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 Now when you think of university what are the first things that spring to mind? Parties? Alcohol? Sex, drugs, rock & roll? wow that sounded like a dad joke,  I do apologise. But here’s a first year reflection from myself, one of the maybe two or three percent of students that actually go there for the education.. geek alert, but who cares. I mean yes I did the whole going out every night for a week in freshers but in between that and a few nights out here and there I retired to my bed and opted for slippers and a warm cuppa, or two.. or five. So here’s a reflection looking back on life as a first year from a possible slight different perspective. 

Okay so first of all, moving in day. This is quite possibly one of the strangest days of your life. One minute your sat at home with your family, a nice breakfast and a hot cup of tea and the next you’re in a stuffed car full of most of your life possessions, being driven to your new home for the next three of four years. Now that sounds quite scary when I’ve brilliantly put it like that but its also one of the most exciting days of your life. From being able to set up and decorate a new room, to the freedom and the new friendships you’re about to create.

The first day is strange. You move your things in and then wait for maybe a few minutes or a few hours (like myself) debating whether you’re brave enough to go and introduce yourself to the new house mate. Its nerve-racking at first but within an hour you find yourself drawn into a drinking game while playing Mario cart on the one small television that they’ve kindly given between the twelve of you.

As the weeks go on here comes the fun part, you start to see what people are really like. That first member of your house that you met and instantly thought of being best friends for life with? Well you start to realise that you were so so wrong, and ultimately they become your worst enemy.. No no I’m joking, its no that bad but the chances of you living a lifetime together are very low. You form friendships that don’t last longer than the first two months but you also form some that genuinely could last a life time. You find those people that share the same characteristics and passions as yourself and you suddenly feel at home again.

One thing that you will really notice about yourself as did I, is just how confident you can be when you’re put into a situation which forces you to be. For myself it was catching busses to my boyfriends house, somewhere that I’d only been to once before having to make my way there in the dark.. Budgeting your money like your life depends on it, because yeah it pretty much basically does. But more importantly the biggest part of freedom is getting to choose what you fill up your fridge and freezer with every week, and may I just say no matter how healthy you eat you are most definitely going to gain at least a stone, whether its from the alcohol or the Ben&Jerry’s that you use to comfort yourself when you’re missing home.

The nights out are a lot louder a lot busier than you’re used to, one minute you’ll be sat in your house and the next you’ll be at your neighbour complimenting that random drunk stranger on their gorgeous dress that they picked up for a fiver on boohoo. And if you’re from Bristol then you’ll understand that drunk amazement the first time that you step onto the club, that’s on a frikkin' boat.

But here’s the main thing, you’ll feel a sense of achievement and a sense of fear when you bring home that shower matt and place it down. You’ll stare at it like its your new born baby that’s just been welcomed into the world. You stand there and you realise one thing, YOU’RE OFFICIALLY ADULTING.



My quick top tips;

Do not go to uni trying to fit into a certain crowd, keep your mind open to everyone and their style and mind. 

Do not feel pressured into going out all the time, yes you may get called boring and people may distance themselves but if people do that it shows what kind of ‘friend’ they are. And you don’t need that pushy negativity in your life.

Don’t feel as if you have to go there and suddenly finish first year with +100 friends, the whole point of going to university is to adjust to the everything’s of day to day life in the real world. Just concentrate on filling your life with positivity, those friends that have got your back and inspire you to keep doing you.

The last are the most important, cheesy I know but the basic moral of ‘JUST BE YOURSELF’. If you love the vibes that you get off going to university and you just want to stay in with a cup of tea and a film then do it. If you want to go every night, be careful but do it. 

If you go to university and decide that you don’t like it then hang in there for a few weeks just to be sure, but if its not for you then its not for you and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Just because university is there, it doesn’t mean that you should feel pressured into going. You do you, you create your own happiness. Just make sure that its in doing what YOU love.

And on that note, that is the end of my rather large post about my first year experience. Thank you for reading lovelies!x