Simple Ways to Make Studying Cheaper



When you’re studying, you usually have a limited income. After all, you can’t work as many hours when you need to attend lectures and seminars, conduct research and write your essays and dissertations. At the same time, studying is a notoriously expensive venture - and the costs just seem to keep rising. So, how can you balance studying and your bank balance at the same time? Well, the good news is that there are a few tips and tricks that can help to reduce the overall costs of your studying experience. Here are a few to consider.

Choose Your Accommodation Wisely
Accommodation tends to be the largest student outgoing. But it’s essential - you need a roof over your head at all times! So, what can you do to reduce your housing costs? Well, the first step that you might like to consider - a step that many students take advantage of throughout their degrees is to house share. House sharing is significantly cheaper than living alone. It also provides a good social element to your university experience, as you can make really good friends along the way! You'll want to search for a student home in Manchester or in the area your university is in, cities especially will tend to have plenty on offer. Secondly, you need to weigh up the options between extremely cheap housing that is below par in terms of living standards, or extremely expensive housing that will give you a good quality lifestyle. Generally, it’s best to settle in the middle.

Saving is all good and well, but you don’t want to be miserable for years while you chase your degree. If you’re ever in doubt, check out other students’ reviews of different types of accommodation- or use student housing specialists like Axo Student who provide student accommodation of a high standard at an affordable cost.

Consider Online Study
Gaining your diploma, degree or masters is now possible online, and not only is it more flexible than the traditional route of education but it can save you money too. It wont be an option for everyone, but gaining the qualifications you need online and spreading the cost could make much more sense financially. If you study with a disability, you may be entitled to a DSA needs assessment which will help with some of the costs that arise on your course

Buy Second Hand Textbooks
Many of the textbooks that you’ll find on your reading list or syllabus will be expensive. Academic texts are notoriously costly and while your university library may well have some copies available, every single student on your course is going to be vying for the few copies that are there, so you may have to buy the text to keep up to speed with your work. The good news? Many students across the country will have bought that textbook you need, used it a few times and then have no further use for it once they’ve finished studying. They tend to sell them on at a much lower cost. So, check out sites like eBay or reach out to students in the years above you to see if anyone’s selling the texts at a more affordable price!