Being an off-campus student may seem smooth sailing at the start with the many advantages. However, as University went on, I discovered that it too brings its own challenges. Below is a guide on potential problems you may come across and applicable solutions.

Budgeting

London is known to be expensive so budgeting will always come in handy to keep tabs on your spending. With Apple Pay and contactless cards, it becomes easy for you to lose track and impulsively shop and leaving you with regret later on. One way to manage your money is setting yourself a budget and even stratifying it into different things e.g. food, gym, makeup. A useful tool may be excel so you can track your spending on a larger scale.

Saving

It’s always wise to save money ‘for a rainy day’ but this can sometimes prove useful both short term and long term. Things such as Unidays can help University students with student discounts from clothes to perfumes. Savings accounts are something one could also consider if they feel comfortable.

Transport

If you are adapted to London, you may know TFL very well. However, there are little tips to save your money such as purchasing a week’s worth of transport on your Oyster Card can save you money if you know you will be on campus all week. For those who commute into London by train, railcards cut down the cost of the fare for you.

Subscriptions

University students are well known for loving coffee thus if you find yourself indulging coffee several times you could consider getting a subscription at places like Pret where you’ll get an added benefit for your love of coffee. If you find yourself listening to music constantly, there are student accounts for Spotify.

LSE Off-Campus Support Scheme

If you feel as though you may need extra support, LSE’s Off-Campus Support Scheme holds meetings and has people you can talk to regarding difficulties you may be facing as a student on campus.

Socialising

If you have particularly found it harder to make friends as an on-campus student as opposed to living in accommodation, I’d recommend making sure you are in WhatsApp group chats for either your course, module, or even class group.