How To Survive Being A London Fresher

I have officially survived freshers week! *cue celebratory cheers from where I'm curled up in bed* And whilst I may not have succumbed to the infamous freshers flu, my body clock has definitely been messed around a little bit. On the way I've made great friends, brilliant memories, and come up with a few fail safe tips on how not only to survive freshers, but also to flourish!

On nights out, I've spent a maximum of £7.50 which I'm pretty impressed with. How? A few money saving tips which has helped me out enormously.

1. If there's a wristband available, get it.
Mine was £30 for the week which may sound a lot, but it got me access for 7 nights into some of London's top clubs, and people I know who didn't get wristbands spent up to £15 for entrance on one night, so I made the value back in just two nights! Plus, I got mine before I arrived, so if you can sweet talk your parents that's even better...

2. Predrink
Drinks in London clubs are expensive. There's no getting around that, so my best advice would be to invite your new friends and acquaintances around your flat/halls if your flatmates don't mind for predrinks. This gives you a chance to actually talk and get to know people better, which can be quite hard in busy, loud clubs. Plus, it saves you what can be £7 for a Jaegerbomb. Beg, borrow, (probably don't steal though) from drinks cabinets at home or get it at a local before you come and it should last you for a while.

3. Travel
Student Oyster cards are definitely a good investment, and although the £20 might seem steep initially, it'll be worth it's weight in gold when you realise you're spending at least £7.90 on a railcard everyday (and that's with a 16-25 railcard- also an essential buy- and sometimes a free perk when you join a student bank, so shop around!)

Then, on your way back from the clubs in the wee hours of the morning, my best tip would be to grab 4 friends, and get an Uber back- it's much safer than walking, and it's cost me on average £3 a night when split between 4- which is cheaper than the tube!

4. Food
Sure, Pot Noodles are fast, but to be honest they're kind of gross and have no nutritional value, which combined with late nights and drinking can lead to you burning out by the end of the week. So if you're self catered, I would locate your nearest Aldi/Lidl/cheap supermarket which is surprisingly good, and stock up on the basics. I filled up my cupboards and I've hardly spent any money on food, just the perishables!

5. FREE THINGS
People love freshers and want to give them loads of free things. Okay, not entirely true but almost! Student bank accounts trip over themselves to offer freebies to entice you, and some of them can be pretty good! 

Also, I know you've probably heard it before, but go to your freshers fair and sign up for loads of stuff, you'll get loads of food/magazines/vouchers at the expense of a few emails in your inbox, plus you might discover a new passion for something you'd never considered! (And if they get too annoying, you can always unsubscribe once you've got the free stuff ;) )

Lastly- have a google and find cool things to do in your local area! You might find a market, or free outdoor film/theatre screenings, but there's always something quirky and interesting to do without breaking the bank. For example, near me is a free outdoor film screening, so rather than clubbing, tomorrow is all about friends, blankets, hot chocolates and Zoolander.

Now go forth and party!

Honor xxx