Get The Most Out Of Your Time & Money

A lot us will look back on events in our lives and say things like, “If I only knew then what I

know now.” It’s that experience is the best teacher. We tend to think about things in

retrospect – what we could have done better if we had known more at that present time. But

of course, this never really does us any good because, try as we might, we can’t go back to

those moments.

Two years into my degree at university, I have been thinking of a lot of things that I wish I

knew going into this, things I wish someone had told me. Although, even if someone had

passed this knowledge my way then, would I have listened? Who knows? My hope is that, in

sharing these tips with you, you’ll trust me and take it to heart so you can get the most out of

your time and money.

1. Research about the course you’d like to go into

Before you go into any course research into it and see what it entails Different

courses come with different qualifications and different workloads what I mean is

some courses may be more exam orientated and others might be essay orientated.

It’s all about playing to your strengths and going to where you know you’d be more

comfortable. If you excel best in exams, then go for it.

2. Manage your money well

So yes, now you’ve moved out, you are all by yourself and you get to decide how

the money is spend and what its allocated to. Money management is one vital key in

university survival. Watch out for Impulse Spending as a former serial impulse spender I will

whole-heartedly tell you and admit that It can be very tempting to spend your money on

things you want but don't need. It is important to curb your spending as you will need your money for more important things such as school supplies, FOOD and textbooks. Rather than allowing your hard-earned money to go to waste on frivolous items, watch your spending and use it on things that are essential to everyday living. Setting a weekly budget or monthly budget could also be an efficient way for you to manage your money and ensure that you don’t overspend more than you need to.

3. Create a healthy balance between work and play

I really wish someone sat me down, shook me three times and told me that I needed

to create a healthy balance between work and play. I first-hand learned that all play

and no work make one mere toy. A healthy balance is needed you need to allocate

time to focus on your work, but you also need allocate time to socialise and enjoy life

for what it is.However don’t over socialise and not allocate enough time to studying

and focusing on your studies because when it comes to exam time or when you have

assignments you will honestly struggle.

4. Being by yourself will teach you a lot about yourself

Yes, you read that right, being by yourself and away from your family will teach you a

lot of things about yourself that you may not have initially known. For me I realised

that I really enjoyed cooking. I also learned that I enjoyed my own space and my own

company and I'd rather be at home than in packed social areas. So be ready to learn

a lot about yourself that you might not have particularly known.

5. You are going to be okay

As simple as that sounds those six words really do mean a lot. With you being in new

environments with people you are only getting to know, learning to manage money by yourself for the first time it can get a bit overwhelming and sometimes you feel like you’ll never make it but YOU WILL BE OKAY!

Written by: Valerie Njambi