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Indeed! It is only 5 months away now!
5 months tomorrow shall be my first day at uni. Wow, that's... soon. Can't wait to get out of school though! It seems that I shall be staying at home for uni, either that or moving into a flat with my boyfriend. We shall see nearer the time I suppose.
Start doing housework and stuff if you don't already, cause it helps to keep your place tidy.
Get some folders, a stapler and a punch, you'll need them for essays, handouts and to keep all your work in order.
Try and either type up or write up your lecture notes, helps come revision/exam time.
If you don't have a printer at the flat/hall, keep your printer account at uni topped up. Nothing worse than trying to print out an essay at last minute and having to run to library to credit your a/c.
Don't leave work till the last minute, or hand it in late. It'll be hard, but try and stay disciplined and do the work before you go out partying.
I'm sure I'll think of some more, but uni is a great experience, despite the debt...
(Dont get scared by this, its unlikly you will meet that many people that are into this kind of thing - the vast majority are just drinkers).
When you all go out the first time in freshers week make sure you take your mobile along, means you get everybodys names down and its somthing to break the ice with if you havent allready.
Go easy on the cash, at first when you see your bank account (after the student loan) you will think your loaded but it goes fast in food and going out so dont go blowing it on tvs/hi fi's or whatever.
If your lacking in confidence atm, living away from home for a year will do wounders for your confidence. Ive seen quite a few people drop out during the first few weeks, it can be nerve racking for many at first but persevere and trust me you will be glad you stayed.
I'm starting at uni in september and I've decided to stay at home as the campus is only a 20 minute bus ride away.In some ways i wish i was going away as it sounds like you meet more people etc.
I'm getting so nervous about starting now-only a couple of months to go!
Money wise...god if I could go back and start again, I would. Most people (so I'm told) are stupid with their first loan installment but please, go careful. I blew the best part of £2,500 and am now paying for it and very much struggling with money. I've never been very good with money, it burns a hole in my pocket. I went from September till the end of November without checking my bank balance; stupid mistake. I thought it'd last forever, but it never does. And my god the shock when I tried to take some money out to find it had gone!
Another thing..don't go into it thinking ooh it's gonna be great. I feel I've been let down a bit - it's not the laugh people said it was.
I concur, and also if you're doing a particularly 'academic' subject like Law or Medicine and others, the myth that you can get away with doing sod all and still skate your first year are not true. Uni exams are difficult and if you don't do work you will get found out! My uni life isn't much of a laugh either, I'm not a great 'go out' type person so my main outlets are just going to the pub to watch the footy, maybe go to the theatre or a gig every now and again when there's something worth seeing, but you're right, tis far from a bundle of laughs.
Some people do go crazy but I have found in general that life is also not as debauched as you are led to believe. People do go out and get hammered etc but many people aren't like that, sex isn't dangled in front of you on a stick. Personally I don't lead a debauched kind of life anyway, but students often talk of the sex, drugs and rock n roll lifestyle, and to be honest for most it is a myth.
Edited- I do not in any way condone having sex on a stick. It will probably hurt and cause you all manner of internal problems.
I often get £2 or £3 off my shopping this way, if not more. which does help.
Sometimes you get magazines with vouchers in them worth more than the mag cost to buy. The best ones for this are the weekly womens mags like Bella and chat, which are a bit shit, but worth browsing though in the shop to see if there are vouchers in before buying.
i was like ewwww what are u doing i have to stand on that floor in bare feet wen iv had a shower. infact that reminds me dig out flip flops.
btw my parents don't know!
n i wont kno ne1 thats drivin me mad actually! iv always lived near all ma m8s n this year ill b leavin
Oh also this is my top study tip - don't photocopy anything - instead sit in the library and read it and make notes - you a) save loads of money and b) learn and remember so much more if you photocopy stuff its too much of a temptation to just go through it and highlight bits and not really learn them - if you write it down you have to think about it.
Also be super organised with your notes. I had a folder which i carried around for my day to day work in it - when it got too full i put it into larger folders for each subject. Write your name, date and subject on each sheat of paper you loose so can then easily get it back into order if you drop them all.
Join loads of clubs at the freshers fair because they often have social events at the beginning of the year so you get to meet more people, you can reject the ones you really dont' like but don't dismiss anything at the start. Also if your in a club then you get to be on the comittee and organise things which is always useful for your CV and for those nasty graduate application forms. My closest uni friend is from Choir, we wern't even in the same college and would never have met otherwise.
And don't expect too much from it - I loved the learning but the social life bit wasnt' all that exciting tbh - i had a much better time when I was at school or going out with my non uni friends.
I'd go with that. Uni is hyped up way too much IMO from that point of view.
xxCatrionaxx
I had a great first night out at Uni, getting to know my housemates and other random ppl. The next morning I woke about 9 and went straight into my Ensuite showerroom and sat on the bog. I took a dump and then something terrible struck me. There was no Bog Roll. I clenched my cheeks and got dressed. I couldnt find any newspaper or anything else soft enough. There were only a couple of girls up and I kind fancied them at the time so I wasnt going to ask them for Bog Roll as that would be way too embarassing. I had to stay clenched for about 2 hours which wasnt very pleasant, until another guy got up and I could borrow some of his.
So my tip is: Grab a large multi pack of Bog Roll from Aldi before you go and while you are there stock up on cheap noodles and baked beans! Keep food in your room or it will find feet.