We’ve reached the time when the universities open for business again and a new batch of freshers – straight from home – begin degree journeys. This is always exciting, but new students will quickly find that the money doesn’t stretch that far, which can mean cutting the food budget to pay for nights out.
Given how many freshers will be used to their families worrying about all this for them, a few handy tips for surviving the first year are always welcome and the first one is to have a look at some of the student-friendly apps at Google Play.
Get to know your Uni
If you are feeling a bit daunted by the prospect of a new life away from home, finding out as much as you can about your chosen university before you arrive is a great way to allay those nerves. These days they all have official apps – like this one from Manchester University – which will provide you with a map of your campus, contact details for the key members of staff, access to library resources and course content, as well as uni news, to make sure you know what’s going on from the start.
Plan the weekly shop
At some point you will have to buy food, even if it is only to help you recover from the previous night’s drinking, but money is very tight for most students. Budgeting is something you will learn through necessity, but there are apps that can help you find the best deals on groceries – like Compare UK Supermarkets – so you don’t end up spending than necessary more of your precious loan on the basics.
Have fun within your budget
Just because money is tight, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have fun. If you are into sports, then you can place bets and accumulators through bookmaker apps. Alternatively, if you prefer a game of cards, online casinos have sites like GamingClub.com where you can try win yourself a little extra money on the likes of blackjack and poker.
Keep track of your time
With studies combined with the much more hectic social life that awaits you at university, your schedule is set to become a lot busier than it has been up to now. This means it will be a good idea to plan to-do lists for each day, and happily there are apps to help you with this – like Any.do – which makes sorting out your work and social life simple.
The key thing to remember is that your first year at university should be fun, and these tips and apps will help ensure that it lives up to that promise.
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