10 things worse than filling out student finance forms

When someone reserves your library book

You’ve had it less than a couple of days, but someone has already reserved it. The impeding deadline of giving it back sends a dribble of sweat down your back as you endlessly make notes of irrelevant stuff, just for the fear of loosing it forever.

Unannounced visits from landlords

They say they’ll give you twenty four hours notice, but do they ever? Turning up announced, just wanting a quick inspection. What do you rush to first? Cover up the mountain of recycling, old bin bags and pizza boxes or strategically place a hoody on the floor covering the ominous looking stain from pre drinks two months  ago? The awkward conversation that follows the dreaded look on your landlord’s face, making excuses over the mouldy cups and plates and dodgy smell from the back bedroom, unexpected visits from the landlords are never good.

5pm traffic on Lewes Road

It’s as though everyone in Brighton suddenly gets the desire to move into town bang on five. The single lane system has caused more problems that Al-Qaeda, with buses having free rein and everybody else shoved into one big queue.

Running out of loo roll

Everyone has been there. Looking down and seeing the bare cardboard tube has to be one of life’s worst nightmares. The options are limited, the decision is huge. Whatever you chose to do, there will be repercussions. One is for sure, you won’t get yourself into that situation again. Anyone who has ever been caught out will forever be keeping a spare roll, hidden away for emergencies. Always.

Job applications

For final year students, the approaching pressure of the big wide world is looming and job applications are beginning to trickle in. For those missing out on student finance forms, they have a new form to fill in. Job applications are not only boring as hell, but they are also long. Pages and pages of reasons why you are the best candidate when really, you aren’t even sure what job you are applying for anymore. Give me a student finance form any day.

Mould

Cups. Plates. Saucepans. Bathrooms. Bedrooms. Wardrobes. Nothing is safe from the green furry monster. The average temperature of a student house being mould’s ideal, added with dampness, mould gets everywhere. Desperation hits and you end up chucking bleach around, rinsing the colour from all it touches, not even impacting the mould. That green furry stuff is here to stay, so you might as well get well acquainted.

Going to Sainsbury’s and buying everything but the one think you went for

Shopping hungry is dangerous. Everything makes you dribble like a lesbian in Revenge, food has never looked tastier. You end up piling enough food to feed your whole road in your trolley (why did you even get a trolley? You only went in for the loo roll you’ve run out of) and BOGOF offers have never been better value. Doritos and dip, litre bottles of Smirnoff and that five pack of donuts all just seem to creep into your trolley and you end up spending £47.38 when all you needed was loo roll. Shopping hungry is a vital flaw when shopping on a budget and should be avoided at all costs.

The one alcoholic housemate who thinks 5am visits are cool

Every student house has one, the one who never quite knows the line. Guaranteed wake up call if they go out, despite your responsible decision not to go out due to your 9am start the next day. Whether they bring home a mate, an animal or just another shopping trolley, they are certain you’ll want to meet them. Everyone has this housemate, the one who runs the after party, blasting music until you have more noise complaints than essays and whose neighbours think they are living next to Digital.

Buying a Key Card, forgetting it and then paying for the bus

You’ve invested £110 at the beginning of term and in return you’ve got a little bit of plastic which allows you unlimited bus journeys. Your friends don’t have them so whenever you’re with them you walk, meaning that you never use it. When you do eventually go to get on a bus, it’s in your other coat and you have to pay. The anger rushes over you and you can’t believe you’ve been so forgetful. Using up valuable lunch money on a day saver feels like you are committing and a crime and you vow never to buy a Key again.

Not doing it

At the end of the day, not doing it is way worse than actually doing. Everyone knows someone who didn’t do it, couldn’t be bothered and then were scrounging, begging, borrowing and stealing from everyone they know come the week after Fresher’s. It might seem like a ballache but having someone pop a grand in your bank every three months is pretty great.

For more from the Tab, check out our Facebook and Twitter.