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.