{"id":17310,"date":"2019-09-09T10:57:28","date_gmt":"2019-09-09T10:57:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/?p=17310"},"modified":"2019-09-09T11:27:03","modified_gmt":"2019-09-09T11:27:03","slug":"the-ultimate-freshers-survival-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/blog\/the-ultimate-freshers-survival-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Freshers Survival Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Fresher\u2019s Week is only the start of your life as a student, but what a beginning! There\u2019s so much going on you\u2019ll be knocked off your feet.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to plan ahead, so when it all kicks off you\u2019ll be able to get your bearings, and not drain your bank account within a matter of hours.<\/p>\n<p>There are all kinds of expenses, some you\u2019ve thought of, some you haven\u2019t. Either way, Fresher\u2019s Week can become a big headache\u2026 and we don\u2019t just mean hangovers.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re looking forward to Fresher\u2019s Week, or dreading it, or both, this guide will help you make the most of those first few days\u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n1. Maximise your Money<br \/>\n<\/strong>One thing is guaranteed when you become a student\u2026 you\u2019re going to be skint. Keeping on top of your spending is essential to avoid an early disaster.<\/p>\n<p><b><em>Take our advice.<\/em> <\/b>The earlier you save, the more comfortable you\u2019ll be. Plus you can enjoy Fresher\u2019s Week more knowing you\u2019ve got money in the bank.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk\/en\/articles\/beginners-guide-to-managing-your-money\">Budgeting<\/a> is a word you\u2019re going to have to get used to. Mastering the art of finance sounds complicated, but practice makes perfect and it pays off in the long run.<\/p>\n<p>Materials such as books are going to set you back a few quid, so keep your eyes peeled for deals online. This one gives you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.studentmoneysaver.co.uk\/amazon\/\">70% off<\/a> at Amazon.<\/p>\n<p>The cost of train travel is famously high, so invest in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.16-25railcard.co.uk\/\">16-25 Railcard<\/a> so you can get from A to B with a third off those pesky fares. And make sure that you take advantage of this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.studentmoneysaver.co.uk\/16-25-railcard\/\">\u00a310 cashback offer<\/a> on the initial price of the railcard.<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n2. Build your Body<br \/>\n<\/strong>Students aren\u2019t known for their great diets. You\u2019re more likely to find a kebab on the menu than a kumquat. Why not start Fresher\u2019s Week right with an exercise regimen?<\/p>\n<p><em><b>Get out. <\/b><\/em>Avoid expensive gym membership by doing some jogging or sit ups outside. Just inspect the grass carefully at your local park if you\u2019re lying down in it!<\/p>\n<p>If you think maybe you\u2019re not organised enough, or don\u2019t have enough time to exercise, then check out the app <a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/gb\/app\/7-minute-workout\/id650762525?mt=8&amp;ign-mpt=uo%3D4\">7 Minute Workout<\/a>. Apps are lifesavers for workout novices.<\/p>\n<p>We recommend doing a bit of research before taking the plunge though. There\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/live-well\/exercise\/\">plenty of info<\/a> to guide you if you don\u2019t know where to start.<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n3. Enjoy your Eats<br \/>\n<\/strong>Healthy exercise doesn\u2019t work without the right fuel to power you through. A good diet is a must to offset those nights at the pub.<\/p>\n<p><b><em>Swipe yourself a meal.<\/em> <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/fitmencook.com\/app\/\">Fit Men Cook<\/a> and other time-saving, health-focused apps give you the lowdown on creating simple, tasty and nutritious dishes.<\/p>\n<p>A lifesaving tip is to cook in bulk and keep stuff in the fridge for later. You can also reheat leftovers, though <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbcgoodfood.com\/howto\/guide\/how-reheat-leftovers\">care must be taken if doing so<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n4. Make some Mates<br \/>\n<\/strong>Unless you\u2019re super confident, it\u2019s super tough making new friends during Fresher\u2019s Week. We\u2019ve all been there, and know it\u2019s easier said than done!<\/p>\n<p><em><b>It won\u2019t kill you! <\/b><\/em>It\u2019s easy to get caught up in self-consciousness with a big group of people you\u2019ve never seen before. But you know what? They feel the same way.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s nothing wrong with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeshighereducation.com\/student\/advice\/five-ways-make-friends-university\">getting stuck in<\/a> and waving that first hello. We\u2019re not saying it\u2019s a walk in the park, but nothing ventured nothing gained!<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n5. Find your Freebies<br \/>\n<\/strong>Something easily forgotten is the sheer amount of free stuff available, much of which can be tracked down <a href=\"https:\/\/www.studentmoneysaver.co.uk\/discounts\/free-stuff\/\">online<\/a>. Click your way to a cost-free treat asap!<\/p>\n<p><em><b>Remember one thing. <\/b><\/em>You\u2019re a student! Students are always being targeted for discounts, and freebies are never far behind.<\/p>\n<p>Every student gets their hands on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nus.org.uk\/en\/nus-extra\/\">TOTUM<\/a> card, formerly known as an NUS (National Union of Students) card. That little piece of plastic unlocks countless offers.<\/p>\n<p>Fresher\u2019s Week will have free events, where you can mingle and enjoy free food and drink. You\u2019d be mad not to take full advantage\u2026!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fresher\u2019s Week is only the start of your life as a student, but what a beginning! There\u2019s so much going on you\u2019ll be knocked off your feet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17317,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other","category-students-and-graduate-tips"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17310"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17310\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17316,"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17310\/revisions\/17316"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}