Shacking Up

As I was walking past the Opal Estates office yesterday, memories sprung to mind: small groups of eager students pounding the streets, address lists in hand. The exhilaration of finding the house being punctuated by the sight of the landlord smiling and shaking the hands of that group from down the corridor, always one stop ahead of you. The allocating of rooms, the “I need more natural light” argument.

Yes, I’m talking about the trials and tribulations of student housing.

In fairness, it’s actually quite a lot of fun. But for the majority of you who will be sorting out your houses over the coming weeks, I thought you might benefit from some tips I picked up all those years ago! Hope it helps…

Ralph’s Top Tips for Student Housing

1. Use Manchester Student Homes
   http://www.manchesterstudenthomes.com.
   All the houses listed have passed a ‘code of standard’, which means they shouldn’t blow up when you turn the microwave on. You also get to deal directly with the landlord, meaning you avoid nasty agency fees.
   One word of caution, the properties tend to move quite fast. So be prepared to be decisive when you’ve found the house you want, and brace yourself for the potential of that deflating experience mentioned above.
   Still highly recommended!
   (They also have offices in Fallowfield – opposite Baa Bar on the crossroads)
2. Location, location, location.
   If you want to live in Fallowfield, it will be expensive. But great in many ways.
   You’ll get lots more for your money if you look further afield, such as Withington or Victoria Park. Just remember that these areas are usually more difficult to get to and have less of a “student/community” feel. It all comes down to what you’re looking for.
3. Don’t feel rushed or pressured.
   Even though properties tend to move quickly, remember that there are SO MANY student houses out there. So don’t dive into something you’re uneasy about on account of the fear of being homeless. There will always be something else.
4. Make as many decisions as you can before viewing houses.
   You don’t need to see a house before deciding whether or not you all want double beds, or if a dishwasher is a necessity (It’s not, by the way). The more things you can settle on before looking at a house, the easier it will be to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ when you get there.
5. View the houses as a group.
   This is notoriously difficult, but if you can be with all your future housemates when looking at a property it will, again, make life so much easier. You’ll avoid the awkward situation of relying of someone else’s opinion and the even more awkward situation of living in a house that you hate because Bob or Sue makes really poor choices. Furthermore, it will speed up the process and free you up to be more decisive.
6. Agencies are rubbish. Use MSH instead.
   That’s a sweeping statement, and probably not true. Agencies are helpful in terms of finding properties and lining up viewing appointments. Also, the idea of them sorting out your maintenance for you is very appealing. However, most of my experience of agencies is that they’re good at taking fees and rubbish at providing services. I’m happy to be proved wrong!
7. Don’t pay your deposit in cash!
   Make sure it’s all legit and that your landlord is putting your money in a deposit safety scheme (or equivalent). You should get a receipt for that.
   If you do hand it over in twenties, I can almost guarantee it won’t be safely stashed away in case of a housing emergency – it will be half way across the world somewhere.
   This rule applies to landlords who ask for a cash advance of a term/year’s rent – be very wary and get receipts!
8. Don’t forget about bills.
   It’s easy to see the cost of house rent in comparison to halls and think you’re on to a massive winner, just don’t forget to add bills into the equation (gas, electric, water, internet, tv license etc). Lots of student house do an ‘all-inclusive’ rent which takes care of your bills. Make sure to clarify what you’re getting.
9. Read your contract before signing it.
   Blah, blah, blah. That’s just common sense, but it’s always worth checking they haven’t added anything ridiculous.
10. These lists always need to be ten long, right?

So there you have it. Happy hunting!

Results Day!

So today is the big day for lots of you: you get to find out how you got on and, if you’re planning on going to uni, where it is you’ll spend the next few years studying. It’s an exciting time!

You might have got the results you wanted, if so – a massive congratulations! But you may have not, and you may end up going to uni somewhere you totally didn’t expect.

It’s really funny, over the past few years I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve spoken to who weren’t planning on coming to Manchester, but because of unexpected results/other things have ended up here. And you know what? Everyone has been so glad! What I’m trying to say is that sometimes God has different plans for us than those we might expect, and his choice is always the best one. Just remember that:

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” – Romans 8:28

So as you are head off into pastures new – be that uni, a job or whatever – know that God is ordering your steps and that he has GOOD things for you! Trust him.

Top Tips For Surviving Your Exams

It’s May, the sun’s out, and you’d like to be anywhere but the library. This means one thing… exam time!

I’ve put together some top tips for making it through the next couple of weeks. (Apologies (and congratulations) if you’ve already finished!) Have a read and see what you think…

1. “Be still and know that I am God” – Psalm 46:10. Do it, it’ll help.

2. In a similar vein, pray Philippians 4:6-7 over your and your friend’s lives: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“

3. On that subject of prayer – exams are a common enemy that you can unite with all your non-Christian friends over. What a great opportunity to offer to pray with them…

4. Do some work! I know it sounds obvious, but your exams will be a lot less stressful and will go a lot better if you actually do some revision!

5. Don’t flake out on church/time with God. Obviously, you will have to prioritise your time a bit more, and think about where you’re spending your days. But really do try and stay plugged in with church/lifegroup/quiet-times as much as you can. I’m a strong believer that sacrifice releases power and if you choose to make time for God and put him first, he will bless you for it.

6. Get some sleep! Sorry for sounding like your mother, but some good Zs will help you to be a lot more productive.

7. Minstrels. Clearly the Lord’s choice of table-side sweets.

8. Keep summer in mind as motivation. The 3 months holiday you’ll get off is incredible. Just think: work hard for two or three weeks more and then you can have as much time off as you want after that. It’ll feel so much more satisfying, too, if you’ve put in a good shift before the break.

Here’s a motivational image to inspire you:

Beautiful.

Heading “home” for Christmas?

So the term is rapidly drawing to a close and your thoughts are turning towards heading back to your parents’ house for the Christmas holidays. You may even be there already. Here are a few tips for making the most of the break:

1. Have a break!
I’m sure pretty much everyone will have exams upon returning to Manchester in January, but even so it’s important to give yourself some time off before gettin stuck into revision. Otherwise, next term will start and you’ll be knackered before you even begin. When I was at uni I had a rule whereby I wouldn’t do any academic work between breaking up and Christmas day/celebrations. It seemed to work pretty well.

2. Talk to your parents about Manchester.
It’s really easy to just get home and slip into teenage grunts and groans – not really talking to anyone unless it involves food or borrowing the car. It’s understandable too – you’re knackered and just want to relax and get over any end-of-termitis. But your parents/grandparents etc will be desperate to know how your term’s gone. Not just academically either, they’ll be interested about church, halls, silly anecdotes… everything! They’ve done so much in making it possible for you to be away at uni so it’s nice to honour them by making them feel involved in what’s going on.

3. Stay on-the-ball spiritually.
I used to find the holidays really difficult on my faith – I was away from a thriving church and even found personal stuff such as praying/reading the Bible more difficult to do even though I had lots more time floating around. My advice: make sure you’re pro-active in carving out time to be alone with God on a regular basis. Also, don’t feel like you can’t get in touch with us/your lifegroup just cos you’re away from Manchester – you’re only a text/call/facebook away from some support if you need it!

4. Meet up with old school friends.
I’m sure you’ll be doing this anyway, but it’s always good to catch up with old freinds and share stories from the past term. You’ll find that as ther terms and years go by you’ll drift somewhat from your school friends, and that’s perfectly normal, but it’s good to keep relationships going if you can. Alos, make sure you talk to them about what God has been doing with you this term – it might be a really good way of talking about your faith in a new way with people that you’ve known for years. You’ll be amazed at how much leaving school affects people in terms of opening their minds to stuff.

Well that’s it for now. Have an awesome Christmas and we look forward to welcoming you back in 2010!

God bless

Money, Money, Money

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

Matthew 6.24

“Misfortune pursues the sinner,
but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.”

Proverbs 13:21

Sometimes we can get in a bit of a muddle when it comes to the Christian position on finances. Is it wrong to have money? Is it wrong to want it? If I do have it, am I allowed to spend it on myself? What does it actually mean to ‘serve money’?

Like with many things, it’s impossible to try and impose an ehaustive list of ‘dos and don’ts’. The best thing to do is get a clear understanding of the principals behind approaching and using money in a Godly way and then applying them as you go. In short:

1. Money is a gift from God – it’s His, he just lets us use it! (Psalm 24:1)
2. As with all gifts, we are called to use money in a way that pleases God. (Matthew 25:14-30)
3. It’s not a sin to be prosperous, so it’s ok to spend money on yourself. Don’t automatically feel guilty!! (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)
4. God isn’t ok with us having money as our goal. He wants us to be content with Him as our treasure, regardless of our circumstances. Money is a means to an end, not the end itself. (1 Timothy 6:6-10)
5. Generosity is key. It shows you love God/someone/something else more than money. Jesus loves it, so will those around you. (2 Cor. 9:6-15)

Student Finance

It’s common knowledge that students, as a rule, tend to be short of a few quid – especially these days with sky-rocketing course fees and accomodation costs. The problem is you can get yourself stuck in a mindest of poverty in which you focus on what you don’t have rather than what you do have. This can lead to an “it’s mine” attitude where you hoard everything you have in fear that you will run out. The fact is Jesus tells us specifically in Matthew 6 not to worry about money because God will provide for us, all we need is a little faith. So don’t worry!

Now we’re not advocating frivoulously chucking your money away because the next Jesus-cheque is only a prayer away. No, what we’re saying is don’t let worries about money cause you to miss the chance to bless someone and see the Kingdom advance.

Practical Tips

Ok, so that’s some theory but what about some practical advice. You will be living on a budget and will need to be careful with what you have. We’re no financial experts but here are a few things you might find helpful:

1. Budget. Work out how much you have available to spend and try and stick to it. It’s really helpful to keep a record of everything you spend money on – it’ll help you to cut down unnecessary purchases.
2. Give. The bible says “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Cor 9:6). Sounds like good, practical advice to us.
3. Avoid credit cards if you can – your interest-free overdraft should see you right.
4. Look out for student deals and discounts – www.moneysavingexpert.com is a good place to try.
5. Don’t spend all your money on sweets.

In sounds stupid, but just remember that God is God. He’s Lord over everything, including your wallet. All you need to do is look at things with His eyes – every situation is either a blessing to be thankful for or a blessing to look forward to. Have faith and trust that he’s got you covered.

Under the Radar

“To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds… The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.”

Daniel 1:17,19-20

Daniel and his buddies achieved amazing things for God. During their time as exiles in Babylon they were selected to enter the service of the king and, because of the intellectual (and physical) gifts that God had given them, they were fast-tracked right to the top of the tree. In fact, so impressed was Nebuchadnezzar by Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah that he ended up renouncing the religion of his country and putting his trust in the God of Israel – even before the whole incident with the lion’s den!

The story gives us a fascinating insight into how God can use us to infiltrate even the most out-of-reach areas of society. Because of the natural talent and training that Daniel and Co. received they were invited into places that, say, an ordinary Israelite, even a priest, never would. Then from this position of influence they were able to live completely uncompromising lives for God that were so magnetic and impressive that God brought to repentence those whom they encountered.

You all have skills and talents, not just in the spiritual sense, but in the ‘traditional’ sense as well. In fact, that’s why most of you have come to university – to hone those skills. Now don’t hear what we’re not saying, there is definitely more to life than your degree, but it is also worth bearing in mind that the outcome of it will go a significant way to dictating where you go afterwards. And one thing’s for sure – we definitely need a lot more Daniels in the world. People who will use their God-given abilties to get to the highest points of influence in all areas of society, and then, having slipped in under the radar, influence them for the advancement of the Kingdom.

So next time you’re thinking about sleeping through your lectures or sacking off revision it might be worth thinking bigger than just scraping through your course by the skin of your teeth.