Student Survival - with a Student Cookbook

Advantages: cheap recipe ideas, helpful for beginner cooks, informal style
Disadvantages: no pictures, some recipes are a bit too adventurous

...Student life . . . takeaways, alcohol, nightclubs? Never really my cup of tea - I don't mind fish and chips but I was too careful with my money for them to be more than an occasional treat. No, when I went to uni, I cooked proper meals - maybe I had too much time or maybe I was more organised than I realised - so a few weeks into my first year, I was in the nearest Waterstones looking for textbooks and somehow moved to the cookery section. And why did I buy this book when there were several other "student" recipe books? Two reasons, really - at £6.99, it was the cheapest option I could see, and it had a recipe for Yorkshire pudding. (Which I'd always wanted to master.) It's a roughly square book, about 2cm thick, with a glossy cover - the sort of thing you'd just be able to wipe over with a damp cloth if food was spilt (provided...

KateHurst 03.08.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Student Cookbook - Hamlyn

Frugal Fun For Students

Advantages: Save money
Disadvantages: Takes a bit of effort!

...As a recent PhD graduate, I have completed 8 years of university: three of those were spent as an undergraduate, one doing my master's degree, and the rest on completing my doctorate. I am also very proud to be in the small minority of ex-students who are not in debt (and I'm hoping it will stay that way now I've joined the Real World). Given this situation, I think you might agree that I have picked up a thing or two about thrifty student living over the years! I am writing this review to share some of this advice; it is aimed at those who are students now, will be students soon, or who have children who are/will be students, partly because this is where my experience lies and partly because the location of this category implies that the "thrift tips" are for those of a scholarly disposition. I hope that they are of use to someone out...

Collingwood21 26.01.2007 (27.01.2007) · Read review
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Review of Student Thrift Tips

Student Survival Guide

Advantages: Your student years can be the best of your life and following these tips may help
Disadvantages: But managing your student funds is always hard!

...As a student, one of the most important things you'll have to manage at university (more important even than alcohol and studying!) will be money. Obviously everyone is in a different situation - I can't give specific advice for everyone (you'll have to think about your own situation) but I hope some of these pointers will be helpful to everyone (not just students). I can't cover everything - in almost all cases you can probably find more specific information on whatever you're interested in on Ciao, but feel free to leave questions in comments. Before you go to University. Money shouldn't decide where you go and what you study, but regrettably in some cases it does. When applying for universities, think about how much they will cost. Consider, for example, whether you can have university accommodation (which is generally cheaper...

a-true-ben 23.08.2001 (27.08.2006) · Read review
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Review of Student Thrift Tips

The Student Support Centre tuition

Advantages: Might help some children over a short period
Disadvantages: Very expensive; parents tied into agreement;; very short trial period

...I received a leaflet from this company - the Student Support Centre - in 2006. As a parent with a child of 7 I was very interested. I felt help with Maths and English would probably benefit him. This is despite the fact that he was doing pretty well already. I telephoned the company and arranged a vist from on of their salesmen. The cost of the tution was not mentioned in the leaflet nor during the conversation by phone. When the salesman came I discovered he was a local man, a family man, He had beena teacher or lecturer who had dropped out of teaching because he thought there was a better way of educating children. He created an environment in which I was persuaded that the tution was an essential product for making sure that my son would make the best progress possible. He was very plausible. Having spent most of his time...

Arthurjones 27.12.2008 · Read review
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Review of The Student Support Centre

Budgeters guide to being a student

Advantages: More money for booze.
Disadvantages: Bigger hangover in the morning.

...I hope this can help students and people that are just moving out and starting a new home. I have learnt how to save more after my student days, since moving out that's when money becomes tighter. Student life is fun, and all students have to scrape by and will learn how to live off little to no money, however it can be done. Budget your money, it is so easy to get into debt, and you will be paying it off for years after if you are wise with your money you should be able to avoid getting yourself into huge amounts of debt. Work out how much money you have to spend and what needs to be paid - make a list so you know how much money is left for food and socialising once all the bills are paid. When you are a student you can have long lay ins - this is a good way to save money, you can't waste money while you sleep. Sleeping is free...

Autarkis 16.12.2008 (20.02.2009) · Read review
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Review of Student Thrift Tips

'Free' Money For Students

Advantages: Low application requirements, sensible credit limit, various ways to bank, accepted worldwide
Disadvantages: Only for students, not a super low interest rate

...I have a number of credit cards, but this is the only one I use. I mention this so you don't think I've stuck with HSBC simply because they're the only people who will offer me credit. They're not, but I still prefer them to their competitors. HSBC are my main bank and so it seemed sensible to stick with them. That wouldn’t be enough to make me stay with them if their service wasn’t up to scratch though, but luckily it almost always has been. The application process is easy. If you’re 18 as most new uni students are (though not all those from Scotland, or some who have skipped years in school), when you open a current account with them, you will be offered the opportunity to apply for one. Note that I didn’t say you’ll be offered a card – you don’t automatically get one, and they will want to...

zoe_page 09.04.2003 (02.05.2003) · Read review
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Review of HSBC Student

The Student Cookbook which Saves Hunger (and money)

Advantages: Clear, Comprehensive, Easy, Great Selection
Disadvantages: There's no pictures :(

...I thought a student cookbook would be my best option for me as a young busy mum who's husband is a chef and always seems to have a mind on this months food budget. I love to cook and have done for years but I'm not very good at coming up with recipes off the top of my head, and I wanted recipes which were good and would impress even the husband! This cookbook has completely rocked my world and I love it! The recipes are so straight forward and taste brilliant. They are easy to adapt to your own taste and can be made to look really posh and nice for a meal with mates or just been thrown together for yourself. My one year old son has loved everything I've made from it so far as has my husband and my mum and believe me, that's a tough crowd to please!!! The bonus of this book is that there are smoothie recipes and cocktail recipes...

chris_tyke 09.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Student Cookbook - Hamlyn

Student customers beware

Advantages: None
Disadvantages: Bad customer service, scrapping interest free overdraft on the bank account

...Please note this review refers to the HSBC Student Service, not just their credit card, which is not worth bothering with anyway. I have had a student account with HSBC for seven years (I know what you're thinking, I'm the classic work dodger with too many degrees), and at first I had no problems with them. Recently however they have changed the terms and conditions of their Graduate account, which will directly and adversely affect anyone with a HSBC Student account. When I signed up for the student account it was clearly stated in all their literature that when you graduate your Student account would automatically switch to a Graduate account, and the terms and conditions of the Graduate account at that time stated that the account would retain the interest free overdraft that was part of the Student account for a year after graduation...

botanybod 27.07.2007 (28.07.2007) · Read review
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Review of HSBC Student

Single Parent students

Advantages: Knowledge gained, wider range of employability.
Disadvantages: The money

....S New students! Your student union will no doubt be carrying on the fight against tuition fees, join and make the government see sense, every little voice soon adds up to a big voice!...

Emma1973 16.09.2001 · Read review
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Review of Student Loan Company

For the gap in between student loan payments

Advantages: great benefits, nice low-ish credit limit, excellent customer service.
Disadvantages: APR too high in my opinion

...After having my student Barclaycard for two years now, I can honestly say that I?m relatively happy with the service I?ve received. Sure, the card has both advantages and disadvantages, but on the whole, the package they offer is attractive and sensibly designed for students. When I started at university, I decided I needed a credit card. Well, I was living away from home, and worried about those nasty gaps in between student loan payments. I know I should have shopped around, but I spied a Barclaycard stall at my Freshers? Fair in the first week of the first term and went for it. The application process was incredibly easy ? I was guided through it by the advisor, and all of the necessary information was given to me before I actually committed myself. After applying, the card and paperwork arrived about a week and a half later ? I...

emmorticia 01.07.2003 · Read review
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Review of Barclaycard Student