What’s it like being a student in London do you have to be mega rich?

[EachandEveryone]

Can just and ordinary student survive?. I mean there’s no spare money Except the odd £50 on pay day and of course I will do food shopping for her but realistically what is it like for uni? UAL she never thought she would get in but has so now it’s a dilemma. Camberwell.

With the part time jobs, things might work out with Brexit. I’m not following politics but I’d imagine they’d be fewer workers from other countries. And I know that when I put adverts out on Gumtree in the past, I’d get hundreds of applications so I’d take that with a pinch of salt.

Feel free to take it with a pinch of salt, but it's direct experience, not scaremongering.
I'm a London based student & working mother with working(now not) student DC, having to budget to support their and my study.

It isn't normal here to have hundreds of applicants for real actual jobs. Commission based sales 'opportunities', chuggers MLM's maybe, but actual jobs, no. 15 to 25 applications for a good pub job with approx half having previous experience would be normal times.

Entry level jobs are going to the recently redundant highly experienced & overqualified, taking anything for fear of being left unemployed, causing a major knock on effect. Deliveroo riders etc unable to earn in over saturated markets.

I'll be very happy to be wrong, but we've all worked prior to and through uni, with no difficulties securing work before now.
I really would budget with an assumption of not easily getting work at the moment, and then it'll be a nice bonus if things change or they get lucky.

Brexit is very unlikely to cause many immediate London job vacancies, if at all, however women (predominantly) having to give up their jobs as unable to get childcare when schools reopen with sporadic hours and WFH ceases, may. No one's sure how much that will be offset by further job losses expected when furlough ends in October.

Halls and similar uni accommodation in London are an overpriced luxury. Between £75 to £125 is average room price for sharers and lodgers.

Crime; generally not a big issue unless foolish, but street robbery/ burglary/ bike thefts can rise around unis in Sept. Usual issues for young women. Exception is around drugs; students can underestimate how vicious and organised the circle that 'cool dude who delivers' is part off.
London traffic, and hire bikes, should be treated with caution.

Also: if low income, don't use student overdraft facility for anything other than a safety net, and find out dates when loan is paid into bank, cash flow round this seems to catch out lower income parents of students in halls.

Don't be put off, it's all doable, just be realistic about doing things on the cheap. Plenty of others are.

Well, if Daddy is a rich Arab she will do fine!

Sorry to be flippant but I was shocked at the price of that flat!

www.arts.ac.uk/study-at-ual/accommodation/halls-of-residence/portland-house thats the cheapest one. The thing is, in first year dont they benefit from living in Halls? I cant see many 18 year olds coming to London and finding a room in a shared house. Theres quite a few scholarships but none in fine art that I can see. She maybe entitled to the extra £1,000 bursary but it says you dont apply for that the give you it automatically if you are eligible.

I went through clearing and got a house share by myself at 18 in a part of London id never visited but I realise this isn't the norm!

I would say go for the halls experience. London is so big when you first move here - and it's great to make friends etc.

My son is at London college of fashion, he has a part time job and we are not in a position to help out much he is 26 and had left home before deciding to go to uni a few years later. He has a part time job and is enjoying his time in London he manages to do lots of free things, they only drawback is the cost of his materials he says the students who have the money to pay for the best supplies often produce better work and he feels a little disadvantaged some times.

DS1 lived out when studying at Kings- much cheaper than halls, although still a lot of money. The uni accommodation office held events for potential flat sharers to meet up. I was quite pleased that he met up there with some postgrad students who knew the ropes about flat finding and sharing. Look on the Student room for accommodation share as well.
Food costs are more or less the same in London as anywhere else, and uni bars are subsidised.
The main problem is, as other poster have said, that this year you won't be able to rely on her finding a job - lots of restaurants not open, entertainment industry closed down, hospitality industry badly hit, shops closing down etc.
The alternative would be finding a similar course somewhere cheaper- NUA in Norwich for example, where she could find accommodation for under £400 pm. But UAL does have a world class reputation.

Yes she couldve gone to Leeds or Newcastle we never thought she was bothered about London. Still waters indeed.

This is a quite good budget from Imperial:

www.imperial.ac.uk/study/ug/fees-and-funding/managing-your-money/living-costs/

Obviously South Ken/Hammersmith (where most of the students choose to live) is more expensive than Camberwell but you can adjust the figures (the average rent in Hammersmith is £160 per week).

As you say, the halls experience is important, especially in London where the universities often have mutiple campuses so there is less of a central social life. I think that might be even more true this year as there will be less face to face teaching for a lot if courses, less freshers' events. If your DD can find somewhere to live that is walking distance to classes and university social life, that will save a significant amount of money. Don't forget that even though the weekly charge for halls is expensive, it includes utilities/broadband etc and is only for the academic year. It is very hard for London students to negotiate a break clause for private accommodation so your DD will likely have to pay for the whole year. Things might be different this year though. Private student rents have dropped here so landlords' might be willing to negotiate as 9 months rent is better than none. If the university campuses do have to close again, your DD is more likely to get a refund from university halls than be able to end a rivate tenancy agreement.

@EachandEveryone

Yes she couldve gone to Leeds or Newcastle we never thought she was bothered about London. Still waters indeed.

Newcastle is ace. DD is there and loves it.

I agree that not being in halls for the first year could possibly negatively impact your daughter. DD wa slucky that she got on well with her flatmates, even the skanky ones who didn't clear up, but it is such a bonding experience being in halls.

I know but she will be lucky if there are any rooms left on the bottom rung.

GinforDinner is correct. Many of last years London graduates are fighting tooth and nail for those part time jobs, as they can't get full time ones. Lots of hugely over qualified graduates who where in theater and arts and entertainment and restaurant are now begging for NMW opportunities.

This is what I thought. So many of the types of roles that students would typically do just aren't going to be there in the near future.

It is worrying

Would she mind sharing a room in halls? They are significantly cheaper and usually the least popular rooms so she stands a better chance of getting one.

I think the first year is the most important when it comes to accommodation as that is the first time most students have lived away from home and the social life revolves around halls. Being a lodger is often the cheapest option for later years. After the first year, it matters less where you live as everyone is spread around. The other option in later years is taking the box room in a student house with friends. If my DC's experience of shared houses, they have always split the rent unevenly if the rooms are uneven sizes to make it fair.

Just wanted to add that the Camberwell area is great. I have lived near there for the last 15 years. It is a mixed, diverse area, has lots of students and young people but also affluent families. (Only potential downside is it is where Boris’ home is when he is not at No.10).

You can walk to Peckham, which has a lot of trendy bars, restaurants etc. Depending on where you are in Camberwell (and how active you are feeling) you can also walk to Brixton, Vauxhall and Elephant and Castle, or walk along the Thames path to Battersea.

There are also some really nice parks (Myatts Fields, Kennington, Burgess Park etc.).

Yes I’ve told her she’s only 10 minutes bus ride from Vauxhall Tavern😂😂

Although that was my ideal night out as an 18 year old but drag queens are back in fashion aren’t they?

My DS lived in Camberwell for a year. He moved from a very nice place in Ealing for atmosphere. I used to hold my breath at every mention of a stabbing and ‘man in his twenties’. I am so happy that he has moved to Archway.

He lived in Camden as a student. I never got invited into any of his places, but was happy about the overall area.

I’m not sure Archway is any safer than Camberwell 😃

If you are on Facebook there is a useful group called What I Wish I knew About University that you can join. Also, look at The Student Room website.

There’s not much for Camberwell it all seems to be St Martins. It’s abit of a worry really as there’s halls there three lots but we can’t find anything about the social life they don’t seem to have a bar or anything CSM seems to have all that. We are worried that she’s going to be the youngest.

I’ve been up all night worrying.

will she get maximum loan?

can she get a job? million dollar question.
but there are pubs who need staff

my dd was so worried about money in her first year of university which tainted things for her somewhat.
she got a job.

tell her not to worry,
its a positive thing