10 Things I Learned From University

From going to university twice, one of those times being during the pandemic, I think I've learned a few things from the whole experience and thought why not share them with you especially if you're considering going to university or are at university who may just need a little help. Here are 10 things I have learned from university. 

1. You can't be friends with everyone

You may find during Fresher's week that you meet a lot of people. In my first year, I met half of my hall and we spent a lot of Fresher's week together. It was a great time. I thought I'd made so many friends in the first week and we'd be friends for life. Nope. After Fresher's week and the lectures begin, you may find you don't see as many people as you did on Fresher's week and you may find yourself not speaking to most of the people. Of course there will be those few you speak with and if I was you, I would stick with those because they can become some good friends. Don't expect to be friends with everyone but try to be open to everyone you meet. Someone you may not have been friends with while you're in school could actually be a decent friend in university. Just be opened minded, keep your door open on the first week when everyone's moving in and stay positive. There will be plenty of times you can lock yourself in your room to binge watch a tv series or play video games. You got to be a little social in the first week or you won't meet any people. 

2. Group work is probably the worst thing about university

Oh boy. I feel like group work is so different at university compared to when you're in school. In School, your forced to work in your group during the school day and if you didn't then you'd probably get a telling off. In university, it's a little different. Yes, you're forced to work in a group, however you're meant to work in your groups in free time. Somehow, in university the first time I didn't work in a group. Especially after my first term in university where an issue with group work nearly led to me completely dropping out but the issue was quickly resolved when I told the lecturer, and he gave me free rein to work by myself which was something I always chose to do because I learned you can't always trust your group to work just as hard as you. I also learned this fact while studying my master's degree. I think because you have to manage your time to work in your group it can lead to someone group members taking a backseat approach, some group members using their initiative to do work while others need to be physically told to do the work. I'm sure I could make so many ramblings over why I hated group work in university, but I don't want to make this post longer than it needs to be. If you would like me to write more about group work problems, then leave a comment below and I'll be sure to make a post all about it. 

3. Time Management Is Key

In university, you have way more free time than you do in school. Usually you're in university for about six to eight hours a week. Sometimes even less than that. It can lead to waking up late, going to bed late, pulling all-nighters, going out on the town, procrastination. While these things are perfectly normal to happen while at university, but if you do these things too much then it can have an impact on the important things like lectures and assignments. This is why time management is key at university. It's okay in the beginning to not have too much structure in your day but when things start getting serious then you should definitely consider a schedule for yourself. One tip that a lecturer said to me stuck with me throughout was to treat university like a 9 to 5 job. This meant that you should be productive during this time by going to lectures, working on assignments or studying during this time. Of course you can take a number of breaks during this time, but it should be treated like you're on the clock. I would try and work until twelve then take an hour break for lunch and to relax then get back to work for another two or three hours. Just try to manage your time wisely while at university. It is very tempting to relax all the time but try to make time for your uni work, after all you do want to leave university with a degree so put in the effort and that will happen. 

4. BUDGET!

Student loans may seem like the greatest thing ever especially if you're not used to seeing your bank account so high in numbers. However, you do have important fees to pay while at university. Make sure you know your tuition fees are being paid. Usually your student loan has a separate loan that you don't see which goes to the tuition fees. Just make sure that is in place. Next is your accommodation fees. This is usually on a term basis and it usually gets taken out automatically a few days after you get your loan. Make sure you have enough each term to pay your rent. Trust me you don't want to be in a situation where you can't pay rent. Then you're left with whatever's left. Sometimes it still is quite a bit. However, that money is meant for the whole term and money goes surprisingly quickly while at university. Try to budget especially with groceries. Try to spend a certain amount each week. Before I go shopping, I usually check the supermarket's website and price up each item I want for the week and then I know how much I'll be spending in the shop. Also it makes you see what's on offer at the moment. It may be tempting to buy the odd treat, but remember you need food to live and don't be tempted to pay for a holiday or a new game console just because you have the money. It is not worth it when you're struggling at the end of term to pay for food. If you're really struggling, some universities can offer extra finance if you're really struggling. Look in the finance section of your university website to see if they can give you extra support if you're really struggling for money. 

5. You will get homesick

The freedom of being on your own and living away from your parents can be very exciting and it definitely is exciting. Being able to go to bed when you want, eat what you want and do whatever you want (as long as it is legal). It's a blast but the homesickness will eventually hit you like a tonne of bricks. It can be a struggle because you may want to go home and never go back to university. It may make you sad and lonely. Luckily though home is just a phone call away. It times like these I was always glad to ring my mum and hear her voice. It's even great now because you can even face time your parents, so you won't feel as homesick. This is a very exciting time of your life and you should make the most of it. A big tip is to get your bedroom sorted ASAP. Put up posters, photos, decorations and make it your own. I've discovered I really hate a bare wall, so I got so many posters to put up and to this day still have up, but it just adds character to the bedroom plus makes it my own. It gives you a sense of familiarity and makes your bedroom into a safe space. Little home comforts can make a big difference to your uni bedroom so go crazy with the decorations. It's your room after all. 

6. Talk to your lecturers

Lecturers may seem like the scariest people ever. You may even feel a little intimidated by your lecturer. I've come to learn that they are not scary people. They are there to teach you and help you learn. Plus if you put in the effort then they can be extra nice to you because they know you care and are trying to get a degree. However, if you don't put in the effort then they'll assume that you don't care and that can be frustrating to them because they might be wondering why you are even doing a degree if you're not putting in any effort. Of course in university, we can all have really bad days. Trust me I had a lot of bad days, but I learned that skipping lectures was not the answer. Email your lecturer if you're really struggling. Let them know if you're concerned about something or don't fully understand something. They will help you. Even a meeting with your lecturer can seem scary but it won't be. Usually it's an informal chat about how you're doing. You may feel like you're on your own in university but you're not really. Your lecturers are like your support team. They don't want their students to suffer so talk to them if you're struggling with anything at university. It doesn't just have to be with the work, it could be with your mental health or any other issues you may be having. They will offer you guidance. 

7. Be A Tidy Hallmate/Roommate

One of the bigger issues you get when living in halls or a student house is the mess. You sometimes get people who are very efficient when it comes to cleaning and then you get some people that are just plain lazy that you wonder how they live with the mess. My advice is don't be that person. Don't pile up the dishes hoping someone else will wash up and don't not empty the bin because you also hope someone will take it out instead. It's sometimes easier just to stick to washing up your own things or putting your rubbish in your own bin rather than the shared bin. This is more the case in halls as I learned it was easier putting my own rubbish in the bin and taking it out myself. Sometimes you do get cleaners that do it for you but as I discovered while doing my master's that's not the case. It just became easier to have my own bin bag in my room as the kitchen bin ended up always smelling and being full and I hadn't even put anything in it. You might think that's a mean and stubborn thing to do but how is it fair to empty a gross bin that you didn't even put a single bit of rubbish in. It's just easier to have your own bin bag and recycling bin in your room. I used a large Primark bag for my recycling which worked a treat. It's a bit different in a student house because you can share responsibilities and one of those is the washing up and emptying the bin. Also if you think you can get away with not washing up every so often then trust me your housemates will notice. It's just about being fair to be honest. One thing I would recommend that I wish happened while I went to university was a cleaning rota because at least then the housework can be spread out evenly and you won't be living in an untidy house. I think it would just make things easier because perhaps one housemate doesn't mind hoovering, or one doesn't mind washing up. It's all about balance really and contributing equally. Just be a tidy housemate especially in this pandemic, it's not a good idea to be untidy because you never know what germs you might pick up. Just saying. 

8. Take care of yourself

It's obviously a scary time at university because it's the first time you can be an independent adult. Obviously, your physical health is important so register with that GP and dentist. You'll thank yourself later. Also your mental health is just as important. This may hit after freshers when lectures and assignments begin, the stress of it all can be a struggle. You may feel like you'll fail it or not to do well or that it's not good enough. I felt like this a lot because I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I had to do a lot of creative assignments where I'd design adverts. I always never felt like it was good enough even when people tell me it's good, I'd always see something wrong with it. This can be a downfall because I may change it to something even worse than how it was and not be able to get the original back. Always make copies people. Even so, I'd panic when the lecturer asks to see my work because I'd think they will just say it's rubbish, what was I thinking, I shouldn't be in university because I'm a failure. They never did say that to me, but I always felt like they would. Eventually I started to see what they saw and realise it wasn't too bad. Afterall no idea was the same as the others and everyone interprets an assignment or brief differently which means there's no real right or wrong answer. Just don't panic. If you're really struggling as I mentioned before talking to your lecturers but if you feel it's an inner struggle, then look into the mental health services at university. They'll be able to help you because I'm positive that there have been plenty of students that have had the same worries you have so they may have answer for you. Your mental health is important, and university can impact your mental health greatly. You're bound to get periods of loneliness, depression, anxiety or maybe something deeper. Talk to someone about it and they can offer you a guidance on what to do next. They may suggest seeing a GP to get a diagnosis or offer you advice on how to cope. Either way, don't feel like you are completely on your own while at university because there's always someone to talk to. All you need to do is ask. 

9. Join a club/society

One thing that I really regret not doing was joining a club or society. Now to be fair, my university didn't have a lot of societies and the ones they did have were not really for me plus the clubs were all sport clubs which again wasn't really my thing, but I do regret not signing up. It's a great way to meet new people and make new friends as well as socialise. It's a chance to meet people outside your course and accommodation plus usually it's fun especially if it's something you love to do, you already have something in common with everyone in the group which is a good start. It also gives you a focus away from assignments and university as well as a chance to relax and have fun even let off some steam sometimes. Either way do go to your Fresher's fair and do sign up to any clubs or societies that you are interested in. You can always quit if you're not enjoying it. There's no legal contract to societies and club that means you're stuck with them for life so don't worry about it. 

10. Go to the careers office

Being at university can often feel like a bubble in a weird way. You're being an independent adult, you're going to lectures, you're doing assignments and just having fun. You forget what it's all for which obviously to get a degree and use that degree to get a job. I'm not going to lie. I didn't go to the careers office, but I wish I had gone. I didn't really have a plan after university until third year was rolling around and obviously time was running out. I knew I wasn't finically stable to move out into my own place or thought I'd be good enough to get a job related to my degree. By the time I finished university, I had the degree, but I didn't have the job which I do regret. Take my advice, go to the careers office. Talk to them and they should be able to give you options, help you out with your CV and give you some advice. To be honest I was financially stable to move out because I had some student loan leftover, I could have got a job related to my degree and my own place. Who knows? Perhaps if I went to the careers office, maybe my life would have been different. So if you're reading this and you're in your first year, second year or third year then book yourself an appointment at your university's career office because at least it will give you options and ideas on what you can do after university. Trust me, you won't regret it.

Anyway, that's 10 things I've learned from university. I'm sure there are many more I could talk about, but I feel this post has gone on long enough. Let me know in the comments if you would like a second part for this post where I share 10 more things I've learnt from university. I also have plenty of university posts on this blog so check out the university tag and it will show you all the ones I've done. You might even find out something useful. Who knows?

Thank you for reading my blog and I hope you have a lovely day. I'll be back soon with another post for you.

See you then.

Megan x 

*This is not a sponsored post* 

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