With most University's freshers starting soon, or even having started already, I just wanted to give you all three tips which I think are invaluable to every new student. A couple of these I wish I knew before I started.
1) It goes way too quickly.
I sound like such an oldie when I talk about time going quickly. but those three years of my life went by in a flash. It seems like yesterday that I was moving into my halls and meeting these five strangers that I would be living with for the next year. Do not take this time for granted like I did, it goes incredibly fast, and once you graduate, lets just say - life is not as fun as it is was when you were a student.
2) You wont make friends if you just sit at home.
This is possibly the most valuable advice I could give to any new students: sitting on your butt doing nothing and keeping to yourself will make your time at University miserable and lonely. You will probably be the person crying, even into Spring term, about how much you miss home, and trust me, that is not fun. I'm not by any means suggesting that you go out on a bender every single night (although equally as fun), but just make sure you put yourself out there and at least talk to those you live with. University is a chance to reinvent yourself, and I most certainly took this opportunity to reinvent myself as someone much more confident than what I was.
3) You probably won't stay in contact with your 'current best friends'
As much as it sucks to think about, University life is so much of a bubble that if you're anything like me, and you're living away from home, you're probably going to quickly fall out of touch with your best friends from home. It's only natural, and when you graduate you will probably rekindle those friendships, or even in the holidays, but whilst you're there, you will probably slightly forget about each other. You will be surrounded by new people everyday, living with new people, sitting in lectures with potential new friends, and you'll end up making a strong support group at University. I'm not saying you will never talk to your 'home friends' again, but just giving you a heads up, it's not as easy to stay in touch and remain 'best friends' as you may think.
4) University is not a walk in the park.
Yes, Uni is a lot of fun and games, and you will try so many new things, meet so many new people, and generally have the best time of your life. But let me tell you one thing, I have never ever been so stressed in my life, and at times, as lonely, than I was at University. Not because I had no friends, as I had the best friends anyone could ask for, but because at times you just feel a little isolated, with everyone having lectures at different times, and obviously being away from your loved ones (hence point 2!). Stress was a major killer for me, and I can not express how important it is to do your reading before it gets to exam time. I never took this advice and every year I was stressed out of my mind, drinking more coffee than I care to admit. Not only this, but managing your time is such a difficult task, and something you will come away with having perfected. Let's take one of my 'typical final year' days for example. I'd wake up, go to lectures, want to socialise with my housemates, need to go to the gym, and also some days have work. Learning to manage all this alongside completing assignments is a struggle, but you will nail it eventually.
Those are my four main things to know for those of you who have started University this September, or who are off in the next few weeks. Please embrace every opportunity that is thrown your way, get out and meet new people, try new things, because this experience will go so quickly and you don't want to have any regrets when you leave Uni. Also, don't take these points too seriously, obviously they are based on my experience.
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