September is here and that can only mean one thing- universities are about to start. As someone who started university this time last year, there are many things I wish I had known before starting. I've made a little list of ten things I wish I had known before I went to university.
Laundry Will Be the Bain of Your Existence
This is something me and my new flatmates bonded over early on in the term. The laundry room will become a place you hate and something you dread doing. If you are lucky enough not to have to use Circuit Laundry to have clean clothes, then this is something you will (hopefully) not have to experience. At my university, we had the displeasure of having to use this dreadful app. It would have been manageable if it had just been using a rubbish app that was making laundry an unbearable task. It was also the terrible washing machines that made laundry something I dreaded. It might just have been me, but whenever I washed my clothes, they never felt clean. As doing a laundry run would cost you the best part of £2 per wash, I would wait until I absolutely had to do some laundry before washing everything. My tip to you would be when your mum or dad offers you the chance to wash some clothes at home, take it up!
You Will Find Your People
If you are anything like me, then the main concern about starting university is "will I have friends?". This was one of the only things I dreaded before starting university. The best places to find people with similar interests are on your course and through societies. You might also get lucky and find you have loads in common with the people you are living with. I bonded very quickly with the people I am friends with because we did the same course and had similar interests within the course. I also know that joining societies is a great place to meet people with similar interests.
Getting Along With the People You Live With Makes A Huge Difference
It's not always going to be the case, but if you can get along with the people you live with, then everything suddenly becomes a lot more bearable. I got incredibly lucky and am even living with four of the people I lived with this academic year. I'm not saying that you have to be best friends with them, but if you can manage a friendly relationship with them, then life will be easier for you all.
It Is Possible to Be A Non-Drinker at University
Most of us will know about the heavily ingrained drinking culture at university, but it is possible to survive as a non-drinker. This is something I am planning on making a more in-depth post about in the future. Personally, going out and getting drunk isn't my cup of tea, and I have managed to survive a whole academic year like this. Be honest with people about not being interested and most people will understand and respect your decision.
Having a Home Away From Home
Moving away from home can feel daunting, but if you put a bit of effort into your living space, it can be the difference from surviving university or feeling homesick and dropping out. Again this is something I am planning on making a whole separate post about. A few quick tips would be to print some photos to have some kind of memory wall. Most universities provide students with a pinboard and pretty much everyone I knew filled there's with photos. Another quick tip would be to pick a few favourites knick-knacks from home to make your room feel like a home. I brought a few Pop Funkos with me and it made sure that when I walked into my room, I felt like I was at home.
Not Everyday is Going to Be a Good Day
Like any other stage in life, university isn't going to be all sunshine and rainbows. We all know that university is supposed to be the "best years of our life", but the truth is, that in the moment, it isn't. Bad days are inevitable. It could be linked to something in your personal life, something academic or you are simply having a bad day. It took me the entirety of my first term at uni to realise that not every day was going to be wonderful. Looking back, my first year of university was great, but at certain moments it was downright awful and that is completely fine.
Independence is Real
Unlike school or college, it is up to you to do everything. Frankly, your lecturers won't care if you haven't done the set work as it isn't them you're letting down, it's yourself. It is up to you to keep on top of your work. That doesn't mean you have to be drowning in academia all the time, but you are paying to be there so it is worthwhile to do the reading. Even if it is a lot and there is nothing more you'd rather do.
You Can Have a Life at University
Before going to university, I expected to be drowning in work by the end of my first week. Obviously, this does vary from course to course, but on the whole, there is time to have fun. I'm lucky in that my course has fairly low contact hours, but I spend a good chunk outside of those hours working. I also spent a good chunk of time having fun with my friends. It's finding a good balance between the two and making sure that the scales don't tip towards one more than the other.
Time Flys When You're Having Fun
It still amazes me how quickly each term goes by. Most universities in the UK operate on a two-term schedule, with each term lasting twelve weeks. Even though twelve weeks is three months, it goes by so quickly. If you're worried about feeling homesick, then I'm sure you'll be relieved to know that the terms fly by and you'll be home for Christmas before you know it. The best thing about this is you'll have around four to five weeks off to go home.
Grades Don't Define You
This is something I wish I had known even when I was in school. I am a very ambitious person and I always like to think I'll get the top grades. Spoiler alert- I often don't. That isn't to say I don't get good grades, but I'd beat myself up if I got a grade that was lower than what I was hoping. The first thing to know about university is that they mark things very differently. It's marked through a percentage scheme and it is notoriously hard to get the highest mark. On my course, a First (the highest you can get on any degree) means that your work is essentially publishable. It is rare that first years get these kinds of marks. I was down when I got my first few marks back as they weren't what I was hoping for. I wish someone had grabbed me at this point and told me that a 2:1 is a good grade.
I hope these little tips will help you get through your first year of university and if you're like me and have completed your first year, then share your "things I had wished I had known" list in the comments as I'm sure my experience is very different from everyone else as it was unique to me.
Carenza x
