Surviving the first year at university

It has been a fair few years since I took those first few tentative steps into student life but I can remember it as if it were yesterday.  Standing in my room at the halls of residence, listening to the excited chatter and banging of doors and taking a deep breath as the reality dawned on me that this was it; university, freedom, independence.

Now, I am preparing for my own son to start.  Luckily for me, I have him for another year yet, but I have a year to try and pass on a few (hundred) words of wisdom to him to help him make the best of his three years away.

So looking back, what advice would I give him about surviving that first year at university?

Second hand rules

There is no denying that when you are a student, money is generally in short supply and anything that you can do to save money will help it all go a bit further.  Don’t let snobbery get the better of you when it comes to shopping as you can get some great deals if you shop in second hand shops.  Most universities will have bookshops on campus or nearby that sell second hand text books and this can be an absolute lifesaver if you are studying a course with a long reading list.

Second hand shopping doesn’t end there either.  These days, we live in such a throw away society that most things that can be bought second hand are often as good as new and clothes, furniture and other things for your accommodation will seem even nicer if you have payed a fraction of the normal price for them.  Be careful with electrical items though, especially laptops or computer equipment unless they have been refurbished by a reputable company and you get a warranty and give used mattresses a miss too as you really can never tell where they have been.

Budgeting makes the money go round

For most students, the first year at university is their first taste of independent living.  Avoid the temptation to spend all of your money at once as you will regret it later.  Budgeting is the key and a great habit to get into for life after uni too.  Work out when and how much money you are going to get and work out a monthly budget; even better a weekly one.  Take away any unavoidable outgoings such as rent and bills and see what is left over. Simple budgeting makes sense as you don’t want to get into debt unless you really have to as all debts have to be paid back eventually.

Sleep is not for the weak

University life may sometimes seem like one long party.  There will be endless opportunities to go out and party with friends but it is important to get a balance.  If I am honest, this is a piece of advice that my 18 year old self would have laughed at, but with hindsight I know that it is important to get some sleep along the way too.  The odd early night is not going to kill you or your reputation as the campus party animal and constant exhaustion will certainly get in the way of your studies.  You are at university to study, remember?

Eat the occasional healthy meal

One thing that is so much better than when I was at university is the ability to cook good food on a budget.  The internet is literally dripping with great food sites and blogs that offer thrifty and frugal tips and recipes which means that there is no excuse not to make an effort to be healthy.  If you are living in halls of residence, the chances are that you may be catered for anyway which is great as you will have the option of a good balance of nutritious food each day.  If you are cooking for yourself, find a few recipes that you like the look of and that are within your cooking capabilities and shop round for reasonable ingredients.  Find out what time your local supermarket does their daily food reductions as this can be a perfect way to stock your food cupboard a little more cheaply.

Avoid takeaway food, it is really not good for you to have too often and it doesn’t come cheap either.  Why not club together with friends and make a meal together, that way it can be a social activity and you can all benefit from it; everyone can bring something along and it will be like a feast.  Just remember to divide up the cleaning up too afterwards.

Avoid ‘Fresher’s Flu’

Lack of sleep, too many late nights, poor diet and being away from home for the first time can be a bit of a shock to the system and it is quite common in those first few weeks for students to get ‘fresher’s flu’.  This is a term given to that general feeling you get when you are tired and run down; sore throat, swollen glands, cough and cold, fever, all signs that you are under the weather.  Make sure you start to take things easy as soon as any of these symptoms make an appearance.  Keep a handy supply of paracetamol and ibuprofen as these can be bought quite cheaply in most pharmacies or supermarkets and they will help if you are suffering.

Free time is not just free time

I am going to mention the ‘s’ word again; studying.  It is easy when you are away from home for the first time, to get totally carried away with any time that isn’t spent in lectures and study sessions.  Managing your time is important from week one.  Some courses are not so lecture intensive with lots of free time to spend researching and working.  Spending those free hours nursing a hangover, shopping or chatting with friends is all well and good and we all need some down time, but you also need to pace your studies.  Leaving everything until the last few weeks before exams is risky and can cause a huge amount of stress.

Enjoy

These could be some of the best years of your life.  New friends, new places, new experiences, it really is the most amazing thing to do.  Be sensible (sometimes), stay safe and healthy (always) and keep on top of your studies (most of the time) and you will have a fantastic time.

This post is an entry into Currys PC World #CurrysStudentHacks competition.  Find out more here.