5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Moving To Uni!

15 July 2019 University

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Moving To Uni!

 

Looking back at the past 3 years of university, it has actually taught us so much and so many life lessons. You encounter every type of issue and emotion you can think of at uni, especially in your first year! So in hindsight, here are a few of the things we wish we had been told before we took the plunge and moved to Chester!

 

1. You’re not going to get on with everyone.

It can be a real shock to the system when you move away from your lifelong friendship groups that you’ve spent the past 18 years getting to know, and into a flat with a group of strangers. It can be so easy to believe all those cringe teen movies where everyone instantly clicks and they become best friends for life, however this is very very rarely the case. People you live with, on your courses and in your societies are likely to all have differing views and mannerisms that you may not always agree with but it’s important to respect everyone’s views equally even if you don’t get on with them as a person.

 

2. Fresher’s flu is not a myth

Oh the dreaded fresher’s flu, you’ll be sick to death of hearing your parents warn you about this by the time it comes round but listen to them and prepare accordingly. A week of partying and masses of people crammed into small spaces all mixing together is a recipe for disaster for your health. Before you go, make sure you’re up to date with all your vaccinations because the threat of meningitis for freshers is very real and it’s not worth the risk. Stock up on painkillers, cold and flu stuff and vitamin boosting pills and powders to try and make you feel at least human!

3. Its hard to put yourself out there

Mustering up the courage to approach people and start conversations with strangers can seem impossible at first, but the more you do it the easier it gets once you realise that everybody else is in the same boat as you. The trick with confidence is to fake it till you make it!

 

4. You don’t HAVE to fit the student stereotype

The second you mention to anyone that you’re going to university, they assume that you drink every night, eat pot noodles and stay in bed until 2pm every day; but this doesn’t have to be the case! If you don’t want to drink then don’t, if you want to cook healthy meals every day then do, if you want to go to the gym at 7am every day then do it! Don’t let anyone pressure you into slobbing around all the time just because you’re a student now.

5. Budgeting

The feeling of your first student loan dropping into your bank account is ethereal BUT IT IS NOT UNLIMITED! Yes fair enough treat yourself to that dress you’ve had your eye on for a month and maybe a dominos or 2 but make sure you’ve accounted for ALL of your outgoings for the whole term. That includes your rent, food, uni books, bills (phone, gym membership etc), spontaneous nights out and anything else that youll have to pay!