Seeing your friends and keeping an active social life is an important part of maintaining your wellbeing but it can be costly if you're going out regularly. It's important to keep this part of your life even at a time when you're facing rising costs so why not consider free or lower cost options when spending times with friends?
There's a wide range of events and activities for you to get involved with during your time on campus, without having to spend too much money. As a student at Royal Holloway, you’re also a member of the Students’ Union and they have an extensive collection of societies and sports clubs you can join.
Sometimes the cost of joining a student group can feel overwhelming, especially when your budget is tight. If you feel like this relates to you, you can apply to the Student Group Access Fund, helping to cover costs to enable you have the opportunity to meet new people and push yourself out of your comfort zone.
Tips and links to get you started:
- Spending time with your friends can be as simple as a walk together where you can chat and catch up. Explore our incredible campus on one of the campus walks.
- Try a 'no-spend weekend' where you use up your leftover food from the week, and do free activities like a movie night at home, board game night, visit (free) museums and attractions. Just doing this once a month will have a positive impact on your money.
- Cook together - why not try cooking with others friends. You could try out a new recipie submitted by our community, find out more.
- The Picture Gallery - Our stunning Victorian Picture Gallery houses an incredible collection of world-class art, it is open for free on Wednsedays during term time from 10am-3pm.
- The Arboretum - visti our hidden 3.5-acre arboretum. It was originally known as the London University Botanical Gardens and has ‘one of the finest post-1950 tree-plantings in the British Isles’ (Alan Mitchell, internationally distinguished arboriculturalist, 1989) including many trees rare in the British Isles.
- Virginia Water - originally created as a Royal pleasure ground, the spectacular lake at Virginia Water is now a destination for all to enjoy year round. It is close to our Egham campus and free to enter.
- Windsor Great Park - The Great Park is free to enter and is open all year for pedestrians from dawn until dusk with the exception of the Deer Park which is open from 7.30am.
Sport and physical activity is another good way to spend time with your friends and help your physical and mental wellbeing. The Royal Holloway Sport team offer a variety of options and membership options inclusing pay as you go membership.
Royal Holloway Sport’s Active sessions are here for you to get invloved in a variety of different sports available. Each session is £3 or you can get a membership for the year to join unlimited sessions. The sessions are led by student volunteers called ‘Activators’, they are all trained coaches to help lead sessions and help you feel comfortable.
- Take advantage of a range of student discounts by signing up for a TOTUM card. TOTUM is the only student discount card recommended by the National Union of Students and using this you can access discounts on meals out, travel, fashion, entertainment and more.
- Student Beans and UNiDAYS also offer lots student discounts on a wide range of services and products. They are free to sign-up as long as you are a current university student.
Sometimes the cost of joining a SU group can feel overwhelming and that's where the Student Group Access Fund run by the Students' Union can help.
The fund can help cover the following costs membership to a desired group up to 100%; kit and essential travel costs up to 100%; competition entry costs up to 100%; event entry cost up to 100%; non-essentials costs up to 50%. The maximum each student can request is £150 per academic year.
You can also follow university and Students' Union social media accounts to keep up to date with events happening on campus and get tips for having fun on a budget at Royal Holloway: Royal Holloway Campus Life, Royal Holloway Students' Union, Royal Holloway Wellbeing, Royal Holloway Hall Life, Royal Holloway Sport.