There is no denying that your first year of university is a year you will never forget, yes of course everyone talks about all the amazing friends they made and their messy nights out but I have compiled a list of the top five things I learnt in my first year in Leeds, so that you can laugh with me at how naive I was back in September… I hope that I was not the only one:
1. There Are Always Problems
Even though in my first week of university I thought that I had the perfect flatmates, I soon realised that they are not actually perfect, but neither am I. I know now that it was foolish of me to believe that we were going to end up like a little coven of sisters who never had any problems, but inevitably there were some issues. However I can look back now and see that it was a huge learning curve. In life there are always going to be people that do things differently than I do, and that’s okay. So yes we are not a perfect flat, but we are pretty damn good and I would not exchange this experience for the world.
2. I Can Now Do A Weekly Shop with £8
For a large part of my first semester at university I wasted so much money buying food from morrisons because I simply did not understand the value of money. My friends all also did the same thing, but after our first trip to Aldi we never turned back. Aldi truly is a magical place.
3. Seminars ARE Important in the Long Run
In the first semester I did not value seminars at all and to be frank I rarely attended them. This however was a big mistake. Once I was furiously trying to learn all of the content I missed in time for the January exams, I swore to myself that I would never miss one again. Now, I definitely have missed quite a few since, as I already admitted I am not perfect, but I have been to many more since and this has made me feel a lot more confident about the May exams.
4. Wooden Flooring Really Sucks
This point may not be as relatable as the others, as it depends which halls you spent your first year in, but in Leodis this was a huge problem. I realise now how I have taken carpet for granted my whole life, wooden flooring never looks or feels clean and I swear I am growing a hunchback from all the sweeping. Needless to say, carpet was on the checklist when looking for a second year house.
5. It Goes Way Too Fast
I feel like I came to Leeds two weeks ago and I cannot believe that I have almost finished the first year. This has naturally led to me realising that I did not make the most of my first year here so I am ready to go into next year and get more involved in societies and explore the city – if you are starting University this September, trust me it goes freakishly fast so don’t waste all of your time watching Queer Eye.