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So I have officially completed my first term at university and have made a gallant return to my hometown. But I would like to share with you some things that I have learnt since going to university.
Maintaining a house isn’t fun: I’m sure when you were living at home you took for granted just how much work your parents put into maintaining a clean and liveable household. Since being at uni I have definitely learnt that all of that cleaning, cooking, hoovering, etc. is NOT fun. It’s bad enough having to keep your own room tidy, but now you have to keep the kitchen clean too! No gurl just no.
Living with people is not a selfish sport: Prior to coming to uni the only people I’d lived with were family so I’d never fully realised just how hard it was to live with others. You can’t just think about your own needs (cough cough the sesh cough) but you have to be considerate towards your fellow flat mates. It was only after having quite a few complaints after quite a few rowdy nights out that I fully began to realise that.
Making friends can be quite hard: Another thing I never realised pre-uni was just how hard it is to make friends. I grew up in a town where pretty much everyone knew everyone else so moving from primary to secondary school wasn’t a big deal because you were guaranteed to know at least 20 other people. But when you go to uni and you’re mixed in with thousands of other students who have no idea who you are and vice versa it can be daunting going up to someone and just saying hi.
The sesh is important: Of course prior to uni I knew the sesh was important but it wasn’t until coming to uni that I realised just how important it is. Your first week at uni will be consumed with social gatherings and events that force you to mix with others on your course or who you will be living with for the next year. If you’re like me and sometimes find it awkward to speak to people in forced situations than you will understand how important the effects of alcohol are. I’m not saying that drinking alcohol is the only way you will ever make friends, but it really helps with breaking down the initial awkward meeting phase.
Uni is hard: First year is primarily about ‘settling in’ and ‘learning the basics’ but trust me when I say it’s fucking hard. It may not be dissertation level hard but it’s a big step from A-Level. Not only do you have more work to complete, but, and this is perhaps the biggest lesson you will learn at uni, you have to balance your social life with uni life. Trust me when I say that those 10am lectures are twice as bad after 10 tequila shots and a raging hangover.
You will miss home: Even though getting out of your home town, away from all the familiar faces, and living on your own is undeniably amazing, you will miss home. You will miss your parents, your family, your friends, even the dodgy pub that you used to drink at when you were underage. You will miss it all and at certain points wish that you could just go back home, but sticking it out will always lead to you having more fun than you’ve ever had.
My first term at uni has undeniably been amazing- I have met so many amazing people, explored a completely new city, and have learnt so much about myself and the amounts of alcohol I can drink. So all I can say is bring on the next one.
