First guides for student life in London

London can be an expensive city, but there are ways and means to make the most of your student budget. You can study for your postgraduate education in London without having to survive on Pot Noodles.

Shopping

Avoid Oxford Street and other expensive high streets, there are plenty of other options. London is full of car boot sales where you can find bargains from cut price crockery to vintage clothing. Try the Wimbledon car boot sale at Wimbledon Stadium, the Battersea car boot sale at Battersea Park School and the Holloway car boot sale on Holloway Road. The Holloway car boot sale is close to London Metropolitan University and many stalls offer student discounts. Head to Leicester Square and into nearby Chinatwon to stock up on staples and spices from the various supermarkets in the area. London’s many markets also offer bargains, including clothing at Camden Market and gourmet foods at the Borough Market.

Eating Out

For some quick vegetarian food head to Beatroot in Soho – a meal for two with soft drinks will run you £15. For a taste of Malaysian cuisine head to Rasa Sayang in Chinatown – drinks and your meal will cost £10. For British comfort food Stockpot in Soho is the place to be – drinks and a main is around £10. Lahore Kebab House in Whitechapel lets you bring your own drinks, and a meal for two will be around £25.

Textbooks

For cheap textbooks, see if your university has a second-hand bookshop or a service that allows students to sell on books that they no longer need. Remember, you are not just restricted to your own university. London is full of institutions of higher education and if you cannot find a particular book in your own university’s bookshop you may well be able to get it on another university’s campus. You can also head to the second-hand book market that is found under Waterloo Bridge.

Work And Play

If you want to do some work but don’t feel like heading to the library you can get free wi-fi at the Barbican Centre, the Camden Arts Centre and the Royal Festival Hall.

There are plenty of London attractions that can combine work and play. Music students might want to check out the free concerts at The Church of St James’s in Piccadilly every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For biology students, the Museum of Natural History is a goldmine, and Zoology students and Veterinary students might want to see the animals in London Zoo. Other attractions that mesh with various degrees include the Science Museum and the London Transport Museum for engineers, the Imperial War Museums for students of history and the Anaesthesia Heritage Museum and Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum for medical students.

Many of London’s nightclubs host special student nights with drinks promotions and other discounts. Check out Popcorn at Heaven on Monday nights for an Ibitha vibe, The Social off Oxford street for live music and a a more relaxed atmosphere, and Los Locos in Covent Garden on Wednesday nights to take in the best of today’s tunes and chart hits from the past.

Next time: I will show you how to reduce your daily bill on eating