131/03 9 September 2003
GREAT GAP YEARS GUARANTEED
With the stress of A-level results behind them, many UK students will be heading to foreign shores as part of the annual gap year exodus before university. Before they pack their bags and head for the airport Lloyds TSB Student Banking is offering the following advice to guarantee a great gap year.
· Plan a careful budget - Prepare a list of all the expenses you are likely to incur and work out how much you can allow yourself to spend per week as well as something for emergencies.
· Set up internet banking - If you don’t already bank online, check whether your bank offers the facility, it will make managing your finances from foreign shores a lot easier.
· Consider an emergency credit card - If you are a long way from home, it might be useful to have a credit card to hand in case of emergency.
· Set up a worldwide email account - Make sure you can keep up to date with all the gossip at home by setting up an email account that you can access wherever you are.
· Make sure you’re covered - Falling ill or having belongings stolen a long way from home is no fun for anyone, so make sure that you shop around for really comprehensive gap year travel insurance.
· Check out your destinations - Make sure you check current advice on the destinations to which you are travelling. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s website.www.fco.gov.uk is a useful source of advice.
· Lock up - Invest in some padlocks so that you can lock up any valuables at any time.
· Useful contact numbers - Note down all the useful numbers such as lost and stolen numbers for bank cards and keep it to hand at all times.
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GREAT GAP YEARS GUARANTEED…/2
· Pick up some guides - If you are on a budget, there are some really cheap ways to pick up those all-important guidebooks and tips. Check out the internet and your local library for information.
· Spend time on research - Be aware that the countries you are visiting may have different customs to your own. Be respectful of them when you are there and the trip will be even more of an adventure!
· Remember your own personal security – For instance, if you are travelling alone, even if only for a day, make sure someone knows where you’ve gone.
Louise Williams, head of Student and Graduate Banking at Lloyds TSB, says: ‘Taking a gap year is a fantastic opportunity to get out there and see the world. A bit of advance preparation means that you can relax and enjoy yourself while you’re away. By taking simple steps like preparing a budget or signing up for online banking, ensuring a stellar gap year should be a piece of cake.’
For those returning from gap years and starting as students1, they’ll be able to open a student bank acccount. All students who open a Lloyds TSB Student account between 4 August and 31 October 2003 will be automatically entered into the free prize draw. Two students will win £3600 each - enough to pay their fees for an entire three-year course - and fifteen students will win £1200 each - the equivalent of one year's fees and enough to make a big difference to student life.
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Notes to editors:
The Lloyds TSB Student account is designed with the needs of student in mind. Incentives this year include a free prize draw where students can win their fees, a National Express coach card plus vouchers worth up to £35, up to 10 per cent off Blackwells on-line bookstore, a mobile phone deal with £20 cashback as well as interest free overdrafts ranging from £1,000 in year one to £2,000 for longer courses of four or five years.
1 To qualify for a Lloyds TSB Student account, applicants must be on a full-time course of at least three years leading to an Honours degree and also be a full-time UK resident.
For more information:
Catherine Battershill/Rowena Denham
Lloyds TSB Press Office
Tel: 020 7356 2495/2491