Erin (SmartGirl)

Most of what I read was written by American & European students, and although I gained some insight into what my life would be like, I decided that it was time I put together some tips & resources tailored to South African students. My welcoming program was designed around helping us to get to know our campus (there was a huge emphasis placed on safety), encouraging us to be open to new experiences & giving us the opportunity to bond with the other people in my residence. The talk was given in the lounge of a really nice restaurant in town & it was attended mostly by business people, academic faculty & post-graduate students (& of course, me and my five first year friends). I feel like budgeting for food is probably the hardest part of budgeting - I don't have a proper kitchen, so I need my meals to use as few ingredients as possible, take as little time as possible, be at least a little bit healthy & fit within my budget.