Education Officer Blog

Hello lovely people ! While doing peer mentoring training last year, it came to my attention that y'all don't know you can get free prescriptions - so, here are some fun, cheap, and free things that got me through uni.

Stop paying for: 

• Your prescriptions ! As long as your income and savings doesn't hit 16k  - you can get your prescriptions and healthcare either free or discounted. Apply for a HC1 form online, and they should send it to you with a freepost envelope to send it back.

• Live on campus? If you are debating whether to wash your pants or your sheets, do the pants. You can borrow and swap bed linen from the Uni WEEKLY on Wednesdays.

Get money back: 

• If you are frequenting independent cafes for study – download xplore, which is a local loyalty card app – you get cashback for your purchases 

• You have evidence that you live in Bath via your housing contract, so apply for a discovery card! It is super easy (I went to the Victoria Gallery and was in and out in 3 minutes) and gives you discounts (or greater discounts!) on places where your library card doesn’t, just check or bring both if you visit. They will also keep you in loop with super cute events like the Baths by torchlight, and it gives you discount at many stalls at the Christmas Market. More info here -  https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/residents-discovery-card 

Do it for free (activities): 

• Society activities. Of COURSE I am gonna say this as someone from the SU, but every week you can watch a couple of films with FilmSoc, feed ducks with DuckSoc, play games with Tabletop or Chess – there are so many things to try out, and engaging with societies is what keeps them thriving and funded.

• Speaking of, Bath Active is a gem of a thing. If you are, like me, knackered at the end of the day, not sporty, or can’t make the time, you can join yoga classes on free livestream on Insight Timer (app) including from teachers IN BATH (this does make you feel a bit weird when you spot them at the central library) 

• GO TO THE CENTRAL LIBRARY – even if you are not a bookworm, they often have exhibitions and other activities to get stuck in with, like turning old library books into art. FUND THIRD SPACES BESTIES!! 

• Let us know if you are passionate about topics affecting students generally or on the Top 10 – whenever there is an event, we will do our best to get you in, and we can usually get a voucher or free food for you out of this 

• Your library card gets you into so many places in Bath for free – the Holborne, the Victoria Art Gallery, the Baths, Parade Gardens... This also typically includes events such as talks about the art, art store tours where you get to handle literal museum grade objects and the simply amazing holborne lates where you get to be crafty, hear about art, and sit in the cafe which has the best hot choc in bath (in my opinion) 

• I would also recommend checking out places that are widely free, like the BRLSI, who do talks, exhibitions, and walks around Bath. This is also where the Historical Society meet, and you get FREE MEMBERSHIP AS A STUDENT, all you need to do is say hi to secretary Mike ! 

• The Two Tunnels walk is, besides my housemates, one of the top reasons I miss Oldfield Park. There are plenty of benches to stop by for a picnic, a wonderful amount of green spaces, and this time of year you can forage wild garlic ! Physical accessibility wise, the path is mainly smooth (but there is a notable incline into the first tunnel!). There is a pub at Midford that has a literal log fire, and if you make it all the way to the end there is a cute little cafe run by Italian grandparents right by stables which house gorgeous horses, and happy dogs are abound. 

• Every year, Bath Heritage week rolls around – usually September. This is where you can get into places like Prior Park and the American Museum for free. FREE!  

Do it for cheap (activities): 

• Little Theatre does weekday tickets for £4.99 on weekdays if you say you are under 25. I say ‘say’ as I have NEVER been asked for ID. If you are a movie aficionado, picturehouse membership is £20 a year for students, sometimes discounted on Black Friday, and gets you 2 free tickets, and 25% off food, snacks, and drinks, alongside priority booking so you can get 'film club' films (which air twice a week) for a £1. I am not sponned, but I LOVE the little theory for its sensory accessibility and DOG FRIENDLY SCREENINGS. YEAH. DOG FRIENDLY SCREENINGS. WATCH FILMS,,,WITH DOGS !!!! 

• There are so many random events on eventbrite – for the introverts among us for example, there is the Bath Silent Book Club -  but I have spotted stuff like free tours of Bath, networking events, free film screenings by local community centres and shops like Persephone Books etc. 

• If you head down from campus via Bathwick fields and turn towards Top Lock Cottage and keep following the river down, you will come to Bathhampton. Here, you can get a bag of duck food for 50p (bring cash) from a cottage next to the George Inn (Mill Lane, Bath BA2 6TR, if you need to Maps it) and feed ducks along the canal for as long as you would like (fr it just goes on and on) 

Get it cheaper: 

Reminder of the Munchbox scheme here: 

Students, staff and visitors can bring their own container to one of the outlets listed below and buy surplus food for just £3. Venues and times are:

• lime tree lunch: Monday to Friday, 2pm 
• lime tree dinner: Monday to Friday, 7.30pm, Sunday, 5pm 
• Sports Café: Monday to Sunday, 3pm 
• Fountain lunch: Monday to Friday, 2.20pm 
• Pavilion Cafe breakfast and lunch: Monday to Friday, 11am and 2.30pm 

If you are studying in town/at the central library, it is also worth signing up for a MyWaitrose card. You get a free cuppa (Americano, Cappuccino, Latte or Tea) once a day with a purchase - I've seen people do stuff like buy a single loose carrot for 2p and claim it, and as far as I know, Bath has no minimum spend.

and thats it ! What else would you reccomend ?