Moving Into Halls With A Disability or Medical Condition

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Moving into halls at university can make anyone apprehensive at the best of times, with everyone uniting in that weird blend of fear, excitement and – in many cases – sex hormones to produce the strange cocktail that will often fuel much of the first semester. For a disabled student, or a student with a medical condition, it can be an even more difficult experience, simply because there is yet another thing to worry about.

Perhaps the most important thing for most students in this scenario is to make sure that their flat-mates know what’s going on with the illness or disability. Of course, this depends entirely on the exact circumstances, but for many students this may be the first time they’ve lived independently, and often it can be very useful to have a helping hand, or at least to make sure people know what you suffer from so they know what they should do if something happens.

We realise this is painfully, hopelessly vague, so we’ll give an example: your standard fresher student happens to suffer from epilepsy, fails to tell any of their flat-mates, goes out, and ends up having a fit in the middle of a nightclub just hours after meeting all of the people they’re meant to be living with. It doesn’t go too badly – an ambulance is called, the student is shuffled off, and everyone else goes home and wonders what the hell just happened. It could have been worse. But it also could have been a lot better if our student had just told one of their flat-mates earlier on – they would have been able to tell the ambulance crew, and they wouldn’t have been quite so worried later on in the night.

The point is, you should try to make sure that someone has your back in this kind of situation at all times. Just letting one person in your flat know what, exactly, is going on will be setting up a bit of a safety net just in case. Just in case is important – ‘prepare for the worst, expect the best’ and all that drivel. It’s cliché, but it’s better than nothing.

Mobility issues can be a problem with some disabilities, and one great resource to help with this is the website DisabledGo, which will very quickly and reliably tell you exactly what places have easy access for disabled people, and where will be a little (or a lot) more challenging. Of course, universities do tend to be well-equipped and will be able to make sure that students with mobility issues are able to get around campus and their halls easily, so do contact your university directly if you have any concerns before you arrive.

So, in conclusion, if you’re moving in with a host of new people it’s always a good idea to let at least one person know if you have a disability of condition that needs to be managed, and (of course) check before you move somewhere if they have the right kind of access. By building up a support network around you in your new surroundings, you give yourself the best chance of prospering in your new surroundings and not letting a disability hold you back.

Council Tax For Students: A Quick Guide

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Fortunately for most of you readers, you don’t have to worry about council tax for another few years yet. Students, put simply, don’t have to pay council tax – the government doesn’t bother, seeing as they’d be lending you the money to pay it anyway. Bare in mind, though, that for this be applicable to you, you have to be studying for at least one year and for at least 21 hours a week. Not that anybody’s checking how much you’re working, of course, but it might be a good idea to keep to those guidelines as a student anyway.

Of course, sadly, stuff can get a lot more complicated if you’re living in a shared house with some people who aren’t students. What should happen then, if you’re wondering, is that the non-students should pay all of the council tax, whilst the students just pay the rent. Don’t let the landlord tell you otherwise.

Bare in mind, of course, that a council tax bill is per house, not per person. This means that if there’s only one non-student living in a student house, they are liable to pay the entirety of the council tax for the entire house. It doesn’t seem fair, but in the grand scheme of things students aren’t meant to be able to afford things like council tax – they should be too busy studying to find time to make money. That’s the law, and it’s why you don’t often see students sharing a house with non-students; it’s simply not the best set up as far as council tax is concerned.

The same applies even if you’re the only student living in a house of non-students. In this case it might be a little harder to work everything out. Normally the landlord will take a little extra in rent from everyone living there and use this to offset the council tax on the house. If you’ve just moved into this set up, then if you don’t want to pay the tax (fair enough), you’ll have to tell all of your new house-mates or your new landlord that they’re legally obligated to pay your portion of the tax (inadvisable). It’s probably best to not get into that situation in the first place.

If you do receive a council tax bill, then you can simply apply for an exemption here. Similarly, if there’s only one person in the house who’s meant to be paying the tax, they can apply for a discount here. Under normal conditions, this means they should be paying half of what the tax on the house would cost normally. So yeah, there’s a few exceptions. Remember that landlords can be a little crooked about this kind of thing, and make sure that they know you know you shouldn’t be taxed if you’re a student working more than 21 hours a week.

And if that 21 hours per week thing seems high to you, then you have two choices: a) study more, or b) pay council tax. Your move.

No Matter What People Tell You, University Rankings Matter

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Duh. Of course university rankings matter. Or there’d be no way to tell what the best (and worst) universities were. Rankings are there for a reason – to help you decide what university to go for and to help everyone else decide if your degree is worth more than the paper it’s printed on (don’t worry: most of the time the answer is yes). So, yes, they do matter – and it’s all very well to criticise rankings for being too vague and all-encompassing to give any valuable data, but that’s like criticising the world chess champion’s technique because he doesn’t use a certain opening – whatever happens, he’s still the champion, and variety isn’t going to change that.

Thing is, when you’re weighing up what university you want to go to, the rankings will be one of the things you look at first. Which is, frankly, the right move. They’re a good, easy, and simple way to find out what universities are good and what are bad. And before anyone talks about them not being reliable or encompassing enough, remember that a degree from a university will have more value if the university has a higher rank, even if the university itself isn’t any good. Whether or not the rankings are accurate (and for the most part, they are) is more or less irrelevant – what matters more is the effect the rankings have on your degree. It’s the employer’s perception of the rankings that matter for your degree – whether or not they’re accurate doesn’t really matter.

Besides, as a rule university rankings are more or less accurate. Admittedly, yes, they can miss out on the finer parts of a university’s charm and appeal – not everyone needs to be as concerned about minor aspects of the grading system, like pastoral support ratings and that kind of stuff, but in their entirety university ratings make life much, much easier to just choose a university and get stuff done.

Yes, there are other sources of information outside university rankings; such as certain awards and accolades, the general reputation of universities amongst employers, and the amount and quality of research that a certain university does. But these – though, of course, very important – are all secondary to the master-list of general university rankings. Hey, we don’t make the rules, but the ranking system is what everyone looks at first and therefore it matters more than anything else, even if a certain university has received a special award in a more specific field.

Now, don’t get us wrong, we’re not saying that awards and all of the other ways of grading a university aren’t incredibly valuable and that you shouldn’t have a look at all of that kind of stuff as well; we’re just saying that you should look at the university rankings first. They’re the most important because everyone else will be looking at them, and no matter what people tell you, they matter a great deal. Next time someone says they don’t give them a 2/10 and pin a medal on – they’ll get the message.

Five Great Food Tips For Students

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Food is an important factor in maintaining both a healthy body and an alert brain. As a student, living away from home, with no mother to purchase ingredients and prepare your meals, you may realise how lucky you were before. But do not fear; help is here, just follow our handy hints and tips to surviving your weekly food shop, while ensuring you eat well for less.

#1 – A flat that shops together, eats together

When living in a flat with a number of other students it is always an idea to carry out a food shop together and prepare meals together. Shopping for one can work out expensive and can lead to some waste of food, especially if you can’t eat an entire loaf by its best before date. By creating a shopping list together, planning your weekly meals in advance and sharing the cost you may find that you have more money for other luxuries. While planning your weekly meals together it may be an idea to create a cooking rota so that people know when it’s their turn to cook, this can easily accommodate for those who have evening lectures on specific days.

#2 – Shop for bargains

If you want fresh meat for meals then you should lurk round the supermarket during late afternoons and evenings. Shops reduce the price of fresh produce nearing it’s sell by date so this gives you the perfect opportunity to buy steak or lamb for a fraction of the price (who knew students could actually eat so well?). Just remember that if you aren’t going to use the meat that night to pop it in the freezer, this gives you 3 months past that date to consume the product.

#3 – Own brands

This may sound obvious but all supermarkets and freezer centres sell their own branded products. At home you may be used to the more expensive brands but at university it may be an idea to buy own brand. Buying the cheaper own brand product doesn’t mean you have to suffer bad quality food, it often tastes just as good and it will taste even better when you realise how much money you’ve saved.

#4 – Fresh or frozen

Yet again this may sound obvious but a lot of people forget that most fresh products have a frozen equivalent, which is sometimes cheaper, meaning more savings for you! Buying frozen fruit and vegetables not only saves you money but means you don’t need to worry about eating it before it goes off, saving on waste.

#5 – Fakeaways

Takeaways can become a staple part of any student’s diet, and this is at a cost. A pizza takeaway for 4 can cost anywhere between £20 and £30. Now what if you could have the same amount of food for half the price? Most supermarkets now house ‘create your own pizza’ stations, with offers when you purchase multiple pizzas. Buying your sides from the supermarket can see you paying only £1 for wedges or garlic bread, at that price; why not treat yourselves to both? Admittedly fakeaways mean you do have to cook the food yourself, but turning the oven on and popping the food in is hardly a daunting task and the food will be ready to eat much quicker than waiting for delivery.

5 Financial Responsibilities You’ll Have as a Student

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So, you are looking forward to getting away from home, experiencing your long awaited freedom and embarking on your new university adventure, right? But, chances are, you haven’t really thought about how you are going to budget, or what you need to pay out for whilst living at Uni.

One of the biggest challenges you’ll face at university is managing your money, so we have come up with a list of the top 5 things you need to remember are now your responsibility to pay out for.

Rent

It’s probably the most important thing whilst you are at university; having a roof over your head, and keeping it there. Whether it is in halls of residence or student housing, you will have to pay rent either monthly or quarterly, and it’s not a good idea to skip any of the payments. Not only will you probably end up paying a late fee on top of the original payment, but they also have the legal power  to evict you from the property if you don’t pay up. Scary, huh? Just pay your rent on time!

TV License

This is one of those things in life that people either genuinely forget, or try and do without because they see it as an unnecessary expense. For £145 per year, you can watch as much TV legally as you want, and if you’re sharing accommodation, simply split it between you! And if that wasn’t enough, you are also eligible for a student discount version of the TV License which lasts for 9 months (as you are expected to be at home during the summer months). But, if you want to really cut costs even further you could just stick to providers like Netflix and avoid using the TV.

For more information on TV and internet packages visit our guide to broadband.

Food, Glorious Food

You need to eat, and not just toast! Or takeaways for that matter. You need to set a budget for your food, and if you don’t know what you should be buying, ask your parents. After all, they have bought the food you have been eating for the entirety of your existence. If you want to avoid impulse buying junk food you should shop online. Not only can you browse the products and buy them online, but you don’t even have to pick up the shopping, you can select a time for delivery that suits your university schedule.

For some great hints about how to survive your weekly food shop, visit our five great food tips for students article.

Utility Bills

Although these might not be relevant to those going into halls of residence, you could still face them if you opt for a student house with your mates. The main things you’ll have to pay for are gas, electric, water and the internet. You need to make sure you are up to date with these bills to avoid being cut off. Yes, really, they can cut your electric off. Consider setting up a direct debit for bills, so they should come out automatically every month. If you are sharing a house why not set up a joint account purely for the bills to avoid any arguments over who owes who money.

For more information on Utility Bills visit our guide to utilities for students.

All of the other stuff

There are lots of other things you will have to pay out for, but this depends on your choice of lifestyle. Generic added costs include things like bus fares, books, and dare we say it…nights out. If you are wanting to properly budget, try to buy your bus fares in bulk at a discounted rate, buy your books second hand, and limit yourself to the amount of times you go out in one semester (we know this won’t happen, but it was worth a try).

It’s all about the budget

As you can see, money matters when leaving home to go to university, but they can all be overcome with a bit of pre-planning and setting yourself a budget. It’s not glamorous, but life isn’t particularly, and you’ll be glad you did a bit of list making instead of winging it, when you’re at the end of the month and you don’t have enough money for a pint of milk.

Budget, and you won’t go without. It’s really that simple.

The Best Part-Time Jobs For Students

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Uni is expensive. We all know it – it’s not exactly a secret. And with the recent raise in tuition fees to £9000 a year, students everywhere are tightening their belts and bootlaces, and thinking twice before that takeaway pizza or that big night out. An alternative to tightening your belt too much is, of course, a part time job; but students should be careful before they decide they want one – part time jobs are good experience, look good on a CV and will earn you a bit more cash, but they can also be a bit of a time sink. It’s important to realise that you’re at university to, presumably, get decent grades. Therefore, a part-time job should not interfere with studying or lectures. Here’s a few jobs that are well worth considering if you’re looking for a job, with that in mind.

Bar Staff

“Bar staff” is the quintessential student job – it’s relatively high paying, tends to be quite good fun, and has completely separate hours to university time, which, obviously, is a big plus. And, of course, working in a bar is cool. Everyone knows it, just like everybody knows uni is expensive. Which, sadly, means that everyone is applying for it. If you want to try your hand on the other side of the bar, try to get in earlier than everyone else – apply for a job before Fresher’s or as soon as you can at the start of a year.

Also try to get some bar experience before you even start applying for jobs at university – problem is, every bar prefers somebody with experience over somebody without any. Obviously. One way round this is to work a few free shifts behind the bar before you even think about applying for paid work – the experience is valuable enough as it is.

Working behind a bar has yet another couple of advantages – it gives a student the chance of experiencing nightlife without the hangover, for one, which is practically every students dream; and it’s a great, great skill to have that can be used all over the world later. Thinking about that gap year halfway through the course, or possibly of going travelling when you get your degree? Experience behind the bar will be invaluable for these situations. And if you’re degree goes south (God forbid), at least you’ll have a chance of working the coolest job on the planet.

Admin Assistant

Yes, it’s not as interesting as bar work, but it has its advantages. The main one is that it’s immensely useful to a future career. Even if you apply to something that has nothing to do with what you want to turn into a job, the experience in admin isn’t going to loom bad – it shows you’re organised, follow instructions well, are versatile, and other stuff you can put into your CV without feeling too guilty.

It’s better, of course, to get an admin job in a field that is relatable to your career. Some university departments (not many, mind you, but some) will employ students from their own ranks to help with the admin, and that really is ideal – particularly because it isn’t just close to uni – it’s in the uni. Try your luck and see what happens.

If you’re not that lucky, though, try to take an admin job in a company outside university that’s related to your course. Careful, though – the commute will eat away at your time painfully if you’re not cautious, and it’s a law of the world that you’ll have to stay behind a little longer and miss your bus the day you have to be at a particular lecture. If you can, try to commute online and work from home in some capacity – in the modern world it happens more often than you’d think, even – oddly – in a job like an admin assistant. There’s a possibility the only files you’ll be looking at are the ones on your computer screen.

Freelance ‘Whatever’

Whilst you are looking for that initial experience, it can often be a challenge to find a company that will let you loose with their paying clients. Well, if you can’t find a business willing to take that chance, why not take the chance yourself and market yourself as a freelancing ‘whatever’ student. Of course, don’t actually use the word ‘whatever’. Not a great job title.

There are various websites available to people hoping to do some freelance work, and all you really need is a computer with an internet connection and some form of skill – even if it’s a skill in video mixing, transcribing conversations or translating documents. There’s a lot out there that’s available to a student, and of course the main advantage is that you can work straight from your computer and in your own time.

Generally freelancing websites work on a reputation basis, so don’t expect any high-paying, reliable jobs straight away. Once you build up a decent reputation, you can start looking at more reliable and better-paying work. Be careful out there, though: there’s a fair few people who will be ready and willing to rip you off or just not pay you entirely – check your clients out properly and be careful who you work for. It can be a bit of a drag to get started, but it pays off in the end.

Shelf Stacker

It’s not the most glamorous or the most fun, but it pays a decent amount and the hours never run out. Besides, if you’re not lazy and put your back into it it’s reliable work and will be flexible enough to be worked around your time at university. And it’s a great alternative to going to the gym if it’s the “proper” type of shelf stacking – in a warehouse or an industrial site somewhere.

Another nifty little advantage of shelf stacking that most people don’t consider is the plusses to a future career – yes, it’s probably not direct experience; after all, most people go to university to actively avoid the horrors of manual labour. But nevertheless, it does have an advantage in that many companies that people work for (in any capacity) will be far more happy to help a graduate get a higher position in the company, or even may take some students on in a different position in a year of industry.

It seems strange for, say, Tesco to employ someone for a year in industry, but many high-street stores may well have branches that would accept someone for a year’s experience or even a research project. Tesco may well recruit graphic designers to design advertisements. Or Boots could have contacts in pharmaceutical science, which of course would be incredible experience for a Chemist or a Biologist. It depends on the subject you’re hoping to study, but have a good long think and do some research before you apply for a job and you may well get lucky in a couple of years when you’re looking for a placement.

Shelf stacking isn’t the most glamorous job, or really the most fun; but it’s well worth considering for a fair few reasons that most people don’t think of. Don’t shy away from it too much.

A Few Words Of Advice

Don’t get your hopes up too much for any single job – everybody wants to work behind a bar for the reasons discussed above, and not many people actually get the job. Just make sure you cover all your bases and don’t miss out on every job available because you were chasing after just one.

Also, the best option to take a lot of the time is to not get a part-time job at all. University is hard – your degree should be your first, second and third priority and you can make money later when you’re supposed to be doing so, instead of now when you’re meant to be studying. A part-time job should be taken on only if you’re absolutely certain that your degree won’t suffer in the least, or if you really do need the money. Not need so you can go out a few times in the week – actually need.

Having shared our words of caution; a part-time job can be really useful and is well worth considering as long as you’re certain you can handle it. Be careful, have fun with it, and it really could pay off later in life.

Also make sure to remember that it isn’t all about the money! You’re studying at university – chances are you’ll get plenty of opportunities to earn a lot more money than you would at any of the jobs mentioned above. The important thing, really, is the extra experience that will hopefully be in a field that will be useful to know a little bit about in the future, for whatever reason. Good luck, have fun, and remember that whatever happens, your degree should come first!