I’ve just been reading through the University Discussion forums on the student room and a few common worries have arisen, and they’re ones I experienced last year and ones that people have been experiencing for years and years, so I guess it’s time to maybe bust a few myths and quell a few fears about starting university!
Myth: Everyone drinks alcohol all the time – I don’t drink at all/very much, I’m going to be left out!
Wrong! I was worried about this at first – I like a drink now and then, and there have been a couple of times where I’ve gone a little crazy, done shots and Jaegerbombs and had a really good night (although a not-so-great morning after!), but I don’t drink very much – especially not in comparison to my flatmates, who go out to Chester drinking. There haven’t been any huge issues, I haven’t felt particularly pressured into getting wasted and I’ve made friends who don’t enjoy drinking as much. If you do drink lots/hardly drink/don’t drink at all/drink on occasion/ whatever, you won’t be alone!
Myth: I’m being left in control of money for the first time, I’m going to spend everything and then starve AAAARGH!
Wrong – if you budget right! Stick to your budget, and don’t count on your parents/hardship grants to bail you out unless you absolutely need to. This is probably your first taste of independence; you may as well use it wisely rather than wasting it by just proving you can’t handle money. Shop at budget shops – if the thought of buying stuff from B&M Bargains or Discount UK (they’re brilliant but some people just can’t bring themselves to shop there for some reason), go for ALDI – or at least ASDA Smartprice/Tesco Value ranges. There’s no point trying to buy branded stuff when you’re on a student budget; it’ll just waste money. If there is a particular brand or two that you can’t live without and can’t abide the smartprice substitutes, then by all means go for it – mine are Super Noodles, I’m yet to find a worthy substitute – but make sure you buy everything else wisely. Tins in bulk, fresh food sparingly.
Another money tip – if you can get a part-time job, go for it. The hours on my course make it quite difficult to get a part-time job, because I really want to do well on this course, but I’m planning on working in the summer instead. When you’re going out drinking, be wise – don’t flash the cash and offer to buy everyone’s drinks. Pre-drinking is a godsend, it’ll save you so much money! Limit how often you go out – once or twice a week is probably best, because you’ve still got a chance to let your hair down, but you’re not wasting all your money on alcohol. If you smoke, now might be a good time to start cutting down – one thing I’ve noticed from my friends who smoke is that it seriously eats into their budget.
Myth: I’m not going to make friends, everyone will hate me!
Wrong – as long as you don’t cut yourself off. I was so worried I wasn’t going to make friends, but I got really involved in my course, I’ve attempted to join societies (the one main society I wanted to join hasn’t properly started yet though!), I’ve been out a fair few times, and I’ve made friends quite quickly. My closest friends are my coursemates, and that seems to be the case for most of the people I know here at uni. You won’t be without friends unless you never say hello to people!
Myth: I can’t cook, I’m going to starve/poison myself/set fire to the building!
Wrong (again, if you do things right!). I don’t know how to cook – or at least, I didn’t when I started uni. I couldn’t even turn the cooker on at home (it’s a gas cooker and I’m scared of ‘splodey things, ok? Give me a break!). I now cook for myself every night, and I’m not just surviving off instant noodles and microwave meals. Since starting uni, I think I’ve had no more than two ready meals in the microwave – the rest of the time, I have been cooking for myself.
Obviously pasta is a staple, but you’ll get bored of it if you just eat pasta every night. Mixing it up – bolognese, cheese, different sauces etc – helps, but you’re still going to get bored of pasta very quick. Avoid most student cookbooks – they’re ridiculous, you’re not going to be cooking cordon bleu on a student budget, and I have never gotten home from a full day of lectures to think “Hmm, I really fancy spending an hour whipping up some Moroccan spiced lamb mince with couscous, or maybe some sausage ragu & spinach pasta bake” (however, if you DO get home from your lectures and fancy that, the recipes are here – http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/recipes/favourites/student/ ). You’re going to get home and want something quick and easy.
I’m going to do a full-on post about student cooking soon, but for now, here’s my basic tips – cook portions in advance and freeze. Oven chips and fish fingers/chicken nuggets is not a crime. Home-made mash potato is easy and a tasty alternative to chips. Tinned food will be your friend.
Myth: I won’t be able to see or speak to my parents/siblings/old friends/dog/cat/hamster/ cornsnake/teddy bear/pet rock until the holidays, I’ll miss them so much!
This one is neither right nor wrong. The amount people miss their families really does vary – some feel really homesick, others love being away and never even think of their families when they’re away. I’m in the middle but I lean more towards homesick, I miss my family and my dog and my fiance (in no particular order, before people start making comments!) so much, but I don’t let it take over my life – I visit home fairly often.
Skype/Facebook video calling/whatever video calling service you use is a godsend. I talk to my fiance over Facebook video chat a lot, and I had a lovely Skype call with my family (and my dog, who didn’t seem to realize that I was on the laptop and not in the house when I was calling her, so she was staring at the door waiting for me to walk in, bless her little woolly socks) the other day. Chances are, you will miss your family, especially at first, but it gets easier. Uni is a great experience because it is those first baby steps towards independence. Some people hate it, others thrive on it, most seem to fall into a middle ground, but don’t worry about it wherever you fit on that spectrum – there’s nothing to be ashamed of!
I think that’s it for now – those were the main ones that came up, and obviously I can only speak from my own experience – don’t go all keyboard warrior on me in the comments with “Actually for me it was different”; I’m just going on what I’ve experienced. If you have any other questions – any worries you’d like me to iron out etc – just pop your question in the comments box and I’ll either reply straight away or make another post if there are enough questions to warrant it 🙂
the life of a moomin 