[beanie]

(Original post by Lukas)
the minimal wage is £5.30 (since Oct 2006) - many student jobs will be paid like this or maybe a bit higher - but do not forget, since Bulgaria is not an EU member, you will need a work-permit...

thats for if you're over 21 though isn't it? there is a different rate for 18-21 year olds, which I think is about £4.30. This is in England anyway, the £5.30 one is for 21+ as there are 20 year olds at my work really pleased they get the 21+ rate instead of the 18-21 rate because my work gives all the full timers the same pay, then its casual staff who are on age related wages.

It might be different in Scotland though, but I assume if its set by central goverment and called the national minimum wage its for all of the UK, and that Wales/Scotland/N Ireland and England don't each have their own rules.

[MissSmith]

http://www.dti.gov.uk/employment/pay...age/index.html

they gave us a breakdown of all of that sort of thing at the post applicant visit day... but they suggested we would be taking holidays and stuff...!!! dont they realise we will be poor students? ibiza isnt quite within our budget!!!

[MissSmith]

http://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/undergr...ing-costs.html

that took ages to find!!!

but thats a small breakdown from the uni website

[Lukas]

thanks - v.useful...i will rep you as soon as my rep power will be recharged still, the majority of student jobs are £5+, aren't they?

[beanie]

(Original post by Lukas)
thanks - v.useful...i will rep you as soon as my rep power will be recharged still, the majority of student jobs are £5+, aren't they?

I'd say so, but I guess it depends on what you do. I get £4.96 an hour, which is the 18-21 rate at my work, but some of my friends only get £4.40 and for other people, it goes the other way and they are earning all most £6. Most major shop chains and resturants seem to pay over £5 an hour- at least they do here, all my mates who work in shops in Nottingham are on about £5.10. Here the average wage is probably £4.80-5.20 an hour for sixth form/uni students, but you might earn more or less in Edinburgh, I don't know.

[lilcathstar]

As a student who's been at Uni in Ed for the last year, perhaps I can help:

My rent (non-uni, private landlord) last year was £275 per month, and next year will be £300 per month. Bills (gas, elec, phone and internet - water is free) I don;t think were more than £20 a month last year for me (those of you in uni accom won't have to worry about this)

Food, I think £30 is a generous estimate (will obviously differ if you're catered)

Travel can cost quite a bit if you're not living close to the uni. Buses cost £1 a trip, wherever you go... there are ridacards you can buy, which are slighly cheaper for a 'young' student, £28 a month. From my experience most of the main uni accom is well within walking distance of uni.. and there's a free shuttle bus between george square and KB. Taxis back from nights out can cost around £5... but then you can fit 5 in a taxi so it's only £1 each!

The price of books vary from course to course. I got away with only buying two this year, around £55. But I know for some subjects the books are much bigger & more expensive and you will often need more than two. But all the course books will be in the library... so my advice is to take the relavent books out at the start of the semester and just keep renewing them! If someone asks for your copy at the desk you'll have to return it though. Stationary sholdn't cost too much.. a couple of refill pads, a few pens and ringbinders and you're sorted!

The cost of social activites also depend on what you're involved with and how much you intend to drink. Most societies membership for the year isn't much at all... the ones I joined, around £5-6. You can get Pints (of tennents, tennents velvet and some sort of cider i think) in the unions for £1.50 most of the time, and bottles of house wine for £5... bargian... tis defo the way forward! If you go out to other bars, £2.50 is average, but expect to pay £3 for some. Some of the clubs do cheap nights.. watch out for those!

Other things to budget for are things like lamps, pots, pans, cutlery... drying racks (and washing if you have no washing machine).. all the sorts of things that you may forget and find out you need at the beginning of the year.

The breakdown on the Uni web page is pretty accurate I'd guess (although I'm sure you can save £14 a week on lunches from that... buy a loaf of bread, butter and filling and you have a weeks worth of lunches for under £5!)

I think altogether last year I spent around £6000... but that's including a new computer and digi camera as both mine died and without being too stringent. Bear in mind though, that I wasn't in Uni accom so I may have had a cheaper first year than most of you!

Hope this helps

xx