Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting Uni

3 Sept 2019

It's September (honestly where did the summer go!) and that means two things schools are back and universities are ALMOST back. Thank goodness for long university holidays am I right? I'm going into my final year of university this year which is a scary scary old time but starting university for the first time can also be really scary so here are some tips of things I've learned in the past three years that I wish I knew when I started.

The backpack is the Mint Backpack from Madlug and is not owned, purely modelled for editorial use however I do own nine other Madlug backpacks.

No one cares what you look like
Your uni wardrobe can seem like a daunting task but in reality, for class, most people will turn up in sweats and a t-shirt with their hair up in a messy bun. I'm the anomaly that likes to dress up for every single occasion of my life and yes people have commented on my style in class but for the most part it's pretty much a non-event so don't stress too much about waking up at 6am to make yourself look presentable for 9am lectures because in reality nobody really cares.

Budget, budget, budget
Student life can be expensive and as someone who's just started life on their own, it can be really tricky to learn how to manage your money. I was fortunate enough that my dad is a debt coach and money management specialist and he gave me all the tricks on how to best manage money as a student. The one that saved me the most in first year was using cash, take out a select volume of cash for the week and try to limit yourself to only using it also using separate bank accounts to manage your direct debits, your spending money and your savings. I also definitely recommend checking out Monzo to help with managing your money. Sign up here* and get £5 automatically credited to your account. On the whole, don't blow your student loan in the first week on fresher's events because more than likely you'll need it more at a later stage when you've run out of money to pay your rent (raises hand that I'm most definitely guilty of this).
*Affiliate link- I'll also receive £5 for every referral 


Have fun
While you are predominantly there to study and get a degree, your uni years are some of the most formative years of your life and if you spend them all locked up in the library studying, chances are you'll regret it later. What I'm really saying is the FOMO is real! Yes work hard, but don't let your need to succeed and do well in class stop you from enjoying yourself.

Lectures will only get you so far...
but please go to lectures! Lectures are really beneficial to your understanding of the modules but in order to actually do well, you need to also do additional reading. Taking notes in lectures doesn't need to be immensely detailed but anything you think is useful or interesting is usually good to jot down and you can supplement your notes with independent reading and study later.

Not everyone will be 18

I felt like when I started university I was just expecting everyone in my class to be in the same stage of life as me but that's not necessarily the case. Yes, a lot of people will be fresh out of school but many people will also have taken gap years or even have worked for a number of years before pursuing a degree. Especially if you're older and starting uni for the first time, there may be an overwhelming number of 18-year-olds milling around but it's not like school and not everyone is the same age.

Pinterest Uni Rooms are a lie!
As you go to uni you'll be so ready to have your own space to design exactly how you want it and make it as Pinterest ready as possible but realistically, if you don't have a Pinterest room at home, you're not going to have a Pinterest room at uni. I'm so guilty of thinking I was suddenly going to be tidy and organised when I moved into my own space but that most definitely did not happen and the infamous floordrobe made its unwelcome return.

What is one thing you wish you knew before starting university? Or if you are just starting out what are you most excited about?

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