Joining university can be a big move towards independence whether it be living on your own, cooking your own meals or just being out in the big wide world on your own. So I thought I would prepare you for this journey and let you into a few things that you won’t be told before moving forward with your uni life.

  1. Make sure you know how to cook at least three meals

I thought that I would go to uni and eat takeaways, eat ready meals or beans on toast and then when I went home I would appreciate that proper cooked meal. I tried this for the first week of uni but after that week I became fed up with all the ready meals especially since my flat mates were cooking nice meals. The takeaways didn’t become that one off treat anymore and they became too expensive. I would recommend cooking a meal which you can eat over several days such as Spaghetti Bolognaise which will not only be a tasty meal choice but is also a cheaper alternative to that takeaway meal.

  1. Get out of your comfort zone and take any opportunity that comes your way

When I started university I thought that I would just make new friends and study but there is so much more to your university experience. During fresher’s week join all those societies and get out there and meet new people, you are all in the same boat. I went to the fresher’s week but didn’t join any societies and now I’ve finished my first year I instantly regretted it and will hopefully be joining one next semester. If you don’t think you’ll enjoy it just go for it, you might find a talent you never knew you had.

  1. Making the right degree choice

Choosing a degree can be a difficult decision and trying to find one that’s right for you is a stressful thought. If you’re sitting in your lectures thinking ‘this isn’t for me’ don’t just sit there and do nothing get up a tell someone that maybe your degree choice isn’t for you. I always thought that when you picked a degree that’s all you can do, well that’s wrong if you find something better go for it.

  1. Try to get your assessments done in plenty of time

If you can try and get those assessments in either a few hours earlier than the deadline or a day earlier then you will find you will feel so much more relaxed about deadlines. You don’t want to be sitting there 30 minutes before the deadline panicking that you haven’t completed the work.

  1. Use a diary!

I’ve never been one for diaries but they have helped me be so much more organised in the past year. Write in all your deadlines and what is due in for when because if you find you can’t find them online you know you’ll have a back – up. Also put in your social activities you don’t want to double book and let people down.

  1. Have Fun!

Of course focus on your carer and the goals you want to achieve but there is more to uni than just hard work. Have fun, these could be the best years of your life and you want to look back at them thinking you did everything you could both academically and socially.