77 replies to this topic

[Shaun]

I've been busy the last few days trying to sort out stuff for university. Here are some ideas that I have which I would like people to comment on.

- Student Card. When, how, and where do you get this card? Is it supplied through your university or your bank?

- I want to open a student bank account. Different banks have different benefits. Who do you recommend? Halifax/Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland or Lloyds TSB?

- Laptop. Do you think one is required for university, even more so if you are studying computer science?

- Student Loan. Does this get paid in one lump some to you, or is it paid in installments?

- Mobile Phone. Good tariffs where?

- Travelling. What is the best thing to do if planning to commute to university via bus or train. Buy a Zonecard?

I hope you can help me with my many questions and hopefully these will help other people too. I am especially interested in finding out about the student discount card!

[Dave]

i dont think a laptop is needed and i am doing computer science

i am using the train but i think i will be doign whatever my dad does when he uses train....whatever that is

[D_n_y]

I think there is a bit on SAAS which tells u when the loan will be payed. I think it's three installments.

[broughy]

I've been busy the last few days trying to sort out stuff for university.  Here are some ideas that I have which I would like people to comment on.

- Student Card.  When, how, and where do you get this card?  Is it supplied through your university or your bank?

- I want to open a student bank account.  Different banks have different benefits.  Who do you recommend?  Halifax/Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland or Lloyds TSB?

- Laptop.  Do you think one is required for university, even more so if you are studying computer science?

- Student Loan.  Does this get paid in one lump some to you, or is it paid in installments?

- Mobile Phone.  Good tariffs where?

- Travelling.  What is the best thing to do if planning to commute to university via bus or train.  Buy a Zonecard?

I hope you can help me with my many questions and hopefully these will help other people too.  I am especially interested in finding out about the student discount card!

ok, i'll do my best to help here! for the record, i'm just about to start 2nd year studying physics at strathclyde - there might be others who're doing a course/going to a uni which is more similar to what you're going to do, so they might have more relevant info, but i'll do my best anyway!

- student card comes from the uni. at strathclyde, we get them at registration, we get a photo taken on the day we register (don't say i didn't warn you that you'll want to look your best that day - that card stays with you till you graduate!!), but i know some other unis (glasgow for one) ask you to send off a passport photo in advance, & thats what goes on your student card. you'll get info about this is the post from the uni if thats the case though

- i found royal bank of scotland to be the best student account, but its very much up to you. a tip though: if you're not yet 18, i'd wait till you are before opening a student account - some banks won't let you before this, as most student accounts come with a switch card, & the main benefit of a student account anyway, is meant to be the interest free over draft. i chose not to take the overdraft though, got a credit card for emergencies instead!

- laptop. its not required actually at uni itself. personally, i do have one, which i got as an 18th birthday pressie, but that was cos i wanted it for personal use, just to have my own computer. i don't take mine to uni with me or anything. i'd imagine at most unis there's plenty of computer labs you can use - there definitely is at strathclyde!

- student loan gets paid in 3 installments - you'll get a payments schedule letter from the SLC concerning this & telling you dates, which are different depending on which uni you go to

- mobile phones. i find o2 are the best. either with an o2 online contract (check out the website for more info) or a genie sim, which gives you 300 free texts for a £10 top up each month, & you still get the £10 credit to use

- travelling. if you're using the train, a zonecard is what you'll be wanting. however, you can do it cheaper on the bus - £10.25 gets you a student weekly ticket, which you can use as many times as you want in the space of 7 days. more info on this on firstforstudents.co.uk. its useful if you'll also be travelling in evenings & at weekends. also, there's a firstterm ticket, which i'm thinking of buying this year. but again, more info on that on that website.

- student discount cards. oh, what a wide & wonderful area this is. the main ones are snapfax (which get sold around the uni campus from october-ish onwards - you can miss the people in the bright orange jackets - for £1), & NUS. only some student unions are members of the NUS, & if yours is, you can get an NUS card from the uni. no doubt you'll get info on this. there are other discount cards, but they're largely depending on what city you're studying in

hope this was of some help! anything else, just ask. &, noticed you stay in irvine - i've got a mate at uni who stays there, so anything you want to know travelling-wise, i can get info off her for you - trust me, after a year of it, you'll be an expert!

[Shaun]

Is a student card and student discount card not the same thing?!

Thanks for your help.

[linds]

God, you're organised. I haven't even started thinking of any of that. =/

But o2 are probably best for mobile phones. Their online thing is great, you pay £19 a month, get the phone for free and for that £19 you get 500 texts and 50 minutes. Bargain.

[AppleCore]

ok.. here commeth my advise lol!.. of what i have done so far.

Student card - ive sent my pic away for that, so ill get mine at registration. Cards come from the uni itself.

Bank Account - HSBC
*£1000 interest free overdraft** in your first year.
*Debit and credit cards.
*Price Promise.
*24/7 Internet and Telephone Banking***.
*Free BSM driving lesson.
*Dedicated University branches with experienced student advisors.


AND
*A free 512mb MP3 player /or
*or 10 CDs from www.cdwow.com /or
*£50 cash paid into your HSBC Bank Student Account.

AND
one8two1 discount card

Laptop - Im going to take one with me (if i can afford it by then)

Student Loan - Im not taking a student loan

Mobile Phone - Easy Mobile
Rates
- 5p text no matter what network
- 15p calls no matter what network what time what place.

Travelling - Buy a bike, if its not that far a distance.. its fun, and gd for health and also environmentally friendly.. (not far meanin less that 5 miles. LOL)

Hope thats useful.

[broughy]

Is a student card and student discount card not the same thing?!

Thanks for your help.

um, not really...but kind of. in my experience, the student discount is useful for 3 things. one, one the bus. two, topshop. & three, bars & clubs. a few other shops do useful student discounts, but topshop is the only one i've used it in! with all the student discounts i've mentioned above, you need to have a student card with them, but the student card on its own won't get you the discount

[AppleCore]

most shops say, x% discount with a student card... so i suspect both cards can be used as discount cards!!! YAY!!

[Shaun]

Yeah I got the HSBC thing today. Sounds good, however they don't have a local branch for where I live.

Has anyone been asked to send away pictures etc for Glasgow University for their Student Card stuff?

[linds]

I think you've to take them with you to your meeting with your adviser.

[Scott]

I'm going to buy an iBook in November or December as I would like one for Comp. Sci. (Macs are actually just as good as PCs when it comes to C, C#, C++ & Java, they just don't go too well with Visual Basic but Comp. Sci. doesn't really touch on that).

I'll need to take a look into getting a bus pass though >_<

[dfx]

NatWest gives you a free young persons travelcard or something if you're travelling round the kingdom alot..

[dondon]

- Student Card. im getting mines at registration

- I want to open a student bank account. well ive not got a student bank account because i dont want to be able to use an overdraft but ive got one with the bank of scotland which is good because you get a debit card even if youre under 18

- Laptop. ive not decided yet

- Student Loan. im getting it paid on the start of each term in three parts but if you Go to stirling university its meant to be different

- Mobile Phone. im not gonna change it cos i want to make sure i dont spend too much on that

- Travelling. you can get a young persons railcard and get a third off train traveland if you apply in december you should be able to get most of your travelling expenses back

[Shaun]

- Student Card. im getting mines at registration

- I want to open a student bank account. well ive not got a student bank account because i dont want to be able to use an overdraft but ive got one with the bank of scotland which is good because you get a debit card even if youre under 18

- Laptop. ive not decided yet

- Student Loan. im getting it paid on the start of each term in three parts but if you Go to stirling university its meant  to be different

- Mobile Phone. im not gonna change it cos i want to make sure i dont spend too much on that

- Travelling. you can get a young persons railcard and get a third off train traveland if you apply in december you should be able to get most of your travelling expenses back

Are you going to Glasgow?

[dondon]

nope im going to strathclyde, why?

[Shaun]

Because you know your getting your student card at registration. I'm going to Glasgow and I don't know anything about a student card yet!

[dondon]

oh rite i got a letter from the uni saying about registration and what would happen although it might say about it on the website?!?

[Paul]

Yeah I got the HSBC thing today.  Sounds good, however they don't have a local branch for where I live.

Has anyone been asked to send away pictures etc for Glasgow University for their Student Card stuff?

u dont need to send away pics for glasgow uni, there is a matriculation day in mid-september which is used to take a photograph of u, 5 mins later u get ur student (matric) card and a welcome pack

[broughy]

- Student Card. im getting mines at registration

- I want to open a student bank account. well ive not got a student bank account because i dont want to be able to use an overdraft but ive got one with the bank of scotland which is good because you get a debit card even if youre under 18

- Laptop. ive not decided yet

- Student Loan. im getting it paid on the start of each term in three parts but if you Go to stirling university its meant  to be different

- Mobile Phone. im not gonna change it cos i want to make sure i dont spend too much on that

- Travelling. you can get a young persons railcard and get a third off train traveland if you apply in december you should be able to get most of your travelling expenses back

you'll need to pay £150 of your travel expenses yourself if you're taking a loan. forgot to mention that.

Yeah I got the HSBC thing today.  Sounds good, however they don't have a local branch for where I live.

Has anyone been asked to send away pictures etc for Glasgow University for their Student Card stuff?

u dont need to send away pics for glasgow uni, there is a matriculation day in mid-september which is used to take a photograph of u, 5 mins later u get ur student (matric) card and a welcome pack

last year, my friends going to glasgow had to send off passport pics