Things I wish I’d known before starting University

3 min read
6th February 2019

Things I wish I’d known before starting University

You can never have too much toilet roll.
Living in halls of residence and having to share toilets and showers with the other 10 people on your floor really brings home the importance of the toilet roll. No matter how much you buy, someone always seems to use it all and never replaces it.
Where the cheapest corner shops are.
As handy as having the student union shop on the door step of my accommodation was, it was also a massive rip off! £3.99 for the cheapest hair conditioner? No thank you, I’m a skint student and can definitely find cheaper in super drug or boots if I just wander further down the road.
The importance of coat hangers!
If your student room is stereotypical, then you have probably been plagued with minimal storage space for clothing; I soon discovered, hanging multiple items of clothing on one coat hanger drastically improves this issue! Bringing coat hangers from home would have saved me a lot of time and money if I had just known this before I moved.
Room checks aren’t an empty threat.
I brushed off the rumours of weekly kitchen, bathroom and bedroom checks and wow that was a mistake. Inspections took place once a week and, unsurprisingly, cleaning products were not supplied for us, so that was even more money spent on items I could easily have brought from home if I’d only known before! The threat and implementation of monetary fines was enough to scare us into keeping our halls to a respectable standard.
Kitchen utensils will mysteriously disappear.
No matter how vigilant and protective you are of kitchen ware there will always be items that inexplicably vanish. Having brightly coloured cutlery and dishes makes your things more distinguishable and less likely to be ‘mistaken’ for somebody else’s belongings.
On site laundry services are extortionate.
You have your whites, your colours, your delicates... all to be washed and dried at least once a month. It quickly adds up to a hefty bill from my experience. Take full advantage of using your friend’s washing machine for free or the generosity of your parent’s offer of doing your laundry for you at home.
You cannot live on pasta for the duration of your degree.
Believe me, as much as you think pasta is the greatest dish to live on. You are severely wrong. After 5 months living solely on pasta and noodles, because it was the easiest and only thing I could make, I was literally yearning for some vegetables or a salad. I wish someone had told me to learn how to cook at least 3 proper meals before I’d moved to uni.
Theft is more common than people care to admit.
A fork going missing from the kitchen isn’t going to break the bank, however phones, laptops and tablets are items which unfortunately do have a tendency to be stolen from halls and around campus. As boring as it sounds, insurance is something every student should look into before arriving at uni.
Fresher’s flu is real.
Lack of sleep, unhealthy food and an excessive of amount of alcohol! Fresher’s flu is bound to hit you at some point in your first semester. Stocking up on lemsips, vitamin tablets and pain killers would have been a quick remedy to an otherwise deathly two weeks of lurgy.
A Railcard is essential.
If you’re like me and are too lazy, bone idle or just plain forgetful to purchase a railcard before arriving at uni then stop right now! BUY ONE NOW. It will save you so much money and honestly, by the start of second semester you will need those extra pounds.

Things I wish I’d known before starting University

Don't forget that insurance is also an essential part of your regimen to keep safe whilst at university.

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