Will I have enough money if I choose expensive halls?

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  1. stripey_polka_dot's Avatar
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    Will I have enough money if I choose expensive halls?
    Basically if I move into Swanbourgh hall I'm gunna have around £130 left a week to spend? I don't know if this is a lot or not a lot bearing in mind that money needs to cover food, books, clothes, cooking stuff and all other expenses etc?

    Any help please, what halls would you all recommend? I've had to try and change this because I am getting negative ratings, I have no clue how much I will need to take to university as I'm the first person in my family to go to university and all my money will be mainly coming from grants and bursary's. So any help would be appreciated so I know what I can and cant afford...

    Thank You for your help!
    Last edited by stripey_polka_dot; 08-05-2012 at 20:45.
  2. gemini89's Avatar
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    Re: Will I have enough money if I choose expensive halls?
    130/week is a lot to me. I used to spend maybe 30 on food, so that still leaves 100! You're not going to be buying books and cooking stuff every week....better still, don't buy many books at all - I didn't, I was able to get everything out of the library and bought the ones I really needed 2nd hand from ebay or Amazon for cheap.

    Do you have an unconditional place at Sussex? If not, I wouldn't set your heart on one particular accommodation since it's not likely you'll get it. Have a good read/look of all of them, and keep an open mind - this way, if you did get your 1st choice you'll be happy, but if not, it won't be such a surprise/shock.
  3. bahjat93's Avatar
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    Re: Will I have enough money if I choose expensive halls?
    If you run low on money just ask your parents
    That is what i'm planning to do
  4. Fward's Avatar
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    Re: Will I have enough money if I choose expensive halls?
    £130/week is far more than enough...
  5. Fward's Avatar
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    Re: Will I have enough money if I choose expensive halls?
    (Original post by bahjat93)
    If you run low on money just ask your parents
    That is what i'm planning to do
    I seriously doubt he will run low with £130 a week to spend...
  6. bahjat93's Avatar
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    Re: Will I have enough money if I choose expensive halls?
    (Original post by Fward)
    I seriously doubt he will run low with £130 a week to spend...
    I know i would. When you start spending you have no idea where the money went
  7. Fward's Avatar
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    Re: Will I have enough money if I choose expensive halls?
    (Original post by bahjat93)
    I know i would. When you start spending you have no idea where the money went
    thats why you dont spend money on stupid things...once you have bought your books and cooking equipment, it's only food and drink u need to buy weekly - how you can spend over £130/week on food and drink i do not know
  8. bahjat93's Avatar
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    Re: Will I have enough money if I choose expensive halls?
    (Original post by Fward)
    thats why you dont spend money on stupid things...once you have bought your books and cooking equipment, it's only food and drink u need to buy weekly - how you can spend over £130/week on food and drink i do not know
    Quite easily.
    If you like fine dinning then you can spend a lot more then that.
    My allowance for uni is going to be twice as much as his
    If your planning on living to London you can easily spend £130 on a night out
  9. Fward's Avatar
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    Re: Will I have enough money if I choose expensive halls?
    (Original post by bahjat93)
    Quite easily.
    If you like fine dinning then you can spend a lot more then that.
    My allowance for uni is going to be twice as much as his
    If your planning on living to London you can easily spend £130 on a night out
    Hence why most students dont fine dine on regular occasions....
    also for you allowance to be twice as much, you much be bloody loaded
  10. bahjat93's Avatar
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    Re: Will I have enough money if I choose expensive halls?
    (Original post by Fward)
    Hence why most students dont fine dine on regular occasions....
    also for you allowance to be twice as much, you much be bloody loaded
    I'm not loaded my parents are loaded .
    I'm not taking out any type of loan for Uni, none at all
  11. stripey_polka_dot's Avatar
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    Re: Will I have enough money if I choose expensive halls?
    (Original post by gemini89)
    130/week is a lot to me. I used to spend maybe 30 on food, so that still leaves 100! You're not going to be buying books and cooking stuff every week....better still, don't buy many books at all - I didn't, I was able to get everything out of the library and bought the ones I really needed 2nd hand from ebay or Amazon for cheap.

    Do you have an unconditional place at Sussex? If not, I wouldn't set your heart on one particular accommodation since it's not likely you'll get it. Have a good read/look of all of them, and keep an open mind - this way, if you did get your 1st choice you'll be happy, but if not, it won't be such a surprise/shock.
    Are there lots of copies of books in the library then from experience at college there wasn't many copies of core books etc but getting them form amazon and ebay is a good idea!

    I haven't got an unconditional place and I'm really open minded when it comes to the halls but I just have no experience in how I'm going to budget etc I didn't know what I would be able to afford and what not and have been hearing both pros and cons to ensuite and shared bathrooms that I don't know what to pick anymore!
  12. stripey_polka_dot's Avatar
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    Re: Will I have enough money if I choose expensive halls?
    There is no way my parents are going to be able to give me any money for university! So looks like I wont be fine dinning :/
  13. stripey_polka_dot's Avatar
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    Re: Will I have enough money if I choose expensive halls?
    (Original post by Fward)
    I seriously doubt he will run low with £130 a week to spend...

    There is no way I will be able to afford fine dinning the money I'm getting is from grants :/ my brother never went to uni neither did my parents so we don't know much about costings etc...how much do you think is reasonable?
  14. Fward's Avatar
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    Re: Will I have enough money if I choose expensive halls?
    (Original post by stripey_polka_dot)
    There is no way I will be able to afford fine dinning the money I'm getting is from grants :/ my brother never went to uni neither did my parents so we don't know much about costings etc...how much do you think is reasonable?
    I'm not yet at uni either (starting in sept), but i do know people who are currently at uni living comfortably on £30-£50 a week, as they dont splash out on things that aren't needed (eg fine dining) and they got as many books as possible from the library or bought them cheap on amazon/ebay....as i said earlier once you have bought the books you need and cooking equipment, its only really food and drink you need to buy weekly, so as long as you dont go mad, you will be absolutely fine
  15. gemini89's Avatar
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    • Location: Canada
    Re: Will I have enough money if I choose expensive halls?
    (Original post by stripey_polka_dot)
    Are there lots of copies of books in the library then from experience at college there wasn't many copies of core books etc but getting them form amazon and ebay is a good idea!

    I haven't got an unconditional place and I'm really open minded when it comes to the halls but I just have no experience in how I'm going to budget etc I didn't know what I would be able to afford and what not and have been hearing both pros and cons to ensuite and shared bathrooms that I don't know what to pick anymore!
    It depends on the size of your department/subject (Psychology for example is huge) and whether or not it's a 'core' course (one everyone has to do). Make sure you go early enough to the library - if you go in the last few days before something is due, then of course you're unlikely to be able to get it. Another thing is that the library has different book loans times - there is the 'Core' section where you literally borrow books for 24 hours (so hence people can't really keep them for long unless they want a HUGE fine) and then there's the short loan (1 week) and long loan (6 weeks). I might be off with the timings of the last two, but you get the idea.

    I found getting books very easy in 2nd and 3rd year since there were lots of different courses and hence not as many people looking for the books. So be prepared to perhaps buy more in the first year than the 2nd and 3rd (I bought NO books in the 3rd year at all, just a few in 2nd). Oh, and by the way, you'll probably be surprised how many books (or at least passages of books) are available to read online - on Google Scholar for example, which does help a lot if you just need a few paragraphs rather than the whole book.

    Accommodation wise - forget about the whole en-suite/shared debate for a second and think what sort of accommodation style you want. More like traditional halls (up to 12 bedrooms off of the same hallway, none of the hallways behind a locked door - very easy to meet people) or a flat (up to 6 bedrooms behind the same locked door, within a larger building of other flats), or a house (up to 6 or 12 people living in the same house, separate from others).

    If you like the idea of traditional halls - Park Houses
    Flats - Swanborough, Northfield, Stanmer, Lewes Court ph 1 & 2
    Houses - Brighthelm (up to 6 people) and Park Village (up to 12).
    East Slope is a bit of a mix between houses and flats - like a single story semi-detached house.

    Think of it that way and it might make things a little easier for you. Re: the en-suite/shared debate - I knew lots of people who arrived to Sussex a little annoyed and gutted as they really wanted an en-suite and ended up staying in Park Village or Park Houses (shared). After about a week they really didn't care since they had made friends in their accommodation, realised that having their own bathroom really wasn't much of a necessity than they thought, and actually liked having the extra 20 pounds or whatever to spend or save.
    Last edited by gemini89; 09-05-2012 at 01:30.
  16. bahjat93's Avatar
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    Re: Will I have enough money if I choose expensive halls?
    (Original post by stripey_polka_dot)
    There is no way I will be able to afford fine dinning the money I'm getting is from grants :/ my brother never went to uni neither did my parents so we don't know much about costings etc...how much do you think is reasonable?
    What no fine dinning!!!
    Are you crazy looool
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