University | What They Don't Tell You!

Hey Guys x

As some of you may know, I started university in September last year. I've enjoyed it and also found it really difficult at times.

However, I've noticed how different things are, from how I imagined they would be before I started.

So I thought I'd fill you in on some of these things and let you know the truth about university!

Although I have to point out that this information is directly related to my experiences and might not necessarily be the same as yours.

The First Year Isn't All Fun and Games
Before going, I thought that the first year was (excuse my language) the fuck-up year, the year where you can make mistakes, not hand in assignments and get drunk every single day. Well, tell this to my tutors because they don't care whether it's your first year or your third year, you're going to work your arse off, get completely stressed out and get the best grades possible... or so they hope!

You'll Lose Touch With Old Friends
This is inevitable. As sad as it is, in school, you see your friends five times a week. When you go your separate ways, you'll find that you only called some people your friends because you saw them five times a week. And some people just aren't willing to make that much of an effort at all, especially when they make new friends at uni. And just some advice, if you become the friend that makes loads of new friends, don't forget your old friends. It's shit to be the forgotten friend.

The Stress Is Unreal!
This might not be for everyone, but it certainly has been for me and a few of my friends! No one wants to fail the first year, of course not, So we all get super stressed about the exams that we have coming up. For me, the way to combat stress is avoidance, so don't do what I do! Like waiting until the last week to complete an essay, which I have done this week. Which means that as soon as I finish this post, I will be sat at the computer for a further few hours trying to write an essay in one sitting!

Some Required Books Aren't Worth Buying
This is a really annoying thing for me. They send you a huge reading list full of books that come to hundreds of pounds - and then you only look at the books once, in your hour long seminar, before never coming across them again! Trust me when I say that, if you want to save money, don't buy all the books right away - see which are the most important and which you can live without having - it'll save you so much money in the long run!

Make An Effort
This is big when it comes to making friends. When it's the beginning and no one knows anyone, go up to people and talk to them, introduce yourself, ask them about themselves. Honestly, my closest uni friends now are the people that I went up to and introduced myself too, and I'm so glad that I did it. Of course it can be scary, but most people are probably just as scared as you are, so it's OK to make the first move!

You Might Not Make Loads of Lifelong Friends
This is something that I definitely expected when I first started! I thought that I'd meet my closest friends here and that I'd make hundreds of friends that I'll know forever. As of right now, that's not necessarily the case! I have made one or two friends at uni that I think I'll know forever, but I'm also still close with some of my school friends, who I'll also probably know forever, which is great! But maybe don't expect to make hundreds of lifelong friends, especially in your first year!

I hope this helped you if you're attending uni soon or even just considering it!

Thank you for reading

Comment below your own worries and concerns about the first year of uni, I'll try to answer them as best I can!

Keep Smiling - Lou xx