The Christmas holidays are indeed a well needed break for everyone that has been working so hard this term. Coming home has given me the TLC I didn’t realise I had needed and the food my body has craved. However, I have come home absolutely broke.
I have zero money. These last few weeks of Christmas events have officially ruined my bank account. I have spent an excessive amount on Christmas presents for my family and I have splashed out on my “Secret Santa” presents. I guess this is something you would be expecting living in the richest area of London (Thanks Imperial!). The 9th of December will be a day I will never forget. That blissful Monday morning I awakened to find EVERY item that I had bought online had finally been taken out my bank account. I think that there may have been a glitch on my bank phone app meaning it all showed up on one day. My gifts and tickets to Christmas events all came out on one fine Monday morning. Disaster.
So what did I try to do? I tried to save money along with numerous of my hall mates. I stopped spending money on ingredients for dinner and we invested in 3 for £6 Waitrose ready meals (with our 10% off card too). We’d also wake up 10 minutes earlier for lectures and walk past Waitrose and pick up our free coffee, instead of having to buy milk for our coffees in halls. Pasta with butter (who has money for sauce?) was also the staple meal. In fact on the last two evenings our meals consisted of oven chips, soup, beans, rice and some salad! Yum.
I also really tried not to go out in the evenings. This failed miserably the day I came down to the common room in my dressing grown at 10pm exclaiming I couldn’t come out cause I really didn’t have the money. The response I got was “there aren’t enough girls, as one of 6 girls you have to come.” After a few minutes of me retaliating to their peer pressure, they all decided to pitch in change until they had enough money for my ticket to the club. I had no excuse then- so much for a night in.
So even though Christmas may be a really fun holiday where I can be back with my family, I have found that Christmas really isn’t for students. Long were the days I could give my Mum a folded paper Christmas tree I had made in Origami Club for Christmas and she would find it cute. If I did that now I would not get the same reaction, at all. For now my ‘Christmas’ (Michael Bublé) playlist, the impressive festive Snapchats I’m receiving and seeing old friends again in their Christmas jumpers is keeping me thoroughly in the festive spirit despite my festive bank account balance.
Gotta love Christmas.
9 comments for “Why Christmas isn’t for a Student Budget…”
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Blimey, reminds me of my student days up in Lancaster! Good on you for lasing until 9th December – I had a friend who spent his entire loan in Freshers Week…! That first term (especially in the first year) can be extremely tricky to get right budget-wise, and often Xmas is overlooked!
Hey Steve, thanks for the encouragement! Amazing, that must have been a great freshers week for them. Hope you are having a nice festive period! 🙂
I am impressed with your blog…good work
Hey Mala,
Do Imperial students need to leave the halls and go home during half terms and term holidays eg Christmas? I read that the accommodation contracts last a certain number of weeks- does that include Christmas, Easter and half term holidays?
Thanks!!
Hey Zach,
So most of us did go back during the holidays. But actually close to exams a lot of us stayed around too when it was easier to revise in library etc.
You don’t have to move out over holidays though! I would leave all my stuff there over easter, christmas etc…and then finally moved it all out for summer when contract ended!
Hope this helps 🙂 You can find accomodation FAQs here http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/campus-life/accommodation/faqs/
Mala
Wow thanks for the fast reply!!
Also, how are medics examined? Is it just the final exams in year 6 that count?
Thanks again Mala 🙂
Hey! Good question.
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/administration-and-support-services/registry/academic-governance/public/academic-policy/new-ug-and-pgt-programmes/School-of-Medicine-undergraduate-year-weightings.pdf on page 3 of this shows how much counts towards your intercalated BSc mark.
It is pass/fail each year (apart from year 4 bsc year) but each year top 30% get merits and distinctions. And in year 3 and year 5 your score ranking in the year counts towards your job application when you are applying for jobs as a final year.
Essentially though, you just have to pass every year to be able to graduate as a doctor!