So you’ve already handed over the best part of nine grand, but you can still see the £££ racking up due to book lists, equipment hire, trips abroad etc… Some costs are unavoidable, like rent and food, but here are some top tips to take advantage of the services that your university fees paid for
1. Books.
Just because textbooks appear on your course module choices, they don’t necessarily need to be purchased. A lot of books can be found in the university library, although obviously they can only hold a certain numbers of copies so grab yours early or photocopy the bits you need. You could also try accessing books using online libraries such as Questia which require a reasonable yearly subscription.
2. Drinks.
It sounds simple, but taking a bottle of water to your lectures with you will stop you getting thirsty and splashing out on a Costa as soon as you get outside. I’ve nothing against Costa, but £2.10 a day quickly adds up. Maybe treat yourself once a week instead!
3. Software.
A lot of our courses entitle you to free computers and/or Microsoft/Apple software. However if this doesn’t apply to you there are legitimate free equivalents, such as ‘LibreOffice’. This program works just like MS Word and can be used on PC, Mac and Linux; it includes equivalents for Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access and a basic design program for flowcharts.
4. Societies.
The university has over 100 societies available to join; they usually ask for a small yearly fee and ad-hoc payments for trips/speakers etc. Regular meetings get you out of the house and will allow you to meet like-minded people. Be sure to check what your initial payment gets you, and what kind of social meetings they offer, before you sign up to anything.
There are other ways to save money….
5. DVD nights.
The underrated student movie night – only can you be sure you’re actually going to enjoy the film, you also get comfier seating (the bed) then you would at the Odeon. You don’t get rows of kids screaming and slurping tango ice blasts before wailing with brain freeze and best of all you get the option of snuggling together under a duvet without having a torch shone in your face (it happens) – all for the price of a cheap dvd or two!
6. Student discount card.
Whilst some retailers will accept your Coventry Uni id for discounts, the vast majority need to see an official NUS discount card. They cost £12 a year and get your discount at over 3600 participating retailers, including restaurants, cinemas and online shopping sites like Asos and Amazon. More importantly they get you choice of free fries, a free McFlurry or a free cheeseburger with any McDonalds meal…
7. Free nights out
When you need to get a break from your workload it’s tempting to hit the local clubs and bars, pay your entrance fee and get merry on over-priced booze.. However, there are cheaper ways of getting out of the house! The vast majority of museums and art galleries are completely free; our very own Herbert Art Gallery has many free exhibitions and a lovely coffee shop. There are free music gigs around the Midlands too, including mini-festivals, outdoor theatre and gigs staged in pubs and cafes. Simply google ‘free music events’. In the summer months take a picnic to the scenic War Memorial Park; if you’re lucky you may hear live music there too and there’s nearly always an ice-cream van..
8. Finally, know your offers:
- Mondays – Thursdays:
Our local Odeon offers reduced tickets on Tuesdays (2D films only) and gives 25% off student tickets Mon – Thurs.
- Two for Tuesday:
Dominos pizza offers BOGOF on pizzas every Tuesday
- Tenpin Tuesdays:
Half price bowling at Coventry Tenpin from £3 pp, selected drinks are half price too
- Orange Wednesdays:
Text ‘Film’ to 241 on an Orange phone to receive your 2 for 1 code, not only can this be used on cinema tickets but Pizza Express accept the same code for 2 for 1 pizza too! The perfect date night!
- Karaoke Wednesdays:
Every Wednesday Rainbows holds karaoke nights, with free entry for all
- Free Entry Fridays:
Rainbows again – free entry for all on Fridays
- Sunday bowling:
3 games for £7 at tenpin (open to non-students too), it’s also worth knowing that tenpin offer a student only price of £5 for 2 games, Mon to Fri until 5pm and Monday and Wednesday evenings until 11.30pm.
So it looks like Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the nights to put aside your coursework and hit the town. Relax with friends at the cinema, get competitive at bowling or sing your heart out at the karaoke! Just remember your friends have video phones now…. ‘Youtube sensation’ doesn’t always look good on the CV!
