out set me back less than £10, including wine, whilst an evening out in one of the many awesomely-decorated ruin bars (exactly what you’d expect them to be) proved even less expensive than a night at our own dearest Jesters.

 Riding bikes around a city as gorgeous as Budapest is definitely a sure-fire way to stave off the nerves from results!

The cherry on the cake was, of course, being able to share such a beautiful city with my friends, and all of us receiving our final year results together whilst enjoying the sun was a definite highlight. Ultimately, everyone emerged super happy and pleased with what they achieved too, which was a total relief.

Returning to Southampton was somewhat bittersweet, very much missing the joys of such a glorious foreign land, but pleased to be back somewhere familiar, if only briefly.

My time here is very gradually coming to an end, with now barely even a week left to gather everything together before moving on.

I guess that makes it time to finally cross off the last few things from the Southampton bucket list then!

Ben

My mini Italian adventure

I'm writing this post sat outside a little restaurant on the banks of one of Venice's many canals. Two days ago our mini adventure began when we flew from Gatwick to Milan, where we stayed for one night before catching the train to Venice in the morning.

We decided to do a little bit of a whistle-stop tour of major Italian cities, rather than stay in one place for the week because neither I nor my partner have experienced much of Italy before, and we couldn't decide on just one place to go.

Tomorrow we will set off for Florence where we will stay for two nights and then finish our trip with three days in Rome.

Milan's very fancy train station

I am absolutely in love with the Italian railway system. The trains are beautifully comfortable and half the price of English trains, so they really are a cost effective way of travelling around the country. In hindsight, however, I would have opted for a student interrail pass, rather than buying the tickets at the station. When we originally looked at the prices, it seemed to work out about the same, but of course, we completely neglected the fact that the prices go up massively when you are buying tickets on the day. That said, it was still only €40 for the three-hour journey from Milan to Venice, and I think I would struggle to get the train from Southampton to Birmingham for that price!

Rialto bridge as seen from the bus!

The bus in Venice puts Unilink to shame! While it's quite a bit more costly than a Unilink return (€20 for the day), seeing Venice from the canals rather than walking around gives you an entirely different perspective, plus the ticket cost includes boats to Morano, which is around the same distance from the bus stop as the Isle of Wight from Southampton (and that trip alone would set you back £20)

Academia dome

The main method for keeping costs down this trip has been taking the time to choose the accommodation, to try and get the best price possible. In Venice, rather than staying on the island which would have cost upwards of £150 for two nights (?!) we are staying in a hostel on the mainland, which cost £49 for two people for two nights!

Of course, when you step down in price you lose some of the luxuries of hotels, such as insulation and soundproofing. We are staying in essentially a static caravan, however, it does have a private bathroom, a market on site and a pool, so on balance we made the right choice, but I wouldn't recommend it to light sleepers!

Travelling on a budget has been tricky. While we want to keep costs down, we don't want to let worrying about money spoil the trip and stop us doing things. We forwent a gondola ride (€80 for 35 minutes), or a water taxi (average €30 for a short city trip) in favour of getting the bus, but instead had dinner in a lovely restaurant and I treated myself to a Morano glass pen. James asked when I would ever use such a thing but I silenced him by pointing out that I thought it was beautiful, and that that was justification enough to buy it!

I can't wait to experience the artistic history of Florence and the majesty of Rome. I'm hoping that they live up to my imagination of them based on books and films.

For those of you travelling this summer, I hope you have a wonderful time and experience something worth writing home about!

Emma

My top five places to watch Euro 2016 in Southampton

Football has always been something I love to watch, but it wasn’t until I moved to England that I actually watched a full match. Since then, I have downloaded a couple of football score apps, so I can keep track of how the Saints are doing when I can’t watch the game.

Regardless of whether you’re into football or not, it’s hard to not have noticed that the Euros have started in France. As Norway didn’t even qualify this year, I have to be true to my second and third home country and cheer for England and Romania.

Most people might be back home for the summer by now, but if you are in Southampton and you need some good places to watch the Euros, I’m going to share my top five favourite spots!

I’ve tried to not mention the obvious student hot-spots, like The Stag's or other pubs/bars on or around campus. Instead, hopefully, I’ll be suggesting a few places you haven’t heard of before.

The Alexandra 

I promise I haven’t picked this just because the name is cool, but the Alexandra or ‘The Alex’ is actually on the list of the 25 best places to watch the Euros in the whole of England!

It’s located on Bellevue Road, which is just off London Road. If you’re looking for proper English football spirit, then this is the place to go. Their outside area is filled up with seats and screens, but it still gets quite crowded, so an idea is to come in good time before the game starts. Considering they have proper old video games and a huge collection of board games to choose from too, spending a few hours here won’t be hard.

 

The Social 

Located in Bedford Place, The Social is one of my favourite bars in Southampton. During the England game last Saturday it got quite crowded downstairs, but not to worry; they have an upstairs bit as well where they also show the football.

The Social is probably a bit pricier than what students normally are used to, but its free entry and a nice atmosphere there, so well worth a visit regardless if you are watching the Euros or not.

The view from my first class seat during the England game at the Social last Saturday. 

Ninety degrees 

Ninety Degrees, or just ‘90’s’, is just around the corner from the Social and with £1.90 for a pint on Sundays, this is where my boyfriend usually goes to watch the football during Premier League season. Since he is a local I trust his word that it’s a good place to watch sport, although I personally have never been there to watch the football. They also do food in there, so you can wine and dine to the football.

Yates's

I’m sure Yates's is the definition of proper English football spirit and that’s why I include it on my list. Have you ever walked past Yates's before a Saints game? If you have, I’m sure I don’t need to explain further why it is on this list. Yates's do food as well as cheap drinks and is located on Above Bar Street.

The Bedford Arms 

Last, but not least – The Bedford Arms is quite similar to Yates, just located in Bedford Place. You can get a cheap meal deal or some not-so-pricey drinks along with the football. Again, if you are looking for the English football spirit in a pub, this is a good choice!

My boyfriend James and I. I’m wearing his England shirt from when he was 11!

I hope you're now inspired to go and find your new favourite place to watch the Euros this year! Enjoy watching the games, and good luck England and Romania!

Alexandra

Moving out: what to do with your unwanted clothes and belongings

Wow – June is here already and I could not be happier to have some time to chill out and enjoy the sunshine. With the sunshine comes clothes shopping! Since my wardrobe was full of warm grey and brown winter gear I decided to splurge a little bit on some colourful tops and summer dresses.

However, once I brought them home I realised I had a serious problem – my wardrobe was literally bursting. Now, one solution that occurred to me was to buy more furniture; however that isn’t really an option given the tiny size of my flat so I had to think of a better storage solution!

The answer came from my partner who suggested we buy some vacuum pack bags to seal the clothes in and then store them under the bed. It turns out that this is a genius idea and I am genuinely so impressed by these bags. They cost around £12 from Amazon Prime (which you can get a free six-month subscription to if you’re a student) and were delivered the next day. I went from having a big pile of clothes on the floor of my bedroom to two bags neatly stored away under the bed!

I then realised that for a lot of students, particularly those graduating this year, this is around the time that people start to move out of their houses. For those of you moving out I have one thing I would ask you to do: when throwing things away, consider if they would be better received by a charity shop instead!

When I moved out of my student house the street was lined with bins filled with unwanted stuff from student houses, and to see this is a real shame when there are so many people who could benefit from items such as clothes and bedding in particular.

If you live in the student areas in Portswood you are in luck because Portswood High Street is literally lined with charity shops, and you can pick any to donate your items to. Plus, if you go in you can ask for bags to put stuff in, which saves you using bin bags and many charities will collect these bags when full from your home for free, which saves you having to carry it into the town yourself.

The British Heart Foundation will also collect any unwanted furniture, which saves you the job of dismantling it and trying to carry it out of the house yourself.

Other charities that I really support are S.C.R.A.T.C.H, The Basics Bank, Jamie’s Computers, The Society of St. James and Two Saints which all support homeless people living in Southampton.
You can find information such as what donations they are most in need of, and how to donate to them on their websites.

Happy packing!

Emma

Coping with Results Day anxiety

I’d hate to sound terribly hyperbolic right now but there have been times these past few days that my anxiety for Results Day has reached unnatural levels. Is it really possible to feel euphoria and apathy at the same time?

Anxiousness, eagerness, stress and perhaps a bit of panic are normal emotions to feel in the lead up to D-day. All across the country thousands of students like you and I – A Level students, undergraduates and postgraduates – are experiencing the same sentiments.

What’s done is done. There is something relieving about this reality. We cannot change the past so the worst thing we could do right now is to mull over the could-haves, would-haves and should-haves. What is crucial to remember here is that there are ways to move the situation in a positive way if things don’t go to plan.

Making a proactive plan

Telling yourself to not worry about results is far easier said than done. What I have found to work for me is to plan the next steps should things go my way or not. As someone who is about to graduate, my strategy is this: with my undergraduate degree under my belt I shall take a gap year in employment. During this time, I can save up and build my CV credentials.

At the same time, I will be using some of the money I have saved up for a holiday somewhere exotic. If I had a penny for each time I’ve had someone say to me “Travel after you finish university – you may never have the chance again,” I would be able to pay for my air fares! Although I don’t believe this will be my only chance to travel, I do agree that seeing the world at this young and formative age would be beneficial for my personal and professional growth. As such, I look forward to going somewhere…different.

Afterwards, I will apply for a Masters degree. My plan can work whether or not I get my goal of a 2:1 grade. With added work experience on my CV, not only will there be a better chance for me to get into a Masters course should Results Day not go my way.

After my Masters I feel like I will have more experience and thus will be more than ready to apply for a graduate scheme.

This plan is specific for my personal journey and it is by no means a universal template for everyone. For example, if you’re an A Level student hoping to get the grades for your conditional offer, be proactive and inform yourself about the next steps. If you don’t get the grades, get to know the Clearing process and have some numbers handy to call on Results Day.

If you do get your grades, well, that’s fantastic! Start your reading, sort out money matters and make a list of what to pack! My fellow blogger Alexandra has written a practical packing list of what to bring to uni which you may find handy.

What matters is that having a proactive strategy that can adapt to all types of situations is the best way to calm anxiety. For now, I’m focusing on sending job applications while I work part time in retail.

Ending my uni career with glam at the Graduation Ball 2016! This event sure did help ease Results Day nerves. 

To find out more about this memorable evening held at the beautiful O2 Guildhall in the centre of Southampton City, you can read fellow blogger Ben’s post. Photo courtesy of Union Southampton (formerly SUSU).

The night before

You might find it a good idea to stay off social media the night before Results Day. Focus on eating right, on your hobbies and most importantly, getting some much-needed sleep! Don’t make your anxiety worse by feeding everyone else’s anxiety into yours. If you find it hard to sleep, those elusive forty winks can come your way by waking up early the morning before and doing exercise throughout the day. Besides, exercise is a good way to de-stress.

The waiting game is challenging. Uncertainty leads to the need for closure and it’s completely human to ruminate over outcomes. However, the worst thing you can do is to have the mind-set that you cannot control what happens next when you get bad news.

As someone who has just completed an undergraduate degree and is about to get a full statement of my performance over the last three years, it is tough. I must have bitten off more nail beds than I could ever imagine. But I have found that it helps to cope by having a realistic plan whatever happens on D-Day.

Good luck with your results everyone!

Rylyn

Grad Ball 2016

With graduation circling ever closer (I’ve even ordered my robes - scary stuff!), arguably the biggest date on the third-year calendar finally reared its fancily-dressed head – Graduation Ball.

This year the Union were kind enough to move the festivities away from the ever-so-slightly overused Oceana nightclub to the prestigious ranks of the O2 Guildhall; Southampton’s very own prestige gigging venue, which has played host to the likes of musical legends such as Bob Dylan in the past.

More than anything, though, it was an excuse for all us departing Southamptonians to get bolted into our finest suits and dresses and paint the town red all together one final time.

 The house crew and myself dressed all swanky and ready for the night ahead!

To be fair, for the pretty steeply-priced cost of entry, there certainly was a great deal of stuff to get involved in. The entire Guildhall square was converted into a gigantic free-to-use fairground, complete with dodgems and a number of other classic rides (even one of those spinny ones that… spins). Of course, as usual, the majestic building itself was kitted out in flowing colours ready for our arrival.

Top of the bill of performers this year were the likes of DJ Fresh, Clean Bandit and Sub Focus, and even though the acts weren’t quite my thing, the night was driven on by far more than just the usual clubby vibes.
 

 One of the many DJs from the night

Grad Ball is not just some other, slightly more expensive club night. It’s the only real time that everybody, no matter their academic discipline or social group, comes together to celebrate the fact that we all made it through a degree together.

Aside from a sincerely welcome free donut (thank you, Chris!), the best part of the whole thing was simply just running into so many familiar faces. In fact, it was practically impossible to turn around without seeing at least one person that I knew from some stage of my time here in Southampton - a weirdly comforting treat.

 The Guildhall all lit up in purple and looking ultra pretty

To round off the night, the insanely chirpy, instrument-lead Massaoke took to the stage to help us sing our hearts out one final time with a spot of mass karaoke (see what they did there?), powering through the delights of Mr Brightside, Total Eclipse of the Heart and Bohemian Rhapsody. Feeling the crowd of collective graduates uniting over the power of music is I guess, what this whole thing was about. And you know what? It really was rather magical.

No matter your school or course, Class of 2013-16, it has been an absolute pleasure to learn, grow and party alongside you. Now let’s just all put our heads together and pray for some positive results!

Ben

Common People festival 2016

I’m not really sure where all the time has gone, but we have reached June. June marks the end of my second year at university and the start of the summer holidays. Next year I will be graduating and that thought itself is daunting. However, the taste of  'freedom' has taken a bit of getting used to, and I keep thinking I have an assignment due, when I don’t!

For me, the best way to get rid of it was to attend the Common People festival last weekend. Honestly, what better way to kick it off than with a trip to Norway and then a festival with no other than Craig David as the main headline – I’m not complaining!

Common People is a big music festival right on Southampton Common, so an ideal location for us students!

The main issue I have with festivals or similar events in England is that, most of the time, I have never heard of the main headline acts. House music is cool for a night out, but not what I would listen to during the day. There aren’t many artists I would go to a festival for. However, I’d go to a festival for Craig David. And so I did, last weekend when it was the Common People festival!

It was a weekend festival, but due to my student budget, I only went on the Saturday. Rumour has it that it was even more fun on the Sunday, but since I wasn’t there for that day, I will tell you about the Saturday.

Even though Craig David was the last act on, I got to see some other good bands like Public Enemy and Primal Scream, and it turns out I have heard their music by before without really realising it was them! It was a pleasant surprise to hear and see them live.

The festival itself started around 11 am, but we didn’t get there until around 5pm. Apparently, as I heard from other friends and later on read, there were massive queues to get in earlier in the day – luckily I didn’t have to queue for more than 10 minutes by the time I arrived. The queues for food and drink were very long, though, which was a bit of a disappointment, but probably typical for any festival.

The festival area itself was Southampton Common, which I’m sure most people here know quite well. They managed to fit a massive bouncy castle, a number of stages and over ten thousand people into the space without it feeling too cramped; I think it’s fair to conclude that it is a decent space for a festival!

Singing along to ‘Seven Days’ and ‘Fill Me In’ by Craig David live, was almost a bit surreal. When Craig David first had his breakthrough I was probably six or seven years old, but his songs have somehow always followed me and loads of my friends throughout our lives. I didn’t actually know he was a Southampton native until after I moved here, but as you might imagine, it was extra fun to see him live here in Southampton.

He described it as the most important show of his life and opened up the whole set by saying ‘It has never felt so good driving down the Avenue’. I personally couldn’t have had a better experience. He played all the good old hits, but also his new music and covers, which resulted in a good mix of everything, and a lot of fun!

I am already looking forward to going Common People next year and seeing which artist will be playing!

Alexandra

Post-exam celebrations: throwing a successful student house party

House parties are a part of student life. Here we are, almost at the end of the year, and celebrations are nigh. Some of us here at the University of Southampton have already finished for the summer…and for good! Some are thinking of party ideas. If you haven’t finished exams or coursework yet, then I hope this blog post may help with planning. If you’re someone who is about to attend university, these tips may help with throwing your first ever student house party.

Here’s my advice for holding a successful house party, with everything from music and entertainment to safety and what to do at the end of the evening.
 

Set the party mood from the very beginning

This is crucial. Music sets the mood and radiates a welcoming feel to those who may be stepping into your house for the first time. It is wise to have a playlist ready rather than fiddling with your online music player as people start coming in.

The other very important thing is to keep it at a reasonable volume – a noise complaint is not the way to go and you need to be mindful of neighbours and the local community.

If you have a friend who is keen to play their own music you may let them, but try and gauge the faces and the reaction or everyone. If it’s not looking good, switch!

Celebrating with friends

 

Introduce people

Chances are some your guests will be strangers to each other. Being a good host means making introductions so that you don't find yourself babysitting your friends for the entire duration of your party. Start conversations between the guests you know share common interests, then slowly pull away from the conversation and let them fend for themselves.

Drinks 

Not everyone may be able to bring their own drinks so it’s a sign that you’re a good host by providing some drinks on a student budget. House parties don’t always have to revolve around alcohol either - you can make a non-alcoholic punch! Besides, it’s much cheaper!

My homemade punch!

Entertainment

You’ve got the music. What else can you keep your mates entertained with? For cosier gatherings I find a game like monopoly or twister is always a crowd pleaser. I have also been known to get the karaoke machine out! If you see a lull at any point in the night, bring out your bag of tricks and throw a deck of cards on the table to keep your friends entertained. There is only so much nodding and smiling that people can do.

Neighbours

Giving your neighbours a fair warning that you will have music playing and some people over is always considerate. Even better, you could invite them to the party if they are students too! They can’t be that angry when they are dancing to Uptown Funk in your living room whilst sampling your homemade punch!

It’s always important to make sure you are considerate about your neighbours and the local area when you have people round.

Security and safety

You may have friends who want to bring plus ones who you may not know very well. Their plus ones may bring their own plus ones too. As such, it is a good idea to keep your belongings in your own room. Afterwards, lock your room so nobody can get into it! No matter how much you may love everyone coming to your party, keeping any expensive stuff away is always a safe bet.

If you plan on keeping some speakers or a music player downstairs, I have been recommended by friends to register these items on www.immobilise.com in case it does get lost. This site is a UK national property register that the authorities rely on to trace lost or stolen items.

It’s also important to remember that you need to be careful about publicising the event – make sure that you aren’t at risk of having complete strangers turning up uninvited.

Food

No one is going to be expecting cake and a full spread of sandwiches. I find that a few cheap snacks like crisps and some chocolate is always appreciated, but all in all save your money on food for something more useful! Perhaps ask people to come with a contribution.

At the end of the night

You’ll know when it’s time to call it a day when the sun is coming up or everyone is falling asleep. If you want to ask people to leave politely but firmly, you can always call a taxi in for them. Remember to lock all doors and windows when you go to bed, and ensure that people get home safely!

Smile!

So there you go. After three years of being a student here are some tips for throwing a fun, safe and successful house party. If you have any tips, why not let us know in the comments below?

Have fun celebrating, you deserve it!

Rylyn