24yo medical student with £4k savings, variable income, no credit card – what should I be doing?

Hi all,

I’m 24, living in the UK permanently, and currently in medical school with 2 years left.

I feel quite financially illiterate because my parents have always been low income and I was never really taught much about money management beyond “don’t spend what you don’t have”.

Current situation:

• No debt other than student loans
• £4k in a Marcus Cash ISA (4.01% AER) — this was originally money my parents saved over time for me
• Around £1k in my current account for next month’s rent/living costs
• No other savings or investments

Income:

• Student finance comes in instalments
• Tutoring income varies monthly, usually around £200–£370/month

Expenses:

• Rent + bills = ~£950/month (year-round tenancy unfortunately)
• Other spending (groceries, transport, social, misc) = roughly £200–£300/month

Financial goals:

• Mainly just get through med school without needing to borrow from friends/family
• Build a bit more financial literacy and stop feeling like I’m winging it
• Possibly save enough for a trip to visit friends in NYC at some point if realistic

Questions:

1. Is Marcus Cash ISA at 4.01% a sensible place for my £4k or should I move it elsewhere?
2. Given my income/expenses, should I even be thinking about investing yet or just focus on cash savings?
3. What financial habits/accounts/products would you recommend for someone in my position?

Would really appreciate any advice — I feel like I’m starting quite late in learning all this.