It was quite a shock having to pay for water, heating and electricityi. I have kept the overdraft small as I want to feel sure that I can pay it off during vacations when I work. I want to feel I'm in control of my finances, despite it being my parents' money. I would rather borrow from friends or the bank if I go short. I became so used to having money during the holiday when I was workingii that it is really hard to break those spending habits. But hearing other students' stories can put your own into perspectiveiii.

A friend of mine had to drop out of college for a year due to his debt. My parents never really question me about my finances unless I ask for my monthly money a week or two earlyiv. So Dad, while we're on the subject ...Jane AdlingtonThe student access fund recipient's taleBefore coming away to Cardiff University I worked for two years, and it came as quite an adjustment not receiving a weekly pay packetv.Things were brought to a head last year when I did not receive any course fees funding from my local education authority. After discussing my finances with my parents, from whom I receive a lot of support, I decided to continue at Cardiff, although it would be a struggle and I would have to find a job to make ends meet.My tutor told me I was probably eligible for an access grant from the universityvi. Initially I did not know anything about the access grants and my friends had not heard of them either. But after applying through the Dean of Students I received a substantial award from the university to help cover my fees.

I had to find the remainder myself, but my situation looked much better.Without the hardship grant from the university, I dread to think how I would have coped. I look forward to gaining earning a wage rather than borrowing money, but I realise that for the first few years after university I will still have to struggle to repay my debtsvii.John BloomfieldThe unlucky student-tenant's taleAlthough the house which I and five friends chose for our second-year living out was well located and the rent was reasonable, we soon ran into difficulties.The landlady's proposed tenancy agreement contained clauses saddling us with her legal costs should there be any contractual dispute during our tenancy. We had this vetted and changedviii, and signed by the landlady - who then ignored it.For a few weeks of our tenancy, she was fair and helpful, but she soon went back on our contract by charging us a lump sum comprising a third of our total rent for the yearix. Moreover, we began to notice that things at the house were moving while we were gone. It transpired that the landlady was poking around the house at willx, without even ringing the doorbell.It came as no surprise when, during the summer vacation of this year, she tried to charge me extra rent because she had not expected me to actually use the house for the whole of the year.

After a few letters of warning from the university housing office, the local housing authority and solicitors, she was forced to back downxi.This year's tenants have already experienced problems, but shouldn't find it difficult to retrieve their money now that the landlady's conflicting contracts have been shown to the housing authority. However, it'll probably take the landlady's solicitor several hours to persuade her that she actually does have to answer to the law.AnonFootnotes: Dr Hesketh's strategy tipsi Ask your friends in years above how much they paid Try to budget for this spending before the bills come in. Also keep copies of bills in case of disputes.ii The obvious concern when you work during vacations is the tax trap - if your earnings go over pounds 3,525 in any one financial year, you are eligible to pay tax. Vacation work can affect exam performance, but then so, too, can debt worries - another good reason to seek advice on this question from as many sources as possible.iii Decide before the crunch comes how you would feel about borrowing money from the various sources on offer. It is helpful to talk to your friends for advice, yet many students avoid discussing finance with their friends. They get drunk together, vomit together, fall asleep in lectures (and elsewhere) together, yet many are wary of discussing financial circumstances with one another.iv Parents can be helpful, too.