Money - Life - Study? HELP!!!

I am currently sitting in my girlfriends parents house, writing this blog, yes she got home but not after having a 4hr delay to her flight.....

Oh the joy of modern transport. Anyway back onto the topic today, trying to balance money, life and studies when you are a mature student without mum and dad to help.

The reality of being a late 20's graduate student who is going back into study is that the British Government won't give you JACK! They won't lift a finger to help you which I am ok with. You might think thats strange, but they helped me through my first degree and that was nice enough but helping me through a second one is pushing their generosity a little too far. The irony of this situation is that I didn't really need old man Governments help when I did my first degree because University fees were not in place. Yeah thats right you paid NOTHING at all for a degree only your living costs and books etc....it was great!

Anyway back to reality, I now need to find a way of paying for my current degree, I kind of have a plan in place which involves saving about £250 of my current wage per/month for 18 months (I have saved up most of this at the moment). This should generate me about £4500, my degree is going to cost me about £1850 for 3yrs due to my educational status, I don't think I need you to do the maths that I am short by a considerable amount. (About £1000 for the numerically challenged out there). In my own irresponsible way I am sure that money will materialise from somewhere, I will worry about it at the end of my first year.

To survive the three years I am lucky enough to be able to live with my girlfriend.....and...er...my girlfriend's parents. YES YES you read right I am going to be living with her family, but if you want something bad enough you have to make sacrifices. It sounds surprising but in all honesty its not all bad, I get on with them great and they are very nice people. They have a VERY strong political streak in them, I would say they are bordering on communists but they consider themselves strong socialists. This leads to heated debates over dinner about society in general, I find it a good stimulus for my potential debates/discussions with clients and colleagues. I believe the last heated debate we had over the dinner table was about Grammar schools in England and how they are required to be abolished and so should all exams....yes...it went on.

So as you can see I am making huge sacrifices to push this legal career forward but I think its all worth it, this current blog I am going to split into two parts, possibly three as I have alot more to add.

So tomorrow I will be adding my aims for securing a part-time job somewhere within the legal industry to give me some well earned experience, and how else I will juggle the lack of money I will have upon beginning University in October '07

So tune in tomorrow...(I can't really think of a cliff hanger to make sure you read tomorrow, hell I am no Neighbours or Eastenders script writer)