Hello from Bournemouth! I am Jaime Gorman from Colorado, USA and currently on the MLit English programme at BU. At university, budgeting is very important! One of the best ways to save money is to utilise student discounts. There are many discounts available, but here are the ones that I use the most:

Amazon

Once your student email is created, you can sign up for a free six-month trial with Amazon Prime and a reduced rate after the trial. Amazon Prime gives you access not only to a streaming library of movies and music but also free shipping, as well as potential discounts on many textbooks and academic resources.

NUS Extra and UNiDAYS

Registering for an NUS Extra (National Union of Students) and/or UNiDAYS card provides discounts ranging from restaurants to clothing. Through their app, you can check for discounts at somewhere specific (such as Urban Outfitters) or for discounts in your location (10% off at Lansdowne Starbucks). Every penny saved adds up to big savings over the course of your programme!

Brand Websites

When my computer crashed a month after arriving in the UK, I was worried about the cost of buying a new one. With a little research, I discovered that many top brands offered their products with a discount for students. It is not always advertised directly so googling the brand with “student discount” can direct you to this. When I bought my computer at HP as a student, I paid only £350 after applying my £200 discount!

16-25 Railcard

When I signed up with Santander bank, they gave me a free 16-25 Railcard. This card allows you to receive a third off most fares, which helps save money while travelling.

BU

Once your email is set up, you can receive Microsoft Office for no cost through your MyBU Outlook account. Also, new this year is the laptop lending programme. If you need a laptop on the fly or have an emergency (such as a computer crashing) you can now borrow one from BU.