Being a student...

Following another great Skype chat with many of you on Sunday, I said I would post something here about being a student, looking not so much at the academic side, but your new status as 'a student' and what they may afford you in terms of identity, money saving, access to events etc..

So, first point of call is getting your Middlesex University Student ID card:
Once enrolled you can send a passport sized photo of yourself to me via email <h.kindred@mdx.ac.uk> and by return I'll send you a form to complete and return and you'll be issued with your Middlesex University Student ID card.
If you're local and want to call into the Hendon campus let me know and I'll happily meet you for a coffee and we can get your ID card, form filled, photo taken while you're here, it takes about 10minutes.

This card proves your status as a student at Middlesex, allows you access to the library on campus and to check out any books you may want to borrow,  but is not a recognised Student Card for obtaining wider discounts/student benefits.

For that, if you're UK based, you need to apply for membership with the National Union of Students (NUS).
The NUS website has a lot of information about life as a student, support, study, social life...and you can buy an NUS card online for £30, which will allow you to access a range of discounts on food, days out, clothes, cinema, exhibitions etc..  Follow the links to check it all out for yourselves and see if it is something you could use, there are lots of advertised discounts here, and you'll be surprised how many more you can get just by asking and showing your NUS card even when not advertised.

http://www.nus.org.uk

http://www.nus.org.uk/en/nus-extra/discounts/


For those of you not based in the UK, check out the NUS International Students page

http://www.nus.org.uk/en/who-we-are/how-we-work/international-students/

and look into the benefits for you of getting an International Student Identity Card;

http://www.isic.org/get-your-card/

Recognising your student status and allowing you access to a very similar range of discounts and benefits.

See how you get on with these and do blog yourselves about any other benefits you find to share with each other.

Helen