Having recently finished my first semester at University and celebrated by spending a relaxing, care-free three weeks back at home with my family, it’s now time to head back to the beautiful city of Lincoln for the next batch of hard work, opportunities and the exciting non-stop life that I have come to adore. But what is it about University life that I love so much? What is it that convinces me that studying a degree was the best decision I ever made?
Student living
Well for a start, you need to know that this life was nothing like I, or many of my friends, expected it to be. We all soon realised that the image of 24/7 parties and drinking so often depicted in the media was very, very far from the truth, particularly when the word ‘deadlines’ comes into play. After a certain amount of 9am starts on headache-y mornings, “Freshers” like myself soon accept that we are way out of our depth and may need a little more practice when it comes to A) handling our drink and B) keeping it down. Gross, I know!
It wasn’t long until it was accepted that a night in watching Take Me Out with a packet of biscuits, and perhaps a cheeky glass of wine, is nothing to be ashamed of and is often a welcome break from the (sort of) wild side of student life.
Another thing I didn’t expect was to feel quite as at home as I do. I knew missing my family would be a disadvantage of moving away from home, however I never anticipated those feelings reflecting so heavily on my flatmate family as well. Leaving them all for the measly few weeks of Christmas felt like being separated for a lifetime.
I guess that’s the only disadvantage of having such a good relationship with your flatmates, but I’m not complaining – I know not everyone can say the same! I guess you bond with people in a completely different way when you live with them; compromise becomes second nature and the word ‘dishes’ becomes the start of a war. I’m sure there’s plenty of you who can relate to that!
(New) Home Comforts
One of the strangest realisations I had during my first few months in my own flat was this: those tacky ornaments you’ve been cursing at for collecting dust and been dying to throw away for years will now be your best friends. Each time I visited home, I found myself bringing back more and more candles, or photo frames or silly little shelf-fillers. You can’t imagine until you experience it how one little thing that previously served no significance can now provide so much comfort and sentiment.
Something you may all be shocked to hear, after all of the horror stories about debt and student loans is that managing money isn’t actually that difficult. A clear and organised spreadsheet and a strong-will to stay clear of the ‘sale’ sign is all you need in order to live an overdraft-free student life; my daddy certainly taught me well! Obviously, each individual has a unique set of financial circumstances, but don’t panic! There are many services in place to help you with this.
I mean, I understand that University isn’t for everyone. I know some have career prospects that don’t require a degree, and some just don’t want to go. But if you’re undecided, sitting in the middle, unsure… Let me tell you this.
University gave me a sense of freedom and an intense motivation to succeed in my chosen field. Meeting all kinds of interesting and new people opens your eyes to so many new things and opportunities. You learn so much in such a small amount of time, and I don’t just mean academically! It’s a chance to begin a whole new life and live free of all the negatives from the past and a chance to really kick start what could be a very exciting life.
Debating whether or not to go to University? DO IT!
I promise you, you won’t regret it.
What do you think? Is University life much more than how it is portrayed in the media? Would you recommend student living? Leave your comments below!
