The whole university experience is understandably extremely stressful and time-consuming. I was in your shoes a few years ago, and I remember the hours spent on YouTube watching “What should I take to University” videos hoping to not mess up my first year.
However, with the help of my friends and my own experiences, I have gathered some much needed real advice on surviving the first year of Uni.
1. Welcome to the Life of a Domestic Princess
If you’ve never washed anything in your life, get ready to lose your laundry virginity! You most likely won’t have an angry new yorker stealing your washing machine like poor Rachel did in Friends (S1 E5), but I would recommend downloading the Laundry Circuit app to make life slightly easier for yourself; especially since both catered and self-catered accommodations at UON use this app.
2. No WHSmith Raids or IKEA Rampages
You can pick up a lot of stationary during freshers week, and I personally recommend using my idea of *borrowing* kitchen utensils from home to save money too. Printers can also be the height of inconvenience when your friends are knocking on your door to use yours at 2am; campus libraries have an abundance for you to use.
3. Don’t Pack your Entire Wardrobe
Half your time at Uni is spent in trackies and a dressing gown- resist the urge to pack your entire wardrobe- the more you pack the more you’ll have to wash and iron. Even though I still have an ongoing debate with my friend about the necessity of an iron- she likes to resort to radiators or even a DIY steaming in the bathroom whenever she showers.
4. Join Accommodation and Course Group Chats
These will be your ticket into making sure you’re not feeling too isolated and lonely within the first few days. This is probably one I recommend highly; you’ll get some much-needed reassurance and hopefully lower your anxiety levels. Facebook group chats for UON freshers, courses, and accommodations are very popular so don’t hold back.
5. Put Yourself Out There
When I asked my friends for advice the majority replied with ‘expand your social circle’ and ‘put yourself out there’. This is the most cliché yet nerve-wracking thing you have probably been told, but it’s true, and one we can all vouch for. By taking a more open-minded approach and not being afraid to be yourself will lead you to make forever friendships. Don’t be afraid of starting a new society or hobby; it could turn out to be one of your most memorable experiences. Fresher’s week is a great chance to survey the clubs and societies at UON, but if you miss it then you can always look on the SU website for more.
6. And finally, the wise words of my beloved flatmate: Buy some cereal.
If you have a few slip-ups and start to feel a bit overwhelmed, just know you’re not alone; everyone is in the same boat as you.
I, for one, have had my fair share of embarrassing stories: setting the fire alarm off four times within the first two weeks, dropping a 20kg dumbbell on my thumb, flooding my bedroom, melting a butter lid on the hob, giving myself food poisoning twice in one month…
The list is quite literally endless.
But the point I’m trying to make is to treat university as a learning curve; it will ultimately change your life and shape you into the person you’ll eventually become. I don’t regret the experiences I’ve had, only the opportunities I didn’t take. Even if it did mean I visited the doctors a few more times than originally planned.
Yes, the pandemic has made things very different and a lot more difficult, but with a little creativity, you can still find new ways of connecting and making lasting memories. As crazy as DIY at-home slip and slides, or as mundane as semi-illegal toastie making and kettle pasta in the library.
There is a point where the rose-tinted glasses come off, and the reality of life and work starts to settle in. You’ll more likely than not experience FOMO, imposter’s syndrome and feel pretty lonely. COVID especially has a tendency to catalyse anxiety, increasing the temptation to isolate yourself from everybody.
One of the most important pieces of advice is to reach out and ask for help when needed. Tutors, teachers, friends, family. Everyone would rather see you thriving and having fun, so don’t worry about being a nuisance or bothering them. If you put yourself in your friend’s shoes, you’d much rather they come to you than struggle silently.
And the bottom line is to just enjoy it. You only live once.
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