Student Expenses
Becoming a student of higher education comes with a lot of different expenses. Fees are obviously a big one, and you might be looking at moving out and into student accommodation so rent and travel expenses come into it, food, bills, supplies, etc. Start to list out all your expected expenses so you can start to work ut your budget and how you will cover them.
Moving out, leaving home, and learning to live without the support of your folks or roommates. Of course, for some of you, student life still means living at home - slightly more awkward for all-nighters but possibly better on the budget.
If you are planning on moving out and into your own place then start to prepare a box of basic; pots and pans, cups, plates, towels, bedding, etc. Charity shops and Facebook marketplace could be your best friend soon.
Making money whilst studying
You might need to look into a part-time job or freelance work whilst studying and learning to balance course work with paid work, and fitting in some downtime can be challenging.
Well done if you already have this covered and can continue in a job you are in but if not then see if your chosen school has a ‘job shop’ (this is a place where you can find jobs suited to students, hours, semesters).
Once you are on campus, keep an eye out for shop/bar/restaurant with adverts in the windows, often places will be looking for Saturday help or evening shifts ideal for students. It is best to try and find out what your term schedule will be first as courses have classes and lectures at different times, not always every day, therefore you can pick up shifts to work around your classes and workload.
Materials, Budget, DIY
Art students can spend a lot on materials but it is wise to collect materials as you go if you are not already doing this. Make life easier for yourself by making your own sketchbooks, storing cardboard sheets for models, and presenting on both sides of the mount board. Budget, try to buy materials as you go, and do not leave it to a day before a hand in. Get that printing credit on your card, pay off the Library fine, book your holiday travel and start to save money for that study trip.
Stationery
As an art student, of any design course, you will be expected to come to class and tutorials prepared with your own equipment.
The following is a list of what I would recommend for students of subjects like Interior Design, Architecture, Interior Architecture, and ModelMakihng - it’s a good idea to keep them all in a durable container (a small toolbox is commonly used):
Technical drawing pens (0.3, 0.5, 0.7)
Technical drawing pencil
Variety of Pens, Pencils
Eraser, Putty rubber
Set of technical rulers (adjustable set square)
Compass
Circle and square template
Metal ruler
Architectural scale ruler
Variety of glue (PVA, UHU, Pritt stick, Spray mount)
Variety of tape (masking, double-sided, Scotch)
Scissors
Craft knife, surgical scalpel, and blades
A4/A3 tracing paper, or a roll
A roll of cheap greaseproof paper (used as tracing paper)
Notepad, post-it notes
External hard drive/memory stick/CDs for backing up your computer work
I advised to have the following at home: