It’s the end of the first month of living in our new university homes for many of us, and I’ve taken it as a chance to think about just how much I’ve learned and achieved over such a short space of time. Living away from your family and friends for the first time can be (and has been, for me) the equivalent of trying to staple jelly to a tree, however I think that it’s important to remind ourselves that we are doing a pretty good job. As I know that many other students are in the same boat as me, I thought that it would be a nice idea to collect together a few of the things that I have learned in my first month away from home and try to reassure anyone else that is feeling alone in the whirlwind of university life.
You Have To Buy So Many Random Things
Living without the comfort of knowing that, if the house is missing something that my parents would inevitably pull it out from up their sleeve was a completely alien concept to me. I had no idea that I needed so many small, random, but incredibly useful utensils! I think that I must have had to do about thirty emergency trips to the shop in my first weekend of living in Leeds; who knew that I would need scissors, a cheese grater and a variety of herbs and spices so frequently? It just takes a bit of time to realise what you do and don’t need, but finally (after over a month) I think I am set and ready to go. Think of my flat as Mary Poppins’ handbag… You need it? I got it.
Getting Sick Feels Ten Times Worse Than Normal
Freshers week completely knocked me out. Not only did I spend an inordinate amount of time not taking in all of the important information that I was bombarded with from induction week, but I also managed to contract the dreaded freshers flu. Of course, with this illness, I didn’t have the luxury of my dad bringing me a cup of tea and boxes of tissues whenever I needed it. Thus, I was faced with a horrible fact of adult life: looking after yourself when your ill sucks, but it’s something that we all just have to get used to.
I Am Much More Prepared For This Than I Realised
Yes, living on my own is tough, but it has also made me realise how ready I was to leave home. It feels great to have my own freedom to do what I want when I want, and to have some real responsibility, despite it being scary sometimes. If twelve months ago you would have told me that in a year’s time I would be organising all my own household bills, and not living off any financial support off my parents, I would have done a serious happy dance. Nonetheless, this is all true and I could not be prouder of myself.
I Am Much Fonder of My Hometown From This Far Away
When living in little old Wigan, I used to walk through the town centre and sigh, desperately wishing my time between then and being in Leeds away. Although I am much happier in a city with so much culture and lots of things to do and see, living in Leeds has made me look back on my memories there with a warm, fuzzy feeling in my tummy. Suddenly, I actually rather miss the forty-minute walk home from the train station, up the world’s steepest hill, and I definitely miss the familiar, drunken chants of “I’m From Wigan, Me” after game day in the town centre. Home is home, no matter how rubbish you think it is.
I Appreciate My Family So Much More
I was extremely family orientated, even before moving to university. If someone threatened one of my siblings in a school corridor, we would telepathically know where in school to assemble to protect the other. If my dad was stressed about work, you’re damn right that we would be staying up until the early hours of the morning talking about it. However, my love for my family excelling even further was not something that I expected to happen when I moved out of their home. I miss them more than anything, and it’s pretty horrible to see them on fun filled days out when I’m writing up my notes from a lecture on Performance Perspectives. But, they are the absolute best people in my life, and my rock- even more than I could have ever imagined.
Bins Fill Up Extremely Quickly
It’s true, they do. Remember when you used to sigh when your mum made you empty only your bedroom bin? Yeah, well, it’s never not freezing cold when you take binbags out, and surprise, the kitchen one fills up even faster than your bedroom one ever did, and it drips with whatever sauce is left over from whatever you had for your tea last week, all over your new Topshop jeans. Nope, I’m not bitter about it.
Look After Your Flatmates And They Will Look After You In Return
I think this is the most important one. You are going to be living with your flatmates for at least a year, maybe even longer. You’re going to go through the best and worst of times with them, and that mutual support is going to be crucial to your sanity, as well as theirs. Think of it of as a “you scratch my back, I scratch yours” kind of situation. If you make your flatmate a brew when they’re having a tough day, they will think of you and return the favour when you need it most. In addition to that, it’s just nice to be nice!