There are specific habits a student needs to learn, it is tantamount to our survival. Regardless of a student's level of resources, a school is the kind of place that thrives on a students resources. It is built to suck out every bit of fund a student might have if you allow it. A school is not just a place to learn about academic stuff only but a place you learn how to discipline oneself, to control our impulsiveness and in this case, unnecessary usage of funds is one of the easy way campus life can easily run a student to the ground.
If you are the type that have mastered how to control impulsive behaviour before getting admission, well you might be lucky enough to keep yourself together when you finally get admission. A student survival depends solely on the amount of resources we have access to, the more the resources you have can determine whether school life is going to be an amazing experience or not.
When I said a school is designed to drain a student of their resources, I was not exaggerating. The pressure that comes with being a student is different, is like nothing you have ever seen, it is only those who had passed through an academic system that would understand and I'm not talking about secondary school but a well established higher institution.
A school needs funds to keep progressing and the primary target audience for getting the funds needed to keep a school afloat is the students. At every point, a student will surely find themselves spending just to keep going but despite the school unhinged approach of draining students, a student can still manage their funds but ensuring only what is needed as a student is being spent on.
Before getting admission, most students were still under the authority of their parents but after getting admission, you will feel the shackles of authority that binds you break lose. The feeling of being free is an amazing feeling but it comes at a cost which means you would feel you can do anything that you want and as a human, that is a very dangerous thought.
Apart from the cost of getting things done as a student, like paying for tuition fee, house rent, textbooks e. t. c there are two external factors that drains student the most which are, feeding and transportation. This two are normal human needs, even if you are not a student, you need this two to stay alive. How a student manage this two properly will prove how disciplined they are.
Especially for those who have not lived on their own for a single moment in their life, suddenly they find themselves owning an apartment and free to spend on anything they desire. The need to flex is a natural feeling for any student, I mean you are finally free from your parents or guardians authority, free to engage in whatever activities you want.
You start feeling the need to visit any restaurant of your choice just to enjoy what it feels like to be a student, you want to visit every junk food store, just to have a taste and the more you have it, the more you keep getting used to having it. Before you know it, you can't do without it, it becomes an uncontrollable urge.
So first thing first, keep your obsession or urge under control, if not, it will control you. This was never something difficult for me to do because I'm a product of a boarding school that is bigger than most higher institution in terms of structure and land mass. So I have had a taste of freedom and had enough time to control whatever urge comes with the feeling of being free.
So when I finally got admission, it wasn't something new, I have lived by myself for 6 good years in boarding school and no one knows how to manage resources like a boarding school student, it is something you learn by force in a boarding school and I had 6 years to learn it. With these, I knew of ways to make sure I don't spend more than what is needed, I had already master control of impulsive buying, so I never needed any app to get it done.
The most important rule every student must adhere to, is to learn how to only spend money on what is necessary, only make use of your resources when the situation demands it. As a student, you will learn that there is difference between eating because you are hungry and eating because you want to flex, when you are able to distinguish between this two, then you are one step ahead of gaining control of your financial issues.
When it comes to being a student, no matter the amount of resources you have, I'm telling you, you will spend it all and still, school will still keep demanding more. So if you are the type without a strong financial back up, I suggest you pay attention to what I'm about to say.
It is never a good idea for a student to depend on take-out for feeding, it is one of the fastest way to get drained by a student. And most ignorant students do this not because they want to but because others are doing it and they want to feel among, Doing this is a certain path to destruction. Homemade meals are always more cost effective than any take out, you can do take-out once in awhile just to elevate your mood but not a regular thing.
As a student, no matter the location you are schooling, every neighbourhood have their own market days or a wholesale store. It is very important for a student to keep note of wholesale stores and market places, these allows you to buy things in bulk at a cheaper price than depending on buying very little at a very high rate. It is a great error to depend on those road side shops for food supply, those people make a fortune out of ignorant students.
Learn to survive on biscuits and snacks in the morning because there are times you might not have time to cook before going to lecture in the morning but there is a solution to this. What I did in those days is that, I make sure I add extra to whatever I'm cooking in the night and in the morning, I just warm it and that is it. These way I manage to always keep myself fed before going to lecture in the morning.
Failure to do this, you will end up being trapped by the school market because you have no choice but to go there and have a meal and every time you do this, it becomes an habit. School market is one of the worst place to depend on for feeding because they sell things at a very high price compared to anywhere.
When you manage to keep your feeding under control, what is next is transportation. A student is a soldier not some over fed Guinea pig. Never be too fragile to trek when needed, especially if there is no available of cabs. Never depend on bikers for transportation, those people have the habit of extorting students because they can sense the desperation on a student's face.
I know of some students that have their own personal bike men, that picks them up everytime they need to go anywhere, don't be like them, such extravagant life does not last, if a place is trekk-able do so, it is exercising not stress. It is good for a student to learn how to be comfortable with not being comfortable, it will toughen your resolution and the tougher you get, the higher your chances of surviving because school will test every bit of you and only those that are strong physically and mentally survives the struggle.
This write-up was inspired by weekly prompt " How do you manage money as a student" in hive student connect community.
Cover image - 𝖣𝖾𝗌𝗂𝗀𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗎𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗏𝖺
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