LEARNING TO COOK IS AVITAL SKILL AHEADOFMOVE

Keepingsafeand Secure When Away From Home

You’re away from home forthe firsttimewiththe freedom to do whatever youwant, whenever you want.

But it also meansthatnow you aloneare responsible foryour ownsafetyand welfare. It’s also on youtoensurethatall of your belongings aresecureand not at anyrisk.

Butsimple precautionsdon’t cost much time or money andcan help prevent your new-foundfreedom from being ruined n Firstly, whenever youleave your room, even if it's just for afew minutes, always lock your roomdoor. Youdon't want your belongings temptingan opportunist thief andit'sbetterto be safe than sorrysoinsuranceisa good investment

Moving away from home for the first time means having to fend for yourself at meal times.

Therewill be no one to cook your dinner for you and little sparecashfor takeaways and restaurant meals.

So it’sworth spending some time to learnhow to cook for yourself, especially if you don’twant to rely on beans on toast or packet noodles every night.

Whether it’sapasta dish or toad in the hole, it’sworth getting the hang of afew basic meals. This will no doubt prove more cost-effective and healthier for you in the long-term.

Cooking can also be agoodway to spend time with your flatmates and you could even start arota so you sharemeals together to bring the cost down.

Beforeyou head offtouniversity,ask your parents or grandparents to teach you some basic skills from how to boil an egg and cook rice to how make an omelette and aone-pot stew or chilli. If you’renot surewhattocookthen pick up acookery book at the library –thereare many aimed at students –orsearch for recipe ideas for free online.

Hereare some tips from the National Union of Students (NUS) for eating well on abudget: n Shop at local markets, particularly towards the end of the day when you can buy cheap fresh fruit and vegetables n Avoid jars of processed sauces –they’re high in salt and expensive. Instead, make your own pasta sauces using tomatoes, onions, and afew herbs –you can buy dried herbs or grow them yourself on a windowsill. n Make alarge pan of chilli or curry and freeze portions of leftovers for days when you haven’tgot time to cook from scratch. Use plastic takeaway boxes as storage, after giving them athorough wash first of course. n Take advantage of buy one, get one free offers at the supermarket, especially for staples like pasta and rice –though remember your storage space may be limited. n Club together with your housemates to buy items of kitchen equipment. For example, you don’tall need your own tin openers, cheese graters and sandwich toasters. n If you’resharing akitchen, don’tspend too much on fancy crockery or glasses. Accidents happen, and your food will taste just as good on acheap plate anyway. n Alot of food gets wasted through poor planning, so check sell-by dates and don’t buy morethanyou can use when it comes to foods with alimitedshelf life n If you’reavegetarian, make surethat youget enough protein in your diet. Beans, lentils and other pulses arecheap and healthy alternatives to meat products. n When outand about,keep valuables, such as phones, purses andwallets, in an inside coat or bagpocketwhere they canbe secured. n Take advantageofon-campus lockerswhenusing leisureand sportsfacilities. n Be carefulatcashmachines, checkfor signsofinterference beforeusing it andneveraccept a stranger'shelp. n If youeverfeelthreatenedwhile outand about setoff apersonal alarm. Then scream andshout beforegettingawayasquickly as possible. Once you're safe,callthe police immediately. n When outjogging, trytogoin pairsand in thedaylighthours.It's advisabletopickaroute that is familiar to you. n On anight out, keepaneye on how much youare drinking.The more youdrink,the less awareyou aregoing to be about what's going on around you. n Always plan howyou'regoing to get to andfromthe barorclub.

WHYSHOULDYOU SIGN UP FORAN APPRENTICESHIP?

Whyanapprenticeship?

n Earn whileyou learnand get paid acompetitive salary n Your training is free. n Youcan choose from hundreds of different apprentice jobs in thousandsoforganisations. n Gethigh-qualitytraining paid for by your employer andthe Government n It’s agreat waytoget back into theworkplace afteracareerbreak, or to re-train in anew area n Youcan boost your future earnings potential. n It enablesyou to developthe skills youneed forarange of excitingjobsorcareers. n Your salary will dependupon theindustry, location andtypeof apprenticeship youchoose n Apprenticesagedunder 19 or aged 19 or over andinthe firstyear of theirapprenticeship areentitled to theapprentice hourly rate,which from April2023 was£5.28 n If you’re 19 or over andhave completedthe firstyearofyour apprenticeship,you’reentitled to theNationalMinimumWage, which, from April2023,is£7.49 for 18-20-year-olds, £10.18 forthose aged 21 and22and £10.42 for people aged 23 andover. n This is theminimumyou will earn,but many employerspay alot moreand offertheir apprenticesa competitivesalary. n When youbecome an apprentice,you’llneed to coverthe cost of your day-to-day expenses. n If you’re acareleaveraged16to 24,you’llreceivea£1,000 bursary paymenttosupportyou in the first yearofyourapprenticeship.

Howmuchcan youearn?

What will my apprenticeship costme?