Check out our tips for ensuring you get value for money in your studies...

 

Make the most of your tuition fees Bit of an obvious one, but make sure you are going to your lectures. University is expensive. It may even be interesting for you to work out how much each lecture is costing you to incentivise you to attend.  

 

Textbooks Keep the cost of textbooks down by buying second-hand. Check student Facebook groups, book sales on campus or check out Amazon Marketplace – for both selling and buying. You could also try cheap online swap shops like http://www.studentmonkey.com/ or http://www.unibookswap.co.uk/. Alternatively check if the books are available at the library. 
 

Stationery Don’t buy unnecessary school supplies and think about when you’re buying stationery. Why buy cumbersome notebooks when you can type on your laptop? The best times of year to buy are shortly after the ‘Back to School’ promotions so maybe consider buying stationery around October rather than September.  

 

Technology and software savings Being a student can have its perks. Some companies such as Apple and Microsoft offer discounts for students on technology and software. You can also check out software4students to browse other deals.  

 

Efficient Printing Printing in greyscale and double-sided, making margins smaller and only printing specific pages which you need can help cut the costs. If you own a printer look at selling old cartridges and buying refills for old ones to save money. 

 

Dissertation Printing Printing on campus can be expensive - some external companies might be cheaper, particularly for bigger prints and dissertations. Printroom in Lancaster prints and binds work, and there is also 25% off all prints if you have a Purple card!   

 

Travel Grants If you are in receipt of a Lancaster Bursary you can apply for a travel grant of up to £150 to cover the cost of travelling to/from interviews for jobs or internships. See more information here.  

 

Internship Rights Make sure that you are fully aware of your employment and pay rights before beginning an internship. The Government provides full information on this. 

 

Know the costs of internships Unpaid internships can cost a lot of money, some articles say that it can cost up to £1,000 a month and so make sure that you are fully aware of the costs before signing up to one – costs can include things like accommodation, travel, food/drink, bills, smart clothes, stationery and more.