h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm a student ambassador for my university - this involves helping out at open days, and going to local colleges to speak to people about becoming students.

There are a few tips I always give people about starting uni, but this is one of the main ones:

You will spend at least 500 quid if not more in the first couple of weeks at uni (and that's not including any payments for accomodation or tuition fees). You will spend money on books, joining the student union, and various societies, but mostly it will be spent on beer. Now there's nothing wrong with that - you're moving to a new place, and those first few weeks really do need to be devoted to "bonding" exercises, and settling into your new home. However it is best to be prepared. Coupled with this you mustn't rely on your student loan being ready for you to collect as soon as you enroll - it probably won't be!

To remedy this work as much as you can over the summer. If you have a birthday between now and when you go, or anyone wants to give you a "going away to uni" gift then ask for book tokens (that way they can go on books, and the rest of your money is free!). My advice is to try to get a job in a chain - most chains will let you transfer to the nearest branch when you go to uni, and transfer home in the holidays, so you've got a permanent part time job, and it saves you a lot of faffing about. (In my experience Pizza Hut and Tesco are both good at this - I don't know who else!)

Alternatively, take a year off before uni and get a job if you're worried about money. Chances are you'll get a pretty dull job (filing clerk in my case) that'll remind you why going to university is such a good idea AND you'll have a whole year's wages to back you up when you start uni.