Whether you’re an incoming fresher or fourth year student, freshers week can be an expensive time. With such a variety of activities to get involved in (Her Campus’ freshers week events should definitely be added to your list of must-dos) prices can quickly rack up. Add those events on to nights out at the union and cocktail evenings at the Old Course Hotel, the odd £10 here and there can quickly become overwhelming. Before you know it your semester budget has gone out the window and your bank account is begging for a day off. Here are a few tips to help you stay on track.
- Stay true to yourself
It can be easy to feel like if you don’t buy the union’s yearly pass (it’s never worth it) or a membership to a million different societies you’re somehow missing out, especially when your friends have signed up to different things than you have. The best tip here is to follow your intuition. Committing to a sports society that comes with a hefty price tag because your roommate wants to go is never a good idea; come cold, stormy November you won’t want to go to practice and you’ll regret your purchase. Buyer’s remorse is real. Before freshers week begins, think about what you want to get out of this semester. If you’re a returning student, maybe you want to try out something new. Keep it minimal – it’s always best to start off small and build up as the year progresses as you’ll be more aware of the time you have to spend on extra-curriculars. Remember that most societies’ memberships re-open in semester two, and you’ll want to be able to afford tickets to the balls and larger events that happen later on in the year, as they often come with a larger price tag!
- Give yourself time to adjust
For a lot of students at St Andrews, moving in comes with added challenges. Whether it’s the stress of roommate politics or course drama, we all have our sources of stress. The use of the pound may also be new or strange to some. The currency difference means that you might not realise that the book you’re buying from Toppings or the matcha you’re grabbing from Spoiled Life, may be overpriced compared to home. Take some time to adjust to the currency and learn some basic conversions i.e what is £10 compared to your local currency? This gives you a nice base conversion to understand what you’re actually spending on that sweet treat.
- Buy Second-hand
Once you have your reading lists, it can be easy to rush into buying all of your required material, but sometimes these can be upwards of £30. Remember that St Andrews is a small town with limited courses and there are other students who have taken the exact same classes as you, bought those exact textbooks and often donated them to local charity shops. You’ve got a goldmine waiting for you – make use of it! A little gem is the Oxfam bookstore located on Bell Street; there are usually piles of first and second year International Relations and Economics textbooks in the windows. In freshers week and beyond there are also second hand sales all over town run by eco-societies selling everything from school supplies to lamps and rugs. There’s no need for everything to be new!
- Get your Young Scot card
You might not even realise but your St Andrews address gives you access to free bus travel all over Scotland if you apply for a Young Scot entitlement card. Whether you want to explore big cities like Edinburgh or Glasgow, or chill out in some of the other beautiful Fife coastal towns such as Pittenweem or Crail, you can without damaging your bank account! The Young Scot card also entitles you to discounted ferry and train travel as well as discounted entry to Scottish landmarks – fancy a trip to Edinburgh Castle for £1? The world, or Scotland at least, is your oyster.
- Most importantly, give yourself some grace
It’s almost inevitable to spend more than you’d anticipated in the first few weeks of the semester. There may be some purchases you end up regretting and yet spending that extra £30 on a night out at the union might also give you memories that will stay with you for years. It’s a risk you take, allow yourself grace. As the semester settles, you’ll become increasingly aware of how much you spend on average and what you think is worth the money – I’d much rather spend £4 on a coffee from somewhere on South Street than battle through the library’s awful £1.50 latte. It all comes with a little bit of time and experience.
Whatever your financial situation, hopefully these tips give you a clearer idea of how to navigate your spending in freshers week and beyond. It’s never just as easy as saying ‘set a budget and stick to it.’ Whatever year you’re going into at St Andrews, you’ll soon learn that things can change very quickly and your budget is forced to adapt to the circumstances. Be mindful, have fun and learn from your mistakes – it’s all a part of uni life!