When you’re applying to uni, you have endless people come up to you and tell you everything you need to know about life away from home and all the things they encountered in their University experience. Before you even get results, you have expectations about what uni will be like and the struggles you might face. Regardless of what everyone tells you, I can assure you of one thing: you certainly learn lots in your first year
Take time to chill out and discover the new city you’re in.
When starting uni the majority of us have just finished two intense years of A Levels. I don’t know about you but I was probably the most stressed I have ever been in my life so far. When I started uni I remember thinking I need to give my first year 110% effort, if I don’t get a good grade then what’s the point in coming, and I will prioritise my uni work above all else. However, my first year didn’t actually count and I learnt that’s for one important reason among many others: so you can settle and actually start enjoying uni without all the pressure you had for two years previously.
First year is so, so important for making new friends and, although it might sound cringe, discovering yourself. You need to find out what you enjoy and what new things you want to take on. Above all else, my advice would be just go for it, get stuck in with everything and anything and I promise you you won’t regret it. Take your foot off the gas pedal in regard to academic work and go out there and have fun. Life’s too short, right?
You miss the weird things.
We all know that moving away from home can make even the ‘strongest’ among us homesick at times. There is no doubt that moving away is a struggle. I had all these expectations about what it was going to be like and what I would miss. However, the reality was very different. I missed my family and home life an incredible amount and actually found university to be very overwhelming. However, keeping myself busy certainly had its merits. I quickly adjusted to university life and have never looked back.
You have to survive on your own.
This was probably the steepest learning curve for me. There was no more shopping done or decisions made by Mum or Dad anymore. It was me, myself and I from now on. Admittedly, the first few weeks were a bit of a shock, as they probably are for most freshers. You have to survive on your own, no questions asked. However, after a few weeks I settled into being that bit more independent and actually found myself loving it. Of course, my parents are only a phone call away if need be!
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