Is prostitution a good option for a cash-strapped student?

The BBC today released a news report that more and more students are turning to prostitution, gambling and medical experimentation as a means of keeping afloat financially. 

Now we have advocated on the blog before that the best kind of part-time work is one where you can fit your hours in around study, and where you get the maximum amount of money possible for the minimum amount of hours. Prostitution, gambling and medical experiments I suppose, fit this criteria very well. Too well. My mother always taught me if something sounds good to be true, then it probably is. 

So, with the EMA being scrapped, and student loans and grants being reduced, along with rising tuition fees, students have to find ways of making ends meet, financially speaking. And things like selling yourself might be attractive to some - and it never seemed to do Belle de Jour any harm, did it? After all, she got a PhD whilst leading a double life as a part-time call girl as well. 

But we can't all be as 'lucky' as Belle de Jour has turned out to be. It could've all been so much different for her, and for every Belle, there are hundreds of others who get caught up in a very disturbing world, from which there may be no return. The reason that prostitution, gambling and medical experiments are so highly paid is that the risks are high, and the losers are many. 

Blah, blah..... I don't want this to turn in to a rant about how you should all be good little students and stay away from the nasty people. What I want to know is this - have you, or do you know of anyone who has, made money from a less-than-conventional method to support themselves while studying? 

Apply to university after you've got your A-Level results

This week, the old proposals to change the university application system so that students apply AFTER they know their results has reared it's head. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has heard this mooted in the past. For the full story, you can read it here in The Daily Mail.

I think it is a brilliant idea. If there is a system that favours the cheeky and ambitious over those with proven academic credentials, then the current system of applying with predicted grades is it. The current system is confusing, time-consuming and leads to disappointment.

It's not surprising that it is a proposal that has been dragged up again by the Conservative-Lib Dem government. The Tories especially love the notion of the free-market, and the current system allows customers and suppliers (students and universities respectively) to work with imperfect information, which is sub-optimal (see, I was paying attention in economics class).

Where students work with unknown, predicted grades, an over-optimistic student will apply to a university course which demands grades way above what they will actually go on to achieve. This leads to disappointment and a panic as they end up applying through clearing. At the other end of the scale, a student whose tutors predict low grades will apply for courses with low grade requirements where they could have got a place on a much better course and at a much better university.

Either way, the system favours the student putting in a cheeky application and works against those who under-estimate their own ability. I can't help thinking that those from families who favour high academic achievement are the most likely to try their luck, whereas the students from families where university is an alien concept will likely see elite courses and universities out of their reach. Even if they achieve way over what they expect, it will mean either accepting the course they have been offered or pulling out and re-applying. It's not an ideal way to choose to do something which will influence your career path, and indeed your whole future. Allowing a student to apply to university after they have their A-Level grades would be a big step towards giving students a university place based on actual achievement, regardless of class, school-type or influence from family or college tutors.

The proposals to move A-Level exams to earlier in the year in order to allow enough time to process results for the start of the university is not a bad one. I remember getting very bored toward the end of my two-year A-Level course and would have welcomed exams in the May rather than dragging things out until June or July.  However, I still feel this would mean the window to apply would be too short. The reason you have to apply six months before you sit your exams is because the whole process - involving literally thousands of students and over 100 universities - is a huge administrative task.

Surely it would be better to either have students take a year out as standard. The gap between sitting your last A-level exam in July, and starting university in the October is too short. To this point you would have been at school for at least thirteen years, and are going to be at university for another three. I don't think that a year out to work a bit, get some money and have some breathing space to think over your course and university choices is a bad thing.

Anyway, I am in favour of allowing students to apply to university after their A-Level results. I think it can only be good for social mobility and a system that is based on true achievement and potential, rather than on the imperfect information and blind optimism it is based on now.

Do you think that the current system needs fixing? Do you think if you had applied after knowing your results, your choices would've been different? I welcome your opinion, as usual.

Completing a dissertation

Those of you starting in your third or final year at university will very likely need to start thinking about your dissertation.

What is a dissertation?

A dissertation is a substantial piece of individual research on a specific topic, usually of your own choosing. It is likely the biggest piece of academic work you will undertake, and most of this is on your own. A dissertation is usually worth two modules (about 40 credits). This is not the time to panic, or to be scared. just follow the guidelines set down by your university and get on with it. You'll do just fine.

What should I choose to research?

You will need to discuss the topic with your supervisor. Selecting your topic early is a good idea as stopping and starting something later on will set you back weeks, even months. Choose wisely. Choose to study something feasible. You will need to study something that is within geographic reach, and is possible within the time-scale. You will also be doing it around your other modules. You do not need to choose a research topic that leads to a game-changing revelation - that is best left to the PhD and masters students - but you do need to choose something you can research competently.

That being said, take the time to think about doing something out of the whole student-sphere. Studying your fellow students, or something going on at uni will look lazy to employers. Do something no-one else dares to do - study marginal groups, like homeless people, or a contentious subject. See our job hunting tips to find out how your choices can affect your employability.

Choose to study something that is within the boundary of what you have studied over the last two years or so. This is not the time to start on completely new theory. Apply the theory you have been taught well to a good subject and you'll do fine.

How do I carry out the research?

For a dissertation, you will be expected to carry out your own research to back up your arguments. This is where your key skills and research methods modules come in handy. Look at what you need to find out. You may feel that a questionnaire is a good idea, or maybe use secondary sources and apply the data in a new way. Sometimes primary research involves a review of media or literature instead. Speak to your supervisor about your chosen research method. Explain your methods well. How you carried out your research is as important as what you found.

Choose a method that fits into your life. It's no good trying to conduct a telephone survey if you haven't got time to pound the phones.

How long will it take?

This depends on your university, department and course. Usually, they will take the full academic year though some start in the second year and have an earlier deadline date. See our tips for meeting deadlines. One thing we will say is that time goes faster than it should, and the write-up time will take longer than you expect. Allow plenty of time for getting it printed and bound too. There are often queues for this, and it doesn't help if everyone else is trying to get theirs done at the same time.

What format should it take?

A dissertation is a substantial piece of work of around 10,000 to 20,000 words. It will usually consist of the same chapters, though these will differ from course to course. For example, a biology dissertation will have different chapters to a sociology one. Most dissertations comprise an index page, an abstract, an introduction, a literature review, methods, and a bibliography as well as the body chapters which are pertinent to your topic. Any appendices usually go at the back.

Read the department guidelines in your module handbook carefully. They will usually set requirements in terms of document size, layout, acceptable font type and size, binding type and line-spacing. Do not deviate from this as you will likely lose marks. And check your referencing is done properly. Double check as you go along so you don't miss any.

Departments often keep a back catalogue of undergraduate dissertations you can look at for reference. Ask if your department does this as it can be a real boon.

Where do I get it printed and bound?

Universities often have a list of recommended print and copy shops you can use. The university might have it's own on campus, but usually you have to go to a local, independent one. Choose one near the university as these have more experience of them and can offer advice on how to get the best job and most for your money. They are also a bit more sympathetic to student deadlines, but can get very busy, so don't leave it til the last minute.

You can print them off yourself if you have a good printer, but you will probably still need to take it elsewhere to get it bound. You could also go online. There are lots of online print and copy shops where you can send your dissertation off as a pdf or a word file, and they will print it and send it back to you. I have used Scribes in the past. They are in Hull, but also do mail order. Highly recommended.

What next?

Your dissertation may set the path for the rest of your life. My dissertation topic and the methods used helped me to gain a position in research at the local council. While others shied away from doing questionnaires on the general public which inevitably need some sort of mathematical interpretation and analysis, my successful use of these methods in my dissertation meant I had invaluable experience that others did not have.

If you are considering staying in academia, then a good dissertation can make the difference between getting a paid position or not. It is a good idea to get extra copies printed so you can take them to any type of interview you have.

Because a dissertation is worth more than a standard module it's very important  to make sure its a good one, and it is worth spending the time to make it as good as it can be. But do not miss the deadline. It's got too much riding on it for it to be scored zero. Try to take regular breaks from it to spend a bit of time sleeping on it. The key to a good dissertation is to choose the right topic and methods for you, start it early, and review it regularly.

Good luck!

Be a book broker

TheBookPond are currently looking for businesses to act as brokers for used textbooks.

The seller would bring their books in, leave their details, and set a sale price. The broker would list their books with theBookPond.com and handle the sale. The broker would send the money onto the seller, minus a pre-agreed commission and/or an admin fee.

Textbooks can have a high value and many students are reluctant to part with them at the low price that traditional book-dealers have offered for them. The result is that too many textbooks are left un-loved and gathering dust, long after they should be. Which is a shame because there are other students desperate to save money on their own textbook purchases. There is a temporal and spatial mis-match between the lives of final-year students who are moving out of the area, and those of new students moving in. Local book brokers would plug that gap.

A theBookPond broker would get a free listing on our site, as well as being promoted to our members through the use of our blog, Facebook page, Twitter feed and our e-newsletter. We will provide leaflets and posters for your premises, and are here to answer any questions by email. In return, the book broker would set their own terms and commission levels, and are free to cease being a theBookPond broker at any time.

The benefits of being a broker are obviously the extra income accrued by the commission, as well as extra foot-fall to your premises, and a listing (and backlink to your site) on our main site.

Ideally, the business would already be trading in a publicly-accessible premises in or close to the university area, and operating in a related business, such as second-hand goods, stationery, print-and-copy, or maybe in coffee and buns.

So if you fancy being a small but vital part of a growing student service, please get in touch with Joanne on joanne@thebookpond.com, or through our Facebook page.

October 2011 round-up

The last few months have been our busiest yet here at theBookPond HQ. After our appearance on the BBC's Click! programme (did you hear about that, did we tell you?) we have had loads more books put on the site in all areas of the UK, and lots of new registered users from all parts of the world. This came after a feature on pocket-lint.com back in February so we were very pleased when the BBC gave us some airtime too. We have had interest both from inside and outside the UK, and are looking forward to some exciting developments in the next few weeks. We would like to say a big hello to all our new users, especially those who have joined us since our unexpected and most welcome TV appearance in July.

Since July, we have had several media requests and made appearances on Manchester's PureRadio, and The University of Lincoln's Siren FM. Thank you to the production crews for letting us pollute the airways in their name.

Joanne has been very busy with her new additions to her family, as well as finishing off her masters degree and attending the odd conference or two. She is keeping abreast of all the latest student news for you, and trying very hard not to break the website while Graeme is away.

Graeme has been working in India for a voluntary organisation who aid development by deploying skilled engineers. We welcome him back to the sunny UK very soon. Preferably before Joanne breaks the site good and proper.

Coming this term are some site improvements. We will be breaking theBookPond down so that each university town has it's own online area, complete with interactivity and content written especially. This will take some time to get all the areas finished, but users should be able to see the first of the new pages this term. Otherwise, we will be plugging on with getting more users on board to get those textbooks sold quicker.

Don't forget you can keep abreast of all the news and goings on by subscribing by email to this blog. In the meantime, stay with us, recommend us to your friends, spread the word and help get everyone's textbooks turned into cash. Laters.

The difference between university and school

Today, the BBC reported that a recent survey had found that most university students today, whether from the state sector or from a private school, thought that the quality of the teaching at their university was worse than that of their school.

This is especially a concern now that fees are due to rise and students will be looking more closely at value for money. This is only common sense. After all, if you are painfully aware of the amount of money that something is costing you (even if you don't technically pay for it for a few years or so), then you will scrutinise the details more closely.

But complaints against teaching in universities are not always linked to cost. When I went to university, when the fees were nearer £1000 and all usually covered by the LEA anyway, there were still concerns among the students about the attitude of teaching staff and many students questioned their tutors' commitment to the course. I remember several complaints being made to the department when a lecturer failed to show for a lecture, or when they turned up late because they couldn't find the teaching lab. These things happen. Academics, particularly the really clever ones are not all known for their customer service or commercial nous. This has to change. Over the coming years, students will demand more. They will have sacrificed more to go to university, and have higher expectations for their £9,000 than universities are in a position to meet. However, while resources and teaching facilities cost money to bring up to the standard expected by more discerning students, customer service does not cost anything. Apologies from lecturers go a long way. Teaching staff learning where they are supposed to be and when does not cost anything.

Compromises also need to be made on the part of the student, or at least a compromise in attitude. A university is not school. That is the point. University is about grown-up, independent learning. University is not about being spoon-fed information for you to regurgitate in an exam. Academic staff are there to guide your learning, to give you the overview, to provide you with a list of recommended reading, and to suggest things to gen up on for the assessments. A more flexible approach to learning is needed, and this has to come from the student. The three years at university are a learning curve, and the first few months are about adapting to a new style of learning - hence why the first year of most university courses do not count towards your final grade. At university there is no register for lectures. It's up to you to turn up. At university you are given an essay title and a deadline. It's up to you to meet it.

Yes, we expect that if a lecture is billed as being at a certain place at a certain time then it will happen, and we should get an apology if it doesn't. Yes, we understand that sometimes things happen and the staff member has to bail at the last minute. In university there are no substitute teachers. We get that. Yet, staff need to understand the students' concern over value for money and make every effort to do things that don't cost money yet enhance the value-added.

However, teaching at university is fundamentally different to school with good reason. The teaching attitude is different because the staff are different, and the staff are different because its a different environment. I for one would not want university to be like school. School was stifling and full of people I didn't like much. University was liberating and full of people I wanted to be with. I am more than happy that university life and teaching, for all its faults, are different.

Working while studying

As much as we'd all like to be able to concentrate solely on our studies, often it is necessary to get a part-time job to help finance our time at university. Part-time jobs also provide vital work experience that could help to clinch that desirable graduate position. So what type of part-time work is suitable for students?

Convenient hours

The first priority should be a job that fits in around your studies. As much as you need the money, jobs which clash with lectures and take up time you need to spend on revision are counter-productive. This usually means jobs in an evening, such as bar work, or a weekend position, such as in a shop.

Good money

The other priority is money. It goes without saying that the more money you get per hour, the less hours you have to work. Simple. However, bar and shop work isn't the best paid work, and students sometimes have to make the sacrifice of low pay over convenient hours. Some employers can take advantage of this, so be careful. Try and get a job that pays as much as possible without having to work lots of hours. Use your skills you already have. If you have industry experience, then you should look to get work which uses this. It is likely to be better paid and give you more flexibility that traditional student jobs.

Use your existing skills

Look in less traditional places for work. Yes the university union job shop may have lots of tempting positions but they may not pay so well. Try the job section of the local town's newspaper, or keep track of what jobs are coming up at the local council. Interesting jobs which use your skills such as sports coaching, or leading drama workshops will pay more per hour and provide much more relevant work experience.

Paying tax (or not)

If you work in a job that has irregular hours, for example you work a lot more hours during the holidays than during term-time, make sure you do not pay too much tax. Income tax is paid over a year, but worked out by your employer on your weekly wage. Some weeks you will pay too much tax. You can claim it back at the end of the year by filling in a P50, but this is not good if you need the money right now. Instead, you can also apply for an exemption, but to do this your total earnings for the year must be lower than your personal allowance, which is around £6,500.

Building experience

If you plan on using a part-time job to boost your CV and help your future career then it is better to look for a job in the area in which you are interested in working. If you want to be a marine biologist then don't work in a factory. Ask if there are any jobs at the local aquarium, even if it's working in their gift shop. If you like history, then look for weekend work at the local museum. Don't be afraid to stray from the student areas to find more interesting, better-paid work.

Other ways of making money

There are also money-making opportunites available which tap into your student status. Some companies who want to sell to students have commission-based schemes where you can earn money from liaising with social groups like societies or sports teams. For example, your sports team needs new kit, you take the order and place it with the company and you get a share of the sale value.You'll never get rich this way, but for some it can be easy money if you already have the contacts and a flair for sales. Watch out for opportunites like this on websites such as http://www.gumtree.com/.

Above all, try not to let any part-time work interfere too much with your studies. Sacrificing good marks for a bit of extra cash may not be the best long-term strategy. Better financial management might be a better option than working too many hours.

Good luck, and happy job-hunting.

Meeting deadlines

During your time at university, deadlines are something that you will come up against in every single module. You can't avoid them, but they don't have to become your undoing. Winning the war against deadlines is a series of small battles, and those battles start in the very first week. Follow our battle plan for success.

• In the front of your diary or folder (or whatever new-fangled gadget you have this week), make a table where you can enter all your prospective deadlines as and when you get them. Read your module handbooks carefully, within the first week. Any mention of an assignment, exam or test, get the details (module name, type of assessment, value of assessment, and due date) into the table. When you have all the details of every assessment on every module, re-write the table in date order and DO NOT lose it. Refer to it regularly.
• Prioritise your assessments. Obviously it would be nice to just tackle them all in date order, but this is not always possible. Some assignments can be started earlier than others, especially if the lectures for that topic have already been given and you have done some reading. You should also prioritise assessments of greater value over ones of lesser value, but don't let any of them slip - you will score zero for a late assignment, no matter how hard you've worked on it. You should also prioritise assessed work over other things like playing an extra game of Dungeons and Dragons, or whatever it is you crazy kids do for kicks.
• Nearer the end of term, do good old-fashioned time-tabling. Get your diary, write in all your outstanding assignments and exams and allocate time-slots each day to focusing on one assignment or exam revision. Scheduling your study will help you identify possible revision conflicts, and help you work out on what date you should have started any revision by.
• If you run into problems and things start to slip, then see your tutor as soon as possible. They are there to help you after all, and goodness only knows this course is costing you enough. They can help you get re-focused. If you run into personal problems which have impacted on your studying, you can apply for mitigating circumstances. This is informing the university that, because of something extra-ordinary that has happened to you (such as illness, bereavement or family emergencies) you deserve this to be taken into account for the assessment. Speak to your department office to do this, but beware - you may only get one chance at applying, so make it good. Bear in mind also that you will likely have to submit evidence to back up your claims.

So good luck in your battles and I hope you win the war.

Cheap and cheerful vegetarian meals for students

This post is provided by Lisa, who writes all about vegetarianism. You can visit her blog at wedonteatanythingwithaface. Thank you to Lisa for agreeing to share her favourite quick and easy recipies with us all.

It's the start of the new academic year, and all over the UK, 1000s of freshers are starting uni.

I’ve been reminiscing about the time that I got my 'A' level results…unfortunately I didn't quite get the results I needed to get into my first choice university (ahem, slight social-life/study balance issue there!) but after some panic driven phone calls, I secured a place on a decent course (biology) at my fifth choice uni, managed to find a place in the local halls of residence and was looking forward to the start of my days as a student.

I started uni during the last recession, so money was tight and part-time jobs were scarce; I found I had some bargaining power in the communal kitchen, as I could cook (I was amazed at the number of people who couldn’t cook more than beans on toast!) I wasn't vegetarian then, but was well on my way, so meat-free meals featured strongly, especially as they were cheap to make. I soon found that if I offered to cook, I could spend less money on food (by pooling our food budgets) and get the washing up done by someone else...not a bad trade off eh?

If you want to save money and impress others with your culinary skills, you can find a week's worth of meal ideas on my vegetarian budget/student meal planner, and even more student meals and tips below. I can't really call some of them recipes but they’re all quick and easy to make, use basic ingredients, and will save you money which you can spend on your social life instead (and books, of course!)

Top food budgeting tips

• Combine food budgets with one or more friends/room mates.

• Look out for special offers on tinned, fresh and frozen fruit and veg.

• Look for reduced products which are near their sell by date.

• Base meals around cheap carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes), dried or tinned pulses (peas, beans and lentils) and seasonal fruit and veg.

• Forget about brand-names, even if your mum swears by them!

• Shop at budget supermarkets or buy own label/budget foods from larger supermarkets.

• Plan your main meals each week, as this will reduce the amount of food you buy and waste. Try Netmums and Money Saving Expert for more meal planning tips.

• Use up leftovers in another meal, don't throw them away (unless out of date). Most meals can be frozen for a month or kept in the fridge for a couple of days. The Love Food Hate Waste website has lots of good ideas for using up odds and ends.

• Follow these guidelines if reheating cooked rice, unless you want a dose of food poisoning!

• Use cheap herbs and spices (e.g. mixed herbs, mild chilli powder and garam masala) to pep up boring meals.

• Use packet/dried mixes for veggie burgers and sausages or buy own-brand meat-free products and use sparingly.

• Be creative!

Quick meals

These quick, cheap and easy meals will all serve 2 hungry students (or one person for two meals.) It might sound strange, but a lot of my camping food ideas would make great student meals too.

• Pizza - make up a budget pizza base or plain scone mix. Flatten onto a greased baking tray. Top with tomato puree, mixed herbs, grated cheese and any toppings you have (choose from onion, pepper, mushrooms, tinned pineapple, olives, tinned sweetcorn etc.) Cook at 200C/Gas 6 for 10-15 mins.

• Pasta/rice with chickpeas in spicy tomato sauce - Fry 1 small chopped onion in a drop of vegetable oil, add 1 crushed clove garlic, 1 tbsp tomato puree, 1 tin budget chopped tomatoes, ½ tin budget chickpeas, a grated carrot/sliced mushrooms/chopped red pepper, 1 tsp chilli powder or garam masala. Simmer for 15 minutes, meanwhile cook the pasta or rice.

• Lentil spag-bol - Follow above recipe but swap the chickpeas for 50g dried red lentils and 100ml water (reduce the amount of water and add a glug of red wine if there's any going!) Swap the chilli powder for 1 tsp mixed herbs. Simmer for around 20 minutes.

• Make and cook veggie burgers/sausages from a packet mix, serve in budget pittas with budget coleslaw/salad, or serve with mashed potatoes, vegetables and veggie gravy.

• Root vegetable soup - Fry 1 chopped onion in a drop of oil, add 2 peeled and chopped chopped carrots, 1 potato,1 parsnip and a handful of dried red lentils. Cover with 500-750ml veg stock made with a veg stock cube and boiling water. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Mash or blend, if you don't like chunks in your soup. Serve with bread.

• Savoury pancakes - Use a budget pancake/batter mix to make pancakes. Fill with roasted veg and grated cheese, veggie chilli, or cheese and baked beans.

• Beans/tinned spaghetti/scrambled eggs/cheese on toast.

• Potato pancakes - Mix left over mashed potato with 1-2 eggs and 1-2 tbsp plain flour. Fry until golden brown on both sides.

• Lentil hash - Fry ½ an onion in a drop of oil, with a clove of garlic, 1 tsp mild chilli powder, a pinch of mixed herbs. Add any any left over veg you have (diced quite small), 1 tbsp tomato puree, 100g of dried red lentils and about 250ml water. Cook until soft (about 15 mins), adding more water if needed. Spoon lentil mixture over a pack of economy tortilla chips and top with a handful of grated cheese/vegan cheese. Pop under the grill for a few minutes until the cheese is bubbling.

• Vegetable pasta bake - Cook 150g budget pasta for 8-10 minutes and drain. Meanwhile fry ½ chopped onion in a drop of oil, and add any other veg you have handy (eg: chopped carrot, parsnip, leek, cauliflower), a crushed clove of garlic and a good pinch of dried herbs. Add 100ml of veggie gravy (made with granules) and 100ml of cider to the pan and bring to the boil, while stirring. Simmer for 5-10 minutes (with pan lid on) until the veg is just cooked and the sauce has thickened. Pour the sauce over the pasta, mix and tip into an oven-proof dish. Top with some fresh breadcrumbs and grated cheese/vegan cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 190C/Gas 5.

..oh, and just in case you're interested, yes I did get my degree (in both science and socialising!)

Getting fresh.

Here at theBookPond we fully understand how some of you are feeling about your upcoming first ever term at University. We have been there ourselves and know that starting uni can be scary, exciting, and at times, over-whelming. Especially so for those who starting university also means moving away from home for the very first time. But you needn't fear - plenty of people before you have done it too, and survived to speak of the experience, so it really can't be that bad.

So what can you expect from your first few weeks at university?

The first few days involve moving into your accommodation and meeting other students just like you. The good thing about this process is that you are all in the same boat, and can provide mutual support to get you all through any jitters. The bad thing is that you are going to end up living with at least one person who you don't like and won't get on with. D'oh! However, this is normal and an inevitable part of shared student accommodation. If it's any consolation, you will probably get to choose who you live with next year, but to do that you have to get to know some people first. Our advice to you is if you really don't like anyone you live with, either try to get to know them better, or just avoid them. The year will soon pass, and you probably won't be home enough to worry about it anyway.

Next you need to attend the freshers social events. Go to the freshers' fair, grab all your freebies, and join up to a society or two. Choose to join a society you might actually go to though, or it's pretty pointless. Join the one with the best cake on their stall. Avoid those who bring no cake at all. Biscuits are perfectly acceptable, as long as they have chocolate on them somewhere.

Your first academic week will involve meeting your classmates and tutors, and working out your timetable. This is the time to bring up any problems, such as potential clashes and whether you are actually signed up to the correct modules. This week is always a bit fraught and it's not unusual for things to change quickly from one day to the next. It's like this for everyone, and will soon be over. Make sure you know how to access your university emails and online notice-board system so you can keep up with things. If you have any problems at all, contact the student admin in your home department as soon as you can.

The next week will probably be the start of lessons proper. DO NOT miss your first lecture for each module. You will receive a summary of that module for the coming term, and probably get a module handbook, which will contain the details on how you will be assessed. You will also get your reading list and need to look into getting your books soon. By this time, you should've also gotten your university card which will give you access to the library and other facilities. If not, find out how you get it.

Along the way, you will meet various people - tutors, staff, other students, and housemates. Some of them will come and go, others will be friends for life, maybe a future spouse, or a future ex-spouse! Meet as many people as possible, enjoy this time even if it seems a little scary. You may not get this time back again.

Being at university can be confusing and scary for many. If you feel this way, you are not unusual. Talk to others and you will find they feel exactly the same as you. If things get too much though, and sometimes they can, please sit it out for few more weeks. Things change quickly in the first term, and soon you will find friends, get into the swing of lectures, of going to the library and to more interesting places. At Christmas you will look back and wonder what all the worry was about.

It's a strange time for you, but one you will remember for the rest of your lives. All the best wishes to all new students.

My money saving tips for students - part two

Following on from our money saving tips for students - part one, there are lots of other ways that you can save money, while studying and beyond.

First of all, try not to drop out. Dropping out is expensive because it means that any debt you have accrued to date still needs to be paid off, yet you are no nearer having anything to show for it. It helps if you make the right choice of course in the first place, but this is easier said than done and if you are considering dropping out completely, check with your tutor to see if you can transfer to a more suitable course with the modules you have already completed. The faster you can get to your goal of a good degree, the less debt you (should've) built up on the way.

Secondly, don't rush in to getting any old student bank account. Don't get a bank account based on the freebies you can get (which you probably won't use or can get cheaply anyway) or because the nice lady at the desk had a lovely smile. Use a site like moneysupermarket.com to look through all the options first. The best accounts come with the highest in-credit interest rate, the lowest fees and the lowest overdraft rate. They don't always come with a free gift.

That being said, don't fear getting into debt. There is debt which is ok to be in, and debt that isn't. Having a large student loan is fine - you need it to pay for fees and living expenses, the interest rate is relatively low and you only start paying it back once you are earning good money. Credit card debt and bank loans are bad debt - they charge a higher rate of interest and you have to pay it back regardless of your situation. Avoid bad debt as much as possible, but bear in mind that you will have to get into some good debt to get through your course.

Flash your NUS card EVERYWHERE! Even if the shop doesn't advertise it does a student discount, it might do if you ask. There's nothing to lose and it might just get you a cheeky pound or two off, and every little helps.

Do you have any idea where your money goes every week? Looking at your expenditure in more detail will help you identify what you can be cutting back on. I know it's a bit of a geeky thing to do, but carry a notebook with you to record your spendies, even if it's just for a week. You may be surprised at just what you are spending on things you really don't need or could get cheaper elsewhere.

The last tip this time - look at who you have around you. Are they students who watch what they spend too, or ones whose parents have deep pockets and splash the cash at every available opportunity? It's easy to spend money when those around you are spending it too. I'm not saying you should ditch the mates, but an awareness of how others influence your habits could help stop you falling into a hole you can't get out of.

Again, if you have any good ideas you'd like to share, then comment below or send them to me at Joanne@thebookpond.com and I'll include them next time around.

Get a job!

Get a job! In this day and age, getting that all important graduate position is often easier said than done.

A report in The Telegraph states that graduate unemployment is currently riding at a 20 year high, and that as many as 20% of graduates are without employment; not to mention the numbers of graduates who are in under-employment.

How can you make sure you're not one of the unlucky 1-in-5?

First of all, get some work experience on top of your degree. According to High Fliers, a third of this years graduate vacancies are expected to be filled by someone who has already worked for the organisation. This could be in the form of an internship, a temporary or part-time job, or a sponsored placement during a sandwich course. There is some concern that internships are exploitative but, as I've said before on this blog, what's the alternative? There is no point in disadvantaging yourself on a socialist principle. Try and find some sort of work experience. If you're yet to start your degree, then seriously consider a sandwich course. If you've already graduated then sign up to a temp agency and get some proper experience under your belt and onto your C.V.

Talking of C.Vs, always make sure yours is up-to-date, available, and more importantly, can be tailored to each job you apply for. According to Give-a-Grad-a-Go, graduates make many simple mistakes on their C.V. which stand them at a disadvantage. Read the article, it really is good advice.

And that leads me on to employment organisations. As well as Give-a-grad-ago, there are also lots of other specialist graduate employment companies, like Milkround.com. Even if they haven't got any jobs posted which you fancy, if you sign up for email alerts or like their Facebook pages, you get some really good advice which could help you to be more employable.

If you want to stay in academia, maybe get yourself a masters degree (this could help make you stand out over other graduates too), then try http://www.jobs.ac.uk/. For those students that are good enough, universities offer paid studentships. These tend to pay at least fees, and often a stipend which is tax-free, and around the £10,000 to £15,000 a year mark. Some of them include teaching duties as part of the deal, boosting your experience too. Even if you don't intend to stay in academia full-time, it'll tide you over for another year, keep you busy and, you never know, it might lead to something big.

From the perspective of someone who's been in a position to hire people, I offer one small, but effective tip. If you have an email address like hotlips69@yahoo.com or similar, please please please register something more sensible to put on your job applications. You are a grown-up now, please act like one. There are numerous other graduates fighting for the job you want, don't give someone else even the smallest excuse to put you on the 'no' pile.

Also, one more. Occasionally step out of your comfort zone. I have read too many job applications where someone's dissertation topic was based on their university, other students, their friends. The ones that really stood out for me were the people who had researched and worked with groups like older people, disabled people, the homeless or other socially marginalised groups. So stop arseing about and get some real life experience, or at least show you want to experience it.

Anyway, good luck in your job searching. It is tough, though not impossible. Think quality not quantity when applying, and don't be afraid to do something menial rather than holding out for something better. Experience is experience and you never know where it might take you.

All the best.

My money saving tips for students - Part one

With rising costs for students, like tuition fees, rents and transport, the debts that students find themselves in at the end of their courses are rising too. Some things you can't avoid shelling out for, but there are economies to be made and money-saving skills to develop which will help to minimise the debt and will help out in later life aswell. Below are a selection of my tips to help students save money.....

1 - Shop around. Things like contents insurance can be expensive but don't accept the first quote you are given. Go to a broker. They work on a commission basis but get exclusive access to deals which could save you money. Even better, go online and use a comparison site like www.confused.com. Just make sure you are getting the right amount of cover so you can replace your items should the worst happen. Don't under-estimate the value of your essential equipment or you'll leave yourself vulnerable.

2 - Team up with others. Buying in bulk can often get you a better deal, so gang up with your housemates. Food isn't getting any cheaper and cooking one meal for your whole house instead of four or five individual meals will save all of you some money. Get together and cook something nice for you all, rather than getting a take-away. Even if you do this just one night a week, the savings soon add up. Take it in turns to cook, give each other points like on Come Dine with Me and make it fun.

3 - Coupons, coupons, coupons. I know it's a very old-lady thing to do but look out for money-off coupons in the local newspaper and online. Stash them away for things you buy regularly, and remember to use them - they won't save you money stuck in the drawer - get them out! Remember - Nans know best.

4 - Buy used. You don't need brand spanking new everything for your room. There are plenty of charity shops, second-hand stores, and online sites where you can buy used items at knock-down prices. Try good old e-bay for smaller items, gumtree.com for bulky items from local sellers and, of course, theBookPond.com for your essential textbooks.

5 - Sell your stuff when you're done. Don't be lazy and throw it away just because you can't be bothered to take it home with you. You have a couple of weeks between your last exam and returning home so use this time to turn your stuff into cash. Put up ads to attract interest, or take it to a second-hand shop and see if they'll buy it from you. You might not get very much, but every little helps. You'll also be doing your bit to save the planet.

More to follow when I think of them. If you have any money-saving tips to share, please add them below, or email us at joanne@thebookpond.com and we'll include them in the next instalment.

Internships - are they worth it?

I was watching a feature on BBC News this morning about the exploitation of students by using them as interns. It made me consider my own position as a graduate and how my experience has helped me to progress. I went to university as a mature student. I was 26, which is only 8 years older than most of the other students in my year, but I had a house and mortgage, a husband, and nearly a decade of work experience over pretty much every one of my peers.

http://www.internaware.org/ Intern Aware are a campaign group who want all interns to be paid the minimum wage for the work that they do. I think this is a noble idea, but whether it would work in practice is debatable. After all, there are enough unemployed people at the moment who could do what the interns do with no support, and will bring their own experience to the role. This would mean the people with experience get more experience, and those with no experience get left even further behind. The only way in to any company would be to replace someone who is retiring, and the government are even stopping the 60-somethings from jumping ship too early.

The world of work is changing all the time. When I started work at the age of 15 (in 1992 whilst still at school) and before the introduction of the minimum wage, I was paid a pittance but it kept me busy, gave me some spending money and, more importantly, meant that I had solid work experience before I'd even left school. This experience enabled me to gain an apprenticeship after I'd finished my A-Levels. Again, it was poorly paid but it provided training and experience and I soon moved on up, earning good money for a few years. Each step on the ladder helped me move up to the next one. Internships are a relatively new concept to the UK, but they are simply another step on the ladder. Yes, they may be exploitative, but what's the alternative? No-one wants to be the one who's got all the qualifications and no experience. It's a labour-buyers' market at the moment, and all experience is good experience.

At the moment, I am unable to commit to a full-time graduate position for personal reasons, which is probably just as well considering the tough competition among graduates for the few jobs there are available. I am very jealous of those foot-loose graduates with no mortgage and no children who can afford not to earn a wage for a short while. My advice to you is to get all the work experience while you are in a position to do so. This position of no job and no other commitments might not seem so advantageous to you, but trust me, there is plenty of time left. If you get the chance to do an internship in the meantime, grasp it with both hands, and enjoy it and learn from it. Onwards and upwards.

What a difference a day makes

Now I wouldn't say we didn't have faith in theBookPond project - we always knew it was a fantastic idea, but its fair to say we have been pretty deflated by the lack of interest in the site and we were beginning to question our own instincts, however.....

On the 2nd July, the site was featured on the BBC's Click! technology programme. Click! goes out four or five times over the weekend, and is available to watch on the BBC website for a whole week. On Saturday morning I was more than pleasantly surprised to find we had a spot on Webscape with the lovely Kate Russell, and since then things have been a bit mad.

We have had a surge of interest from like-minded students, and from businesses. The site has had a flurry of activity including students registering and listing books from all corners of the UK. We are much pleased. We have been overwhelmed with the lovely messages people have taken time and effort to send us. We have had everything from 'good for you' messages of support, to recommendations for improvements. We have had many people telling us they are telling all their friends about us, which is fab because the more people know about the site, the more useful it becomes.

We would like to say thank you to Click! for featuring us, and for their accurate interpretation of the site aims, and for the enthusiasm shown. It really came across well on screen and is a credit to the superb production crews a world-leading corporation like the Beeb employ.

Soon, we will be launching our poster thingy-me-bob, hopefully incorporating the recommendations that students have made, as well as other general improvements to the site itself. For now we are trawling through the numerous emails, and getting our heads round the numerous new books that have been listed.

So a massive welcome to all neew members, and a big thank you for all the support shown to us. We hope we can at least be useful, and if not, at least be interesting.

Recommendation for Hull students

I visited a great little place in Hull yesterday. I've been having trouble with my trusty bike, so popped into Bob's Bikes on Beverley Road while I had a few minutes, and what a hidden gem this place is. The guy was real friendly, and looked at my bike straight away, He found the problem, something to do with my gears which I really didn't understand. Within about 15 minutes he had fitted a new cable thingy, and charged me very little I think. I would recommend this place to other students, as it's a bit off the student drag, but well worth a trip. It's on Beverley Road in Hull near the Cannon Junction pub. They also did me 10% off with my NUS card. Even better.

The magic 100

Today we reached the milestone of the first 100 books on the site, well 101 actually, but what's an extra one between friends? As promised the prize duck will be winging its way over to the lucky lister very soon.

Also, after a flurry of activity on Twitter, another prize duck will soon be on it's way to Pennsylvania in the USofA. Thanks to everyone who helped increase our following.

Soon, we will be launching our 'Five reasons to list' campaign, which will encourage students to list their used textbooks. This will be spread through our Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, e-newsletter and on the main site itself. We hope that by getting more books on the site will tempt more people to use it, and so on. We want people to be leaders, not followers.

Recently we have also been in touch with other websites. Our new fave is Doofa, which enables you to list what you would do for cash so you can turn your spare time and skills into money. We recommend you take a look soon. If you can't find them, visit our facebook page and click on the link. Laters.....

Twitter Prize Draw

Am getting a bit more into this Twitter business. To celebrate my new found social-geekness, we are giving away a duck-shaped prize (to be decided) to one lucky Twitter follower who re-tweets any of our tweets about the prize draw. Visit our Twitter page to find one. The prize is yet to be bought, but we guarantee it will be small, cute and duck-like. Just like me!

Nice surprise

Just found out that on the 7th Feb, theBookPond was Pocket-Lint.com's website of the day, which is fantastic. No-one told me! I've been so busy with so much stuff that I hadn't even noticed the dozens of extra visitors who stopped by our site that day and since. Talk about taking your eye off the ball for a second.

Thanks to Pocket-Lint for liking our site enough to give it this high honour and a place in web-history. Thanks also to our parents who are our inspiration, and to God, blah blah blah........

Feb 2011

Good grief, where have the last few months gone? Here at theBookPond we have been extremely busy in so many ways, the time has just flown. We hope you are having a nice mid-term break and spending the time wisely, revising and finishing off those all-important assignments. Good luck with whatever you have got going on.

This term we would like to introduce you to U-Biz. They are a new website that operate to bring you discounts offered by local, independent companies instead of the usual burger chains and high street shops. They are a new start-up with a good ethos and we think you should pay them a visit at least. www.u-biz.co.uk. They are returning the favour by recommending us to their followers, which is fab!

This week we are running a half-term online ad campaign so hope to have more books available to buy very soon. Some new members have started listing already.......and whoever lists the milestone #100 gets a special 'Best of British' duck to celebrate. Get listing now!!!!