How to Survive Going to University or College

For many of you attending University or College, this may be the first time you have spent any substantial (or even at all) time away from home. For some this idea is scary, for others it is a dream, but for most it is a task they are not entirely prepared for.

One of the luxuries of living in a home where your parents provide most of the necessities is that you kind of take for granted things being there. You may not think about the need for a muffin tray until you are sitting in the house one evening, and decide you really want some cupcakes. While that is a relatively niche example, there are more practical ones you will come across from a lack of bowls, to subpar utensils. At home there are plenty of options, and they can all be found somewhere, while in your new residence space is a premium, so not everything can be brought with you.

This can be alleviated in your later years when you move into private houses. If you live with a group of people you trust you can share the more unique items so you don't end up with cupboards chock full of doubles.

The biggest mistake people make when moving to 'independent' living is bringing a huge amount of useless duplicates. Unless you are extremely accident prone you are unlikely to break more than one plate a year (I did four years with no breakages), and if you do, it will cost next to nothing to replace them.

Even if you are not traditionally sociable (going out drinking or clubbing), you will find a place where you fit at University (as I will discuss later), and hosting and entertaining in some capacity will become a norm. By having multiple glasses you can offer people drinks, and can allow for some drunken fool to smash one. 

Mugs are the lifeblood of being a British student, as having someone around for a cup of tea has magical healing effects. It is the universal message that you are happy for someone to stay for a while (offering them a cuppa shows you are willing to spend the next 30ish minutes with them), and is a good way to bond when you first arrive. For many it also has a comforting effect, as it provides some warmth and security in a new environment. And lastly, those with brutal hangovers the next morning will forever love you if you offer them a cuppa first thing.

You want to purchase a single blade that can be used in almost all situations. Having a rack of knives for every situation may be useful, but you will not use them all very often, and they will take up more space.

If you are British, you are probably well aware that the last thing you pack when moving, and the first thing you unpack, is the kettle. A cup of tea helps the process along. As a result most people will turn up to university with their own, as well as a toaster, and possible some other counter-top devices.

This can very quickly leave all the workspace in the kitchen usable. I know you may like your toaster, as you know exactly where to have the dial to make perfect toast, but you're pretending to be an adult now, so you can adjust.

The reality is that the residential services will often supply kettles and toasters to you (in the UK), as they want to ensure a basic level of electrical safety. If this is the case then you don't need to worry. If it isn't the case then try and get in contact with your new hall mates if possible. Many universities create Facebook groups to allow you to all mingle a little before meeting for the first time.

And if you do turn up on the first day, and no one has any of those things, you can have a nice dorm bonding session as you go to the nearest supermarket and pick up the cheapest toaster or kettle available. It will break, and you will throw it out within three years, so don't waste money on it.

Your room may end up being where you spend a lot of your time as a student. While you will be in lectures, and enjoying whatever social activity takes your fancy, when you return to your domicile you will most likely be in your room.

Many first year residences only have one social area: the kitchen, so comfort is at a minimal there. Your room will be where you go to relax, study, sleep, sleep with, and sometimes even entertain in. Often you will be in the halls and see seven or eight people crammed in a room watching a film or TV show off someone's laptop. 

But even though this will now become your home, there are some things to note.

Being away from home, for some there is a lack of authority figure enforcing working behaviour. No one wants to do assignments, but they are often a necessity. Having a room that is an all round entertainment centre can distract you from your work, and will also make you a must visit spot for those who don't have work to do. While this is a fantastic way to meet everyone, a routine and ethic for work needs to be built up in the first year, when the stakes are lower. 

Having everything you want in your room can also make you less sociable. University gives you a fantastic opportunity to meet a huge array of people, and by holing up in your room you can miss out on that opportunity.

It all sounds very simple and obvious, but if you don't set it up when you first arrive the amount of work to do rises very rapidly, and you can take weeks or months to get it back to a managable position.

Freshers week is the very first week of University. There are no real lectures, there are no real commitments, and you have nothing to do but socialise, get to know your new home, and explore life at University. If you University is hardcore (like mine was) the celebrations of Freshers week actually go on for nearly three weeks. It can all seem a bit mad when you are first dropped into it all. We'll break down and go through the major things you need to get done this week.

The simplest, but most important you need to get done. Many of you will have done it already (go you, have a cookie), but for those who haven't you will need to collect and deposit all the documents the University requires. This usually includes passport photos and proof of address. You will also most likely have to register with your department, to confirm they have you down for the correct course and modules.

Societies are the clubs, activities, and sports teams of the University world. They cover almost every conceivable aspect of life. You have the standard sports like rugby, football, hockey, netball, but also the more unusual sports like lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, water polo, and handball. The same breadth is found with the clubs available. You'll find societies representing every major academic field, as well as clubs for fans of science fiction, film, literature, and baking, to debating, young entrepreneurs, and computing. Many Universities now even have a Quidditch team. 

It's all about finding something you want to do, and throwing yourself into it. You'll meet some like-minded people who share the same passions and obsessions, and you'll get the opportunity to travel the country (or world). Your first year is the year where you have the most freedom, so it is good to make the most of it.

Many first years are based in or next to the campus, and as a result don't take the time to really explore their surrounding city. There is a big difference between attending the University, and living in the city, and far too few students actually live as a member of their city. 

Every student can tell you where the pubs, the clubs, the supermarkets, and the major shops are. Not enough can tell you where you can get the cheapest sandwich in the city, or where you can buy high-quality second hand clothes. Every city has shops and stores that are far better than the chain brands. Swansea has a little diner that does a dish that is just a huge plate of meat for less than a tenner, a little coffee shop where the owner will ask about your day and try to set you up with her daughter, and it has an iron monger who knows everything and everything, yet charges nothing for his wisdom. He also owns a cat that breaks into your house at night.

From this we became friendly faces in the pub, and he would offer us samples of any new casks he brought in, and from this we became involved in a darts tournament at the pub that we sorely lost. 

These little adventures and stories only emerge when you become a proper part of your city. Don't be a stranger to your new home, dive into it.

University is just weird in general. Things will happen that would make no sense in any other situation or context, and eventually you will forget this. Having frequent Nerf wars will be seen as the standard, and intra-office bin-basketball competitions will become the way it should be.

You'll come home to find a washing machine in your living room and think nothing of it. You'll get bored when evening so convince your housemate to let you shave his head. 

You'll take the afternoon off to go meet an astronaut. You'll set up a teleconference with Hong Kong so one of your society members on their year abroad can run for a committee position.

You'll do all these things, and more, and you will think nothing of it, because you're at University.

It will be the best time of your life, and you will look back on those memories through a teary smile. With a little bit of common sense, a lot of minimalism, and a smidgen of self belief you will sore. 

I miss being a student at Swansea every single day, because it was the greatest four years of my entire life, and I want all of you to have as much fun as I did.