The London Student Experience – For Cheap(ish)

To misquote Benjamin Franklin, nothing in life is certain except for death, taxes, and spending too much money in London. As the archetypal broke student, I left Melbourne for summer school expecting to bleed my bank account dry. However, I was pleasantly surprised. By the end of my three weeks at LSE, I was not quite as broke as I expected to be – here are some of the tips and tricks I picked up to save money.

Funding

Apply for any and all funding you can get from your home institution or country – I was lucky enough to receive a modest scholarship and an interest-free loan from the Australian government which combined to fund my time in London. I would even recommend applying for funds you aren’t quite fully eligible for. There’s nothing to lose!

Accommodation

There’s no way around this. Rent in London is expensive, about double what it is in Melbourne. I stayed in LSE accommodation, which range in price from moderately pricey to very pricey, and I got in early to get the cheapest possible room. The location and communal atmosphere were well worth it, especially for someone in an entirely new city. If you are staying for more than one session, it may also be a good idea to take out a short-term lease, though you may lose out on the sense of community. In any case, do your research and plan ahead.

Eating

Here is where you can easily blow out your budget. At the risk of becoming a broken record – eating out in London is expensive. I decided I’d rather spend my money on experiences than food. I bought my groceries from the supermarket Sainsbury’s and cooked most meals in bulk, and packed sandwiches for lunch. As my hall had catered breakfast included, I made sure to eat more in the morning (and occasionally smuggled some croissants and fruit for the day).

If, like me, you have a debilitating caffeine addiction, I would recommend buying a container of instant coffee. There is also the Pret coffee subscription, which entails you to five drinks a day (from coffee to smoothies) for £12.50 during your first month. Given that there is a Pret café (or two) on every block, this is an exceptional deal. I went there probably three times a day.

Travel

Walk! I regularly did over 10,000 steps a day while I was in London and took public transport for longer distances. Though I would not recommend being on the tube on a 40-degree day, London’s transport system is mostly reliable, affordable, and accessible.

If you’re heading out of the city, always buy train tickets in advance – they’re more expensive on the day. There are plenty of things worth seeing a short train ride away, and you can easily spend a whole day in places like Oxford or Cambridge for free. (Hint: they let you into the colleges for free if you pretend to be a prospective student).

Activities

There are a surprising number of free things to do in London, and I would recommend going to museums, galleries, parks, palaces, etc. Furthermore, coming from Melbourne where theatre is exorbitantly expensive, London also has a fairly affordable theatre scene (especially if you don’t mind bad seats). I saw Les Misérables and Julius Caesar for around £20 and judged it well worth my money.

Overall, it’s certainly possible to do London for cheap and still have a good time if you do your research and planning in advance. Don’t be put off by the city’s reputation – even on a budget, summer school was one of the highlights of my life, and I would strongly encourage you to apply.

This blog was written by one of our 2022 Student Ambassadors, who are here to share their stories and help you understand the summer school experience at LSE.