Build the first-semester budget before you fly
List fixed costs (rent, insurance, phone, transport pass) and a weekly allowance for food and essentials. Add a one-off 'setup' line — deposit, bedding, kitchen basics, winter clothes — that catches most students off guard in the first month.
Keep one month of expenses untouched as a buffer. Loan disbursements and stipends are often late by a few weeks.
Work, fees and transfers
Most student visas allow limited part-time work during term and full-time in breaks — know the exact hour cap and don't exceed it. For transfers, compare the all-in cost (exchange margin plus fixed fee), not just the headline fee; specialist remittance services usually beat banks.
Ready to act on this?
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