What’s one thing you wish you had known before starting university?

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You do not become instantly organised just because you buy a planner!

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Freshers' Week is not a deadline for making lifelong friends

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Saying "no" is a skill worth learning early

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Frozen food is a lifesaver

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Everything is figuring things out behind the scenes

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Your wellbeing matters more than maintaining a perfect student image

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Uni is not one big experience: It's a collection of small and meaningful moments

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Fresher’s week will be one of your most busiest weeks (as someone has already mentioned)

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Find your best study habits

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TikTok is actually really good for learning to cook

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Join a society!

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Budgeting is more important than I thought! Of course I had plans to save money and try not to spend too much, but I didn't realise how easily your money can go if you don't have some sort of a plan in place. I spent more than I would've liked in freshers week and after this I tried to create a budget so that I didn't end up spending so much which worked out really well for me.

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Going to the freshers fairs are a great way of seeing what the uni has to offer and even just finding your way around the uni buildings a bit. I thought they might be a bit pointless, but I actually found them so interesting just to see everything that goes on and it was also fun going with my new flatmates too.

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It's harder than I thought to make meaningful friendships. I assumed it would be quite easy but even though you meet so many people at uni, not all of them will end up staying your friend so make an effort with the people you get on well with to sustain the friendships.

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I thought cooking would be worse than it is and I actually don't mind it too much which surprised me. I like to batch cook and freeze food which really works for me and means I don't have to cook every single day which is especially nice after a long day at uni!

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Budgeting takes time to figure out - there are so many small costs that add up like groceries, spontaneous activities, society events, laundry, bus travel etc. I’d definitely suggest budgeting a bit more than you intend for the first few months while you’re still getting into a routine with things like grocery shopping.

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You don’t need to find a “perfect” friend group right away - there’s a lot of pressure and expectations around finding your people immediately, but in practice I’ve found that friendships take time to grow! Some of the people I felt closest to in freshers week aren’t really in my life now, and that’s completely normal. I’ve met some of my closest friends throughout second year so definitely stay open and don’t worry about not having a friend group. Uni gives you so many chances to meet people through your course, accommodation, societies, and part-time jobs.

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Try new things and be open to opportunities - trying out random society events, spending more time with your flat, or even just chatting to someone in a seminar - these things can lead to unexpectedly great memories. I was hesitant at first but some of the best parts of uni life came from just being more open to meeting new people!

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Build a life outside your studies - uni isn’t just about your degree; having things outside your course like hobbies, sports, or even just weekly plans with friends really helps make your time feel more balanced. It’s easy to get caught up in academic and career pressure, but you’ll enjoy uni so much more when you create a full life around it.