Campus Nonsense

Obviously this is a sweeping generalisation, but for every full-blown romantic effort there are a dozen much smaller understated ones that probably mean just as much. The romance is present in the thought, regardless of whether two nights before one half of a couple drank three bottles of wine and fell asleep in a public toilet somewhere, sitting down quietly and splitting a bottle of wine over a home cooked meal can be something really special.

 

For all the cynicism, the romance that you find in a University is genuinely heartfelt, admittedly this is because your average student wouldn’t bother unless it was genuine, but there are not all that many empty gestures, and by the time you’re living in houses in second year, it’s more than likely that after a bit of fun and games your housemates will bend over backwards to help you.

 

That is not to say that other groups of people aren’t romantic on a budget, nor is it to suggest that students have the monopoly on cynicism or heartfelt gestures. In what is, perhaps, something of a comment on wider society, in the non-stop rush that is University, in the ribbing of friends, and the sustained periods of sleep deprivation that in most other settings would be regarded as a torture method, that moment where someone stops and demonstrates just a moment of thoughtfulness is all the more special.

 

Still, uniqueness is a problem, with so many couples and romantic ideas in such a small space, how do you offer something that no one else has before? Falling victim to all the romantic clichés that one could be exposed to, simply giving the gift yourself, having thought about it and planned it as much as you can, is all the individuality that could possibly be required. If anything, students prove better than anyone else that it’s not the gift, but the gesture behind the gift that really counts. Despite that, if you are looking for something unique and good value, perhaps the best thing to do is to look at some of the options around, and to that end if you’re looking for something as wild as a hot air balloon rides, ASDA Entertainment is a great place to start. Then again, there’s always the tried-and-tested bouquet of flowers, a reliable and traditional gift you can sort out without fuss by using Interflora’s online flower delivery, which pleasingly means you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your dorm room.

 

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If you wear glasses, you will doubtless have experienced the frustration of not being able to find them, whether first thing in the morning or at some point later in the day. Changing over to contact lenses could mean that you would only have to change your visual aids once a month, saving you hours of hunting around the house as well as money in the long term.

Never again would you have to endure the awkwardness of walking into a crowded room and waiting till the steam on your glasses disappears. You’ll even be able to see properly in the rain.

Imagine not having to carry two pairs of glasses everywhere you go as well as an additional pair of prescription sunglasses just to be able to see! If you chose to wear contacts instead you could buy fashionable sunglasses to pose in and still be able to see. The money you would spend buying three separate prescriptions every year counters the cost of your monthly cost of contact lens supply.

You can also get your lenses sent through the post if you run out or lose your current pair. Contact lenses online are available from Vision Direct, from whom you can request an ongoing order until your next check up - you can even change or enhance your eye colour while you’re there. Most brand name sites like ASDA Contact Lenses even have a colour scheme option so why not look into which contact lenses fit your prescription?

In fact why not consider all the options your current prescription is limiting you to at this moment by visiting a specialist sunglasses expert site such as Sunglasseshut.co.uk? Looking around at all the choices open to you when <you’re no longer limited by an Optician’s range may help you to make the decision to change to contacts.

If you are thinking of making the change to contact lenses simply visit your local optician and have a full sight test so your eyesight can be assessed properly for their eligibility for lenses. Your optician will not only advise you which type of lens is best suited to you – there are now lenses which are appropriate for most common eye conditions including astigmatism - but will also guide you through the care process and how best to put them in.

Often people who have never tried contact lenses are nervous when putting them in for the first time but as long as you’re with a registered Optician, you can rest assured in the knowledge that in order to qualify to dispense optics to the public, every Optician has to first learn how to put lenses in safely. Of course practise makes perfect as with all things in life, but once you have put in your lenses a few times, it will become like second nature to you and feel as easy and as comfortable as putting on your glasses currently does.

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As a student I’m always pretty confused about what to get friends or loved ones as gifts, and not having a heavy wallet has often led to some pretty terrible gift buying experience. However, at least I can talk from experience so you won’t go so far wrong...

Basically, there are two ways in which a gift giving can go wrong; either you can give a gift that does not go down too well, or you can be given a gift that is not to your personal taste. Either of these situations is very awkward and make for an uncomfortable experience where there should be joy and appreciation. Whether you give a howler of a present, or receive one the most important thing when opening a present is that you should always look pleased upon opening!

The fundamental rule that applies to any gift-giving situation is that, no matter how hideous you consider a gift to be, never let on that you don't like it. Keep this in mind at all times - especially when there is a crowd of people watching. Instead smile graciously and thank the giver courteously, finding something nice to say about the gift to show your appreciation for their thought. No matter how bad the present is, remember it was given with love and that you ought to return this sentiment with an appropriate “thank you”. However, don’t overdo it as this is always a sure-fire way of communicating your distaste.

In situations like these thank you notes are often overlooked as a way of conveying a subtle message to the giver after the occasion. Finding a good point to talk about in a note of thanks will once again demonstrate that you appreciate their effort. For example, if you receive an ornament that's not to your taste, choose to talk about the colours used on the item and find a way to relate this to your surroundings at home: “while the colours of the flowers in the ornamental basket are suited to the kitchen, we do not have the shelf space in this room at the moment”.

Small indications that the gift is not going to be pride of place when they next visit, but that you do like the present are not considered as rude as never having the present on show and saying nothing of it. Giving an indication of where the present may end up - “we've decided it matches the decor in the spare room perfectly however and it brightens up the space” - is a way of saying what you mean without offending and still acknowledging the fact you have received a gift of love.

If you are concerned your note will not be well received, consider sending it with a bouquet of thank you flowers to show your appreciation. Sites such as ASDA Flowers have beautiful flowers at reasonable prices so you can get the message across without any offence.

If you realise you have made a mistake with a gift - perhaps the recipient is not as good at poker faces as you or you have duplicated another present - simply apologise and explain why you made your choice. Offer the receipt to the recipient or offer to take it back yourself. If you are humble and offer to exchange the gift for another (here you can ask if there's another gift they might prefer) you should be forgiven. Of course, the best way to ensure that the gift is well received is to get something YOU KNOW they will like in the first place. Websites like Treat Her or NotOnTheHighStreet offer a range of gift ideas to suit all personalities – the former allows you to search by personality, while the latter specialises in personalised gifts that – as the name suggests – you simply won’t find on the High St.

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When you’re facing the start of University and all of the new experiences that it brings, the last thing you want is to be worrying about money. There’s a lot to think about when it comes to student finance, what with maintenance grants, tuition fees, loans, accommodation costs and bills. One way you can make your money situation less stressful is to sort out a student account to organise your funds and keep things under control.

Student accounts are basically like regular current accounts, except for the extra features geared towards helping you deal with finance issues that most students won’t have had to think about before University. Of all current accounts, student accounts are the most likely to be highly accessible, so you can sort out your money over the phone, in a branch, or online. Most banks offer an interest-free overdraft so you don’t have to worry about getting into a lot of debt if you overspend. There are also student credit cards for those who would like a little extra spending money, but it’s best to be wary of this option if you’re not great at budgeting. Added incentives are also a common feature of student accounts - extras designed to draw customers in. Still, if the account is good anyway then the extras are definitely worth considering.

So how do you choose the student account that’s best for you? It’s important to think about which aspects of the account will be most important to you as a student. If you’d like the safety of a big interest-free overdraft to go into if you overspend, then Halifax and RBS currently offer the largest overdrafts for student current accounts, providing up to £2,750. However, remember that no matter how wonderful it may be to have an extra £2,750, you will have to pay it back into the account at some point. If you don’t feel you need a huge overdraft limit but want an extra perk, then NatWest’s current accounts offer a 5 year  Young Persons Railcard – worth £100 – when you open an account with them.

There’s also the option of a student credit card which many banks now offer. Generally, student credit cards will have a limit on them so you can’t accidentally go a long way over budget, and will offer a certain amount of interest-free credit (usually 56 days). Be aware though that it’s wise to avoid overspending, as you’ll only end up with mounting debts.

When it comes to ‘incentives’ every bank seems to offer something different. These should not be the features that you base your decision on entirely, but if you’re stuck between two accounts that seem equally good, then you may find that the ‘extra incentive’ is the thing that makes your decision easier. Whether you want luxury items like the 35 free music downloads offered by Lloyds TSB, or something more practical like the discounted insurance on home, car and personal possessions from NatWest, as long as you remember that this is an added bonus then make the most of it!

Rates quoted are correct at the time of writing (13.04.08) and may be changed at the discretion of the product provider.

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