Why Moving Away For University Is Worth It
Moving away is nerve-wracking, we know. Heading away to University is one of the scariest things you can do, especially if – like me – you’re moving from a very small town into a much bigger city, and where to go for University isn’t something you do on a whim or at random. And now that you’re packing up your stuff, or you’ve just moved everything into your student accommodation and have said goodbye to your parents, it can be easy to second-guess the decision to move away – but trust us, it’s worth it.
One of the most intimidating things about moving to a new city, for any reason – not just University, is the thought of making new friends.
But contrary to everything you probably believe, moving away makes it really easy to meet people you like and want to hang out with. Staying at home can often leave you in the same routine or habit as before, and if you feel nervous or a little scared then being close to home can almost be a safety crutch – you might find yourself home at the weekends when you’re feeling a little lonely, hanging out with the same people as before. Moving away is a lot scarier, but it pushes you out of your safety zone. When you feel a little lonely, or you’re looking for something to do, you will find yourself messaging new friends or heading out to parties and meeting people instead. In no time at all, you’ll have a group of friends at University you can call up to try new things with whenever you want.
You might not believe me when I tell you this, too, but moving away from home can strengthen a lot of your old friendships as well.
And help you stay friends with the people who really care about you. Heading away for University and spending time with new friends can help you to appreciate the older ones, and having longer periods of time without speaking doesn’t mean you’ll fall out – it means you’ll have more to talk about when you next see each other! Although, be prepared for some friendships to drift apart a little as you find new friends and new interests.
If you’ve lived at home most of your life, moving away for University can really help you find your feet and become a lot more independent.
You might wobble a little in the beginning (phone calls to mum to ask how long chicken should be cooked for, or how to work the washing machine!) but before you know it you’ll be a complete pro at taking care of yourself. You’ll learn a whole bunch of skills that will come in useful later in life, and I don’t just mean how to cook, I mean learning the best ways to cheer up when you’re feeling a little down, figuring out how to easily make your comfort food, and what to do if you can’t get the fire alarm to stop going off in your flat.
Most importantly, though, moving away from home can be so much fun.
You get to explore an entirely new city and find all new favourite bars and coffee shops to hang out in. It doesn’t take long to learn a new place like the back of your hand, even if it seems huge and scary to begin with, and soon you’ll have trouble deciding where really feels like ‘home’ – your old home, or your new one. And you get to play the all-knowing tourist guide when your friends from home or your parents come to visit; it’s always fun showing people around a new place.
