University can seem like a daunting prospect. From the soul-destroying UCAS application, to moving away from home, your friends, your parents, and everything you’ve known for around 18 years. It’s scary stuff, and you have every right to be nervous. However, uni can also be great. The best. There will undoubtedly be a few lows, but I’m here to tell you about the highs, to get you hyped for September and motivated for those final exams. Here are 10 good things about university that you may not have considered.
Whether you moved around throughout your childhood or are still on the same street you grew up on, it’s always exciting getting out there and exploring a new town or city. And this time, it’s on your own terms! Grab a guidebook and have a wander, without the pain of having to stop and pose in front of National Heritage sites with your parents.
I can’t overstate how great it feels to have pretty much total freedom over your life away from your parents. Sure, the novelty may wear off once work really sets in, but I can guarantee that when you’re watching Netflix in your underwear eating Doritos in bed without the possibility of anyone barging into your room, you’ll understand that this is one of the good things about university.
Okay, so maybe don’t go too crazy. You can’t paint your walls black or install a walk-in-wardrobe, but you can still decorate your room pretty much however you want it. Did your parents disapprove of your collection of topless Harry Styles posters? At uni they can take pride of place on your wall. Always felt like there’s an interior designer in you begging to get out? You can add as many flowers, throws and cushions as Bobby on an episode of Queer Eye. Go wild!
University will probably be the first time you’ve been left alone to fend for yourself. Unless you’re in catered halls, you’ll be cooking your own meals. Some of you may already be pretty comfortable in a kitchen, but if like me when I was a fresher, your idea of a balanced meal is potato waffles and ketchup, you may want to pick up a cookbook. There are loads out there actually aimed at students and complete novices (I’d recommend Sam Stern’s) – before you know it you’ll be applying for Come Dine With Me.
You might have been stuck in a school uniform for the past 14 years, you might have had strict parents, or friends who didn’t “get” you. University is the perfect opportunity to reinvent and express yourself without fear of judgement – bleach your hair, pierce your septum, wear a crop top to lectures, no one’s gonna stop you! Go out and slay, queens.
For the first time in your life, you’ll be studying just one subject – the one that you (hopefully) love the most and are incredibly passionate about. Of course, the workload can be hard, but it can be so rewarding; finally specialising and learning about the thing you love in detail, taught by experts, is so cool and FUN. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise – everyone’s a nerd about something deep down. Embrace it.
Unlike secondary school, where your options were probably netball or homework club, universities have an incredible range of extra curricular activities. And not just drinking. Check out the societies fair in Freshers Week, and you’ll find an array of options, from rowing to cheese tasting, show choir to Mario Kart, there will be something for you to get involved in. (P.S.: getting a role on a committee doesn’t look bad on your CV, either…)
What happens at uni, stays at uni, amirite? Okay yeah no that’s just categorically not true. But university is an excellent opportunity to experiment and try things you’ve never been able to before. I don’t just mean sex, drugs and rock and roll, but also a chance to let your hair down. In the words of Adore Delano: “Party!”
I know, it’s a cliche, but you really can make the best friends of your life, which is definitely one of the good things about university. You’re in a place with people who have a lot in common with you – you’ve all chosen to study at the same place, sometimes the same subject – and yet you’re all from different places and backgrounds, so there’s loads to learn about each other and from each other. You’ll go through the most intense three years together, and come out friends for life.
The sense of achievement you’ll feel at graduation is incredible. You’ll be leaving not just with a degree, but a new set of friends, life skills, and three or four years you can be truly proud of. Hopefully scattered with a few embarrassing stories, naturally.
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