Wall Planner 2013/2014 october
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Richard Hughes
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An Cumann Ceimice
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School of Chemistry National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland
opticians
Special offerS include: for onlY ₏99 – Two pairs of frames with lenses for onlY ₏130 – Eye test, frame and lenses, contact lens examination and one months supply of contact lenses We have many in-store promotions and offer 10% discount on frames for students, clubs and companies 37 Corner House, Woodquay, Galway T: (091) 563 107 E: r.hughes@live.ie Seacrest S.C., Knockacarra, Galway T: (091) 590 010 E: richardhughesopticians@gmail.com
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Visit us at: https://sites.google.com/site/ancumannceimice/
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Aims of An Cumann Ceimice: c T o generate, sustain and further develop interest in Chemistry among NUI Galway students by means of providing an opportunity for informal meetings and discussions between people interested in chemistry.
1 Don’t be fooled by account incentives As a rule of thumb, don’t be fooled by incentives. For most students your overdraft will be your lifeline, so make sure you get the best deal to help you survive, rather than some shiny new gadget. While free cinema tickets or discounted CDs may sound great, the offer of a travel card could save you a fortune if you intend using the train to get to and from college. Discount offers or incentives such as cinema tickets will last only five minutes or will only benefit you if you buy another one of the bank’s products. However, once equipped with a USI card, you will already have access to numerous student discounts and freebies.
c T o aquaint people interested in chemistry with professional opportunities for chemists in education, industry and government service. c To organise social events for members of the society.
2 Get the best student account for you
c T o have financial autonomy for the purpose of financing the symposia, social and sporting events, competitions, field trips etc.
So once you have steered away from the incentives, what should you be looking for in a student account? Of course this will vary from person to person. A handful of lucky students will be interested in the credit rate of interest, but for most it will be the overdraft facility which is the overriding factor. What must be remembered that the higher limits are often quoted as ‘up to’, so when you come to apply, if your credit rating is not A1 or you don’t match the banks Halifax’s ‘perfect student’ score card, you may be offered a somewhat lower limit. Another important consideration is how near your bank branch is to your university or new home. Specialist student advice can be invaluable, and with a branch close at hand it’s that much easier to manage your money and speak with your bank.
Budgeting
3 Try to save some money this term
There are certain periods in our lives that we’d all rather not go through, yet inevitably will. What goes hand in hand with being a student is the promise that at some point during your degree, you will be absolutely skint and foraging through your kitchen for any loose bits of pasta or bread. Students generally can’t budget until they’re forced to, so it’s worth working out in advance how you will cross that bridge when you come to it. There are ways to avoid getting multiple overdrafts if you are disciplined and willing to forego a bit of pride. Some methods are immoral, but so is allowing yourself to go hungry. c The basics: Get online. If you bank online you can easily see your balance and any ingoing/outgoings at a glance. You can also arrange your direct debits/standing orders and cancel cheques.
c Know your income: Know how much money you have coming in each month from your loan and other sources such as a job, parental assistance, bursaries, grants (we wish, eh?).
c Know your expenditure:
Subtract from your income any fixed regular outgoings to obtain the amount you have left: things like accommodation, internet in your room (often overlooked), tv license, phone contract. ivide this by the number of weeks per term/year to obtain the figure for the maximum you have left to spend D each week. From this figure, subtract an amount for essential food items and a book/stationery allowance. K eep your receipts for everything for a week or two once term has really got going, spend an hour or two working out exactly where cash is going. If you spend too much on any one item (drink, coffee, magazines, sandwiches, etc...) try and cut back. Y ou will soon get the hang of how much you can spend and get away with it but for the first few weeks I would recommend making detailed notes of everything you spend.
c Keep a contingency: It is important to remember that there are occasions on which you may
unexpectedly have to spend a large amount of money. Text books are expensive and If you aren’t careful nights out can cost large amounts too. There are balls and events you may wish to go to, so remember to save a bit for them. Therefore it is always good to save money as a contingency.
c Economy food: If you don’t have access to a market, scope out the cheap deals in your supermarket.
When you first move into the area you should check out the times and days that supermarkets reduce all their food prices. Also, at the end of each day the hot food deli will serve as a gold mine for you. All the food has to be sold, so prices are outrageously low. And familiarise yourself with the economy food: the majority of it doesn’t taste too different to the more expensive varieties – baked beans and economy orange juice are fine. In particular things like toiletries and dried foods don’t need to be plush: get the cheapest you can and you won’t really notice the difference. Also, make trips to your nearest Lidl, Netto or Aldi. They sound budget but you can get some great deals on good quality food and they are especially good for bulk buying.
c Shop online: For those already with internet access (otherwise that’s an extra expenditure that you don’t
need draining your cash), try doing your grocery shopping online. It’s good for two reasons: first, you can shop for things you really need instead of getting distracted by the enticing products that leap out as you walk past. Second, you are likely to get more cheap deals online and, if you all buy together, delivery will be free. Above all, the golden rule of food shopping is not to do it when you’re hungry. It might be more fun, but money ceases to matter when the stomach is rumbling.
c Drink before you go out: Once you’re off campus, bar prices will rise pretty steeply. Therefore delay leaving the
house by a couple of hours and you’ll save money. Mind you don’t go overboard before you reach the club though, or you may have a bit of a hard time getting in or getting home at the end of the night.
c Get a bike: If you’re living in a city, cycling is generally quicker than public transport. It’ll get you fitter than your short
run to the bus stop each morning, and it’ll work out a lot cheaper in the long run. You can get a decent second-hand bike for around €100 and it can last years. Think about it: a bus fare is roughly €2.50 each day; that’s €12.50 for a five day week. So for the price of about eight week travel on a bus you can buy yourself a calorie-burning, traffic-dodging, bargain. And it’s environmentally friendly too!
c Psychology tests: Across campuses undergraduates, postgraduates and PhD students are looking for willing
guinea pigs to take part in psychology tests. Many of these are paid, and some pay well. When you first arrive at university, you should stumble across a sign-up list which puts you onto a database allowing psychology students to contact you. Some trials even pay you money to eat a breakfast and lunch, providing you answer a few questions while you’re chomping away. However, unless you’re sure you know exactly what it is you’re taking, avoid drug tests like the plague - the results could be deadly, hideous or at the very least rather unpleasant!
c If you get into trouble: At the end of the day, it might not be possible to balance the budget. So where can you turn if everything goes wrong?
Let your bank know as soon as possible. They may be able to help. If you are in severe financial difficulty you can apply for hardship loans. Check with your University for more details. Contact MABS or citizens advice bureau.
c Free education does not exist! How much does living away from home cost? Based on a nine month academic year, the costs for living away from home are estimated below:
If you get the opportunity to work this term, try to put aside a little of your earnings for your future. Having even a small amount of savings will leave you in good stead for the start of university life, especially as you won’t normally receive your first student loan payment until your first day at university.
4 Get a budget It can be easy to let your spending run away with you. The odd €20 or €30 here and there can soon mount up. Remember, your overdraft limit is not bottomless and will also need to cover your bills too. This is possibly the first time you will need to manage household bills, and the easiest way is to write out a budget plan. Take into account all guaranteed income, and set this against your bills. Once you know exactly what your living costs are you, will know how much ‘fun’ money you have.
5 Spend your student loan wisely Remember, your income from your student loan payments will have to last you several weeks, if not months. So spend this wisely, don’t blow it all in fresher’s week. If you do, you’ll then only have thin air and own brand baked beans to live on for the rest of the term. What can be more embarrassing than embarking on your independent student life, then having to grovel to mum and dad only a few weeks after leaving the nest?
6 Take care when opting for a credit card Most student banks will offer you a student credit card, with a limit typically around €500. However tempting a credit card can be - treat it with caution. While the limits may be small, with no regular income even a few hundred Euro can be a struggle to repay, especially when the interest rates tend to be higher than average. If you do choose to take a credit card, use it to get the mostcompetitive deals online, when travelling or in case of emergency - but don’t use the card for the sake of it.
7 Check on your bank account regularly Make sure you keep a regular eye on your finances, as it’s only too easy to lose track of your spending. The easiest way is to set up online banking, but do take care to ensure that when you are using a shared computer it’s a secure site and that you sign off fully when finished.
Food...........................€40/week
Accommodation.................. €70/week
8 Don’t bury your head in the sand
Transport.....................€25/week
Bills.................................... €40/week
Books......................... €300/year
Mobile phone.................... €30/month
Day-to-day...............€100/month
Registration fee................ €1500/year
Capitation.................. €150/year
Total per year................over €10,000
It’s not uncommon for students to face financial difficulties, but you should never bury your head in the sand. Specialist advisers in branch or even at your university can help with hardship advances and give you advice and guidance. If you are nearing your overdraft limit, speak to your bank as soon as you can. Unauthorised borrowing can be expensive and may impact on their decision to help you in the future. If you let things get out of control, you must remember that financial mistakes at university are not wiped clean, and they can come back to haunt you later in life.
These will vary depending on your own circumstances and lifestyle, the books you need, whether you go home at weekends or not, and the standard of your accommodation. The above figures are a raw estimate.
WALL PLANNER
2013 – 2014
https://www.facebook.com/pages/An-Cumann-Ceimice/169660259788445
Committee c Auditor: Rekha Chadda c Vice-Auditor: Sinclair Sweeney c Treasurer: Sylvia Soldatou c Secretary: Michelle Kyne c PROs: Isioma Osadebe Radu Groza, Przemyslaw Zarski, Rakesh Kumar, Isioma Osadebe, Nipun Mahajan, Madeleine Mallon c Tea Room: John Bulger
For many Students going to college may be the first time they have full control over their own finances, receiving lump sums and having to pay bills. So getting it right financially can be one step towards surviving those student years. Even before the ink has dried on your leaving certificates, students can expect to be targeted by the big banks to sign up for one of their student accounts. No wonder, really, given the earning potential that the average graduate can have – they are hot property! In total seven providers offer student banking, all offering interest free overdrafts. But don’t be fooled into thinking that all student accounts are the same; this is definitely not the case.
An Cumann Ceimice
E-mail us at: ceimic@socs.nuigalway.ie
An Cumann Ceimice both organises and raises funds for all the Departmental seminars within the School of Chemistry, NUI Galway
10 easy tips for student finance
Visit us at: https://sites.google.com/site/ ancumannceimice/
An Cumann Ceimice
9 Don’t put your finances at risk of fraud Students can put their finances at risk by not following simple steps to protect their identity and money. A previous Moneyfacts survey found that 70% insufficiently destroyed their card receipts or bank statements and almost half allowed other people to use their card and PIN. Living in shared accommodation, you need to take extra precautions to protect your finances from fraud. Following a few simple steps can reduce the risk. c A lways destroy any post, which includes your bank details. A shredder is a simple and cost effective solution. on’t give your PIN or card to anyone! If you are subjected to fraud in the future, you will have c D to declare (and this can be taken to the police) that you are the only person with knowledge of your PIN. ever write down your PIN number. Use your bank’s ATM to change it to a number you can c N remember. ave your cards, chequebooks and other banking information sent to your home address, c H especially if your post is delivered to a pigeonhole in a communal area.
Make sure you are properly insured Specialist cover is available for students living in halls or shared accommodation, to protect your contents. Make sure your level of cover is sufficient, and think about whether you need cover for other items such as bikes which will be left on campus.