Students Cheat Using Watches, iPlayer Users Need TV Licence, New Co-op Meal Deal…
Students using watches to cheat in exams
Teachers are warning that sneaky students are using fancy watches that are designed to help them cheat in exams.
The digital watches holds data that can be read during an exam, and some versions can hold videos. The watches also come with an 'emergency' button that switches the screen to a watch face.
Our take: We actually reported last year that some institutions have banned watches during an exam and it's plain to see why if there are actually cheating watches out there! Of course, students will always find a way to cheat but it is actually quite worrying the length that some students will go to to cheat. It can be tempting, but studying is always the best way to get a good grade and will benefit you more in the long run. Suffer from exam stress? We have some great stress-beating tips to help you!
BBC closing iPlayer TV licence loop-hole
Currently, you can legally catch up on your fave BBC shows without buying a TV licence. However, the Government has announced that this loop-hole will soon be closed, meaning that even if you only watch iPlayer on catch-up you will need to fork out and get a TV licence.
At the moment you only need a licence if you watch or record live TV, but the new rules are being put in place to stop giving users a 'free ride' and watching shows later, according to the culture secretary John Whittingdale. If you don't use iPlayer's catch-up service, but other services such as Channel 4 On Demand, you won't need to buy a TV licence.
Our take: The catch-up loop hole was a glorious one, meaning you could legally watch Bake Off just a little bit later than everyone else for free. At least it's only iPlayer that will be affected by the changes, meaning you can still watch other great shows on different services. This could be a good time to look outside the box - ditch the TV licence and check out all the great streaming sites! Also, check out our competition to win a year's subscription to Netflix!
Unis earnt £1.8bn from tuition fees
English universities made £1.2bn surplus last year thanks to the trebled £9k tuition fees, whilst the Open University has a £7m deficit as the number of part-time students has fallen.
In figures published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa), universities had a record amount of surplus last year, and had a surplus of £1.1bn in the two years previous. Oxford University had the highest surplus of £191m. Any surplus a uni has is reinvested and isn't technically a profit.
Our take: With a record amount of surplus, universities should be heavily reinvesting in students' futures and making sure their university provides value for money and that the £9,000 a year tuition fees are justified. In our National Money Survey last year, 55% of students said that they didn't believe their course offered value for money.
New Co-op Meal Deal
Yay, it's a new Co-op meal deal! If you're new to the frozen meal deal scene, Co-op do a great meal deal that changes every few weeks.
For just a fiver, you can get a chicken pie, potato croquettes, carrot and sweet mash, apple pie and ice cream. Available in Co-op stores until the 22nd March, when there will be another meal deal.
Our take: A perfect way to fill up your freezer and your tummy! Find out all the deets in our deal section and how students can get a 10% discount!
Subway lost a US lawsuit as their "footlong" sandwiches were coming up short. Now, Subways here and across the pond in America legally have to make sure their sandwiches are a footlong (12 inches) and six inches (measuring 6 inches... obviously) respectively.
Franchises will have to use "a tool for measuring bread" (i.e. a ruler) for the next four years to make sure their subs measure up.
Our take: An inch lost in a sandwich could mean an extra meatball, a slice of chicken... More importantly however, it means not getting value for money and that just isn't cool! Subway out of your budget? We have some sandwich ideas to get your tastebuds salivating and make your wallet happy too!
Mother's Day is this week!
March has certainly crept up on us... And with it comes the sacred day in any mum's calendar: Mother's Day! A day when children compete to become the favourite.
We know it's hard to buy Mother's Day presents on a budget - and it's difficult to know what to buy - so we have put together this Mother's Day gift guide to save you time and money. Leave your siblings green with envy with a brilliant gift and smugly tell them you just saw it and thought of your darling mother.
Our take: Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, fathers, mother-figures and care givers! We hope you're spoilt rotten (or at least given a card...)
