Hello
all, and Happy Weekend!
Today’s
blog focuses on a topic that is already at the forefront of many minds:
starting university.
As soon
as September comes around, academia strikes. Whether you’re going back to school,
returning to college or – the big one – heading off to uni, September lends itself to that feeling of post-summer dread, especially if you're making the big move to uni.
If the aforementioned applies to you, you’ve come to the right place. I have experienced first-hand just how daunting this time can be, and I’m here to shed a little light on
what can otherwise be a completely overwhelming period. So, without further ado, here are my top tips for starting university.
Buy a
Diary
This is
a must. Never again will you cram so many activities into a few weeks, so getting
organised is vital in avoiding FOMO, especially during Freshers’. You might never
have succumbed to a diary before, choosing instead to note everything down on
your phone, but being able to see all of your commitments laid out in front of you
is the best way to stay on top of things.
Be
Prepared
If you
haven’t already, now is the time to start thinking about the things you are
going to need once you arrive. Unfortunately, mum’s endless supply of household
products can’t come with you, partly because they wouldn’t all fit in the car!
Whether you’re moving into halls or shared accommodation, the likelihood is
that you’ll need things for the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, so leaving
everything till the last minute is a recipe for disaster. Get packing now and you'll find it much easier come the big move. A few things that are
often forgotten but always useful are clothes airers, coat hangers and extension
leads. You’re welcome!
Make
it Home
As well
as all the junk you need to bring to get by in everyday life at uni, it’s
important to bring a few home comforts that will make your new home feel like
just that: home. Photos of family,
fairly lights, snuggly blankets. Anything that reminds you of home will surely
help you to settle in, because Ikea-clad box rooms aren’t the most comforting
of surroundings, believe me.
Be
Yourself
Sorry to
repeat the age-old philosophy, but being anything other than yourself when
starting uni can only end badly. It can be really easy to put on a front when
around new people, and to some extent this is okay, but putting on a façade can
be disastrous when trying to make friends. Setting yourself up as someone you’re
not will only result in one of two things: either you’ll have to keep up this false
persona for a whole three years, which sounds entirely exhausting, or there
will come a truly awkward time when you’re true identity reveals itself –
leaving your new friends confused as to who you are, and why you felt you had to lie in the
first place. So, if you love Harry Potter, wear your Gryffindor slippers with
pride. Don’t like clubbing? Don’t go clubbing! Love politics? Join the Politics
Society! Following the herd is very 2013 and if there’s anywhere you can be
authentically you – it’s uni!
Learn
to (batch) cook
I didn’t
do this and have regretted it ever since. Around now is a great time to learn
the basics of cooking and get a few recipes under your belt before the sad time
comes. Yes, I hate to break it to you, but now that you’re an adult, you have
to start making your own dinners. Enlist a friend or family member’s help in
nailing some basic dishes and get used to the idea of batch cooking. It’s a
great way to save time and money, and there’s nothing better than coming home
from a long day of lectures knowing that your dinner is only a microwave away!
I could
go on and on, and I’ll be writing further blogs on more specific aspects of uni
such as Freshers’ and exams, but I hope these tips will make the daunting process of
starting uni a little easier for you. Take it from me, these will be the
fastest three years of your life, so remember to take a breath every once in a
while to remind yourself how lucky you are to be there, even if it doesn’t feel
that way when you’re in the library at 1 am!
In any
case, I wish you the best of luck and hope you’ll stay tuned for more university
tips.
Happy studenting!
E x
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