Apparently Easter Term can be quite dry. I wouldn’t know, of course, because I’m a first-year history student and my prelims have already been and gone. Let me promise that I too, though, am counting down the days until May Week, and to get you through these next eight weeks of tedious revision and horrible exams, here’s the definitive Violet guide to getting a triple first in your May Week outfit.

“Did I mention student loans have just come in? Oh, looks like it didn’t escape the notice of your favourite retailers either”

To kick things off, here’s how to look bellissimo on a budget. Even if you did manage to get your hands on a John’s ticket, having such an ample budget for your attire is quite another, regardless of whether student loans have just come in or not. If Topshop and H&M were good enough to dress eleven attendees at the 2016 Met Gala between them, however, then the sartorial satisfaction of us mere mortals can also be reached through the means of the humble high street (or their online stockist cousins) too.

Do the Maths

Ten pounds = ten pots of Sainsbury’s Basics hummus, four VKs at a Cambridge club of your choice, or one meal at a Curry King swap. But, £10 saved each week for five weeks will give you a budget of £50 to get your outfit – even £5 a week until the rest of term is enough to give you a broad range of options. May Ball outfits sadly don’t grow on trees, but they can be the fruit of the careful nurturing of your weekly allowance and self-restraint when it comes to shots.

Carpe that Discount

Did I mention student loans have just come in? Oh, looks like it didn’t escape the notice of your favourite retailers either. There’s a LOT of bumper student discounts going around at the minute. At time of writing, Missguided had 30% off everything, and New Look and Boohoo had 20% off everything. These offers are usually short lived, so be vigilant. What a way to procrastinate!

Re-work last year’s look

Certain styles of dress, namely those which are fitted or fishtails, can be cut to make them a shorter length. Unless you’re a pro, don’t risk it yourself, take it to a seamstress: it won’t cost much, and certainly less than a new dress. I’ve never visited one in Cambridge but there are several around.

Cheap but chic

Sometimes, you can find an absolute gem of a garment for a bargain. Sometimes, cutting down costs also means cutting down quality. Since being here, I’ve ordered two balls dresses for £25: the first fitted perfectly, was made to a pretty good standard, and lasted all night.

Thread Flair: The guide to fussy fashion

The other dress had a waistline that finished just below my boobs, a laddered lining, and was swiftly returned to where it came from. Don’t keep something that looks like it might disintegrate on the dance floor, because the chances are it probably will.

On that line, we’ve all seen the horror stories about items ordered on eBay from abroad that turn up looking nothing like the photograph. Don’t even think about trying your luck.

It’s not what you wear, but how you wear it

You can spend all of Trinity’s annual endowments on your outfit, but if you don’t feel comfortable in it, it will show. Confidence triples the perceived value of any garment (okay, this is made up, but you get my drift). Don’t force yourself to wear a colour or style that you hate because it was the cheapest: an extra £10 on a dress that makes you happy is money well spent.

Much of this I am sure you knew already, but if you didn’t, then I hope reading this was ten minutes of your life spent wisely, and has inspired you to get saving, styling, and shopping