55.6% selected “Going out to celebrate being back”. 26.7% selected “Rent and bills sorted first”; 11.1% selected “Stocking the kitchen”; and 6.7% selected “Course books and supplies”.
How all 45 respondents answered
Respondents selected one answer from four options.
Percentages are based on the published response counts. Where whole-number percentages are shown, totals may differ slightly from 100% because of rounding.
For many students, the new term starts with a night out
Celebrating comes first
55.6% said going out to celebrate being back is the first thing they spend money on.
About a quarter pay rent and bills first
26.7% said they sort rent and bills before anything else.
Course books come last
Only 6.7% said course books and supplies come first, and 11.1% said stocking the kitchen.
What students spend on first can shape the rest of the term
The start of term often coincides with a new loan instalment, so it is the moment when spending habits are set for the weeks ahead.
This poll suggests many respondents put socialising first. That isn’t surprising after a break, but combined with other Unifresher polls showing loans often run out early, it highlights why budgeting before the first night out can make the rest of term easier.
How to report this poll accurately
Keep the response base and indicative audience label attached to the headline finding.
How this poll was recorded
- Question
- What is the first thing you spend money on when a new term starts?
- Responses
- 45 total responses
- Date recorded
- 9 October 2026
- Collection
- Unifresher audience poll
- Evidence label
- Indicative first-party Unifresher audience poll
This is an audience poll rather than a population survey. It is useful as a snapshot of the respondents who took part and should not be described as representative of every UK university student.
Questions readers ask next
What was the most common answer?
55.6% selected “Going out to celebrate being back”, making it the largest answer in this poll.
How many respondents chose the top answer?
25 of 45 respondents selected “Going out to celebrate being back”.
What was the second most selected answer?
26.7% selected “Rent and bills sorted first”, equal to 12 responses.
Is this representative of all UK students?
No. This is an indicative Unifresher audience poll with 45 responses, not a nationally representative student survey.
How should this result be reported?
Keep the 45-response base, collection date and indicative-audience label attached to the finding.
Explore more student attitudes
Cite this poll
Unifresher poll, “What is the first thing you spend money on when a new term starts?”, 45 responses, recorded 9 October 2026. Unifresher Data Hub.
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