In popular opinion, students consume baked beans and super noodles as a means of frugality. However, one student from Manchester took a more extreme approach.
Evan Eames spent a year in a tent due to the unaffordable accommodation costs on top of the £20,000 tuition fee for his astrophysics master’s degree. Following his appeal on multiple online forums, someone offered him a place in their backyard in exchange for tuition. When asked about his experiences on Reddit, Eames shared the high and low points:
"The worst was when a snowstorm hit, and the wind dislodged my tent pegs causing it to capsize. I was extremely cold and exhausted, and the idea of fixing it was the last thing on my mind. I eventually righted the tent, cleaned up the interior, and shivered inside. It was the only moment when I nearly threw in the towel with tent life."
On a more positive note, Eames shared his favourite moment whilst living in the tent:
"The best experience was on a warm spring day when it began raining as I entered. The sound of raindrops hitting the tent’s surface was calming, and I felt comfortable and secure in my miniature shelter. It was an experience that will remain with me for a while."
Presently, students are struggling to make ends meet, spurring them to seek out ways of saving money. Are more students like Eames out there? We’d like to discover their stories.
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