I have to choose the cheapest bread and beans, and eat that all week. Danielle Miles, a town planning student at Sheffield University, is in a similar position. But I'll still be worried when I'm working full time. I have to use my student loan to pay my rent and bills, so when I finish uni I'll have an 8,000 debt. I don't want to think about how long that will take to pay back.
Credit cards offer further enticement to run up debts.
Some student bank accounts come with a credit card supplied. HSBC offer a Mastercard with a 500 spending limit, and the opportunity to pay only the minimum amount each month. You can buy anything on a credit card, and worry about the payments later. I can guarantee that at least once a week, I will be sent junk mail offering me a new credit card. I just throw them away, but I know people who have a few credit cards.