I'm back, I've been absent for a while, as (if you hadn't guessed by the title), I moved to university. As I've now managed to survive just over a week of freshers, living on my own, I thought I'd make a quick list of all the things I've learnt during this time.
1.
Make an effort to get to know the people in your flat, on your floor and living in your block
You're living with these people for an entire year, so it's good to be sociable and get to know them. At the moment, we socialise mostly with our block (G block woo) and we always have the best time. It's nice to be able to hang out with your flatmates in the kitchen and have people from upstairs or across the hall come over randomly during the day.
2.
You'll have a love/hate relationship with your doorbell
I don't know if most uni halls have doorbells, but in my block we have a doorbell outside each flat. On the one hand, it's really useful if you've forgotten your keys or if you can't hear people knocking on your door, on the other hand, people in our block will press down on it continuously if you don't open it right away.
3.
You will make some (drunk) regrettable decisions
It's something everyone will do, you'll look back on certain nights with embarrassment and shame, you'll hide in your flat for day, but by tomorrow everyone will have forgotten and it'll make for a funny story.
4.
The things you've experienced in the space of a week will make you very close to your flatmates
There are certain things that you've said or seen or done that no one outside of the flat will ever know. What happens in the flat stays in the flat, and none of you will ever speak of it again. They're also the people you will have 100% cried on by the end of the week, and the ones you tell all your tales of highs and lows to at the end of the night while you're eating pasta at 3am in the kitchen.
5.
Fresher's Flu is a very real thing
You'll hear rumours of it, you'll swear that you won't get it, but it's inevitable, and once someone in the flat has it, no one else is safe.
6.
You'll be drinking nearly every day and you'll always be tired
And you'll promise yourself you won't, you'll say you'll have a night off, but then the guy from upstairs is asking if anyone wants to go to the pub and suddenly you find yourself there and drinking again. You won't feel great, your liver may grow to hate you and you'll constantly be tired, but it's freshers, who cares?
7.
Hosting pre-drinks equals a lot of tidying up
It'll be fun at the time, and it won't seem that bad when you roll home in the early hours, but the regret will hit the next morning when you see the state of the kitchen and how much cleaning and tidying up there is.
8.
Join societies
It's such a great and easy way to meet other people with similar interests to you and a way to meet people that don't just live in your block or do your course.
9.
Things go missing, it's not that deep
It's inevitable that you'll misplace your plate or your teaspoon, it's not something to stress over, don't be overly precious with your stuff in common areas, a plate in Ikea only costs 80p anyway.
10.
Meal plan!!!!
For the first few days you'll just wing it, you'll eat pasta three times a day and it'll be fine, but you'll find it's so useful to meal plan when it comes to doing your first food shop or for using up everything in the fridge.
11.
The laundry will be busy all the time
Early in the morning, late at night, the laundry will always be busy. There's never enough machines for everyone living in your halls, the trick is to be prepared to hang around for a while, and to hover near a washer that's finished for when people come back to collect their stuff. It's so annoying when people leave their stuff in the washer for ages after it's finished, don't be that person.
12.
You'll pine for your own shower
The shower will be rubbish but eventually you'll find the exact way to make the temperature somewhat acceptable and you'll learn to live with it. You'll never not miss your shower at home, though. On a similar note, sharing bathrooms isn't as bad as you may think it's going to be. Yes, one shower and two toilets between seven people isn't ideal, but it works.
13.
You'll miss your family
You'll be so busy during freshers that you don't think about it, but the minute you have some down time it'll suddenly hit you. Give yourself two weeks to settle in before you go home and take some time out to call them. Be prepared to cry over pictures of your cat to your friends when drunk.
14.
Look after yourself
Make sure you're eating right, make sure you're getting enough sleep. You don't have to drink every night if you don't want to, you don't have to go out every night if you don't want to. Don't keep all your emotions bottled up inside of you. Make your room look nice, make good food, have some chilled nights, you be you.
15.
Everyone is in the same boat
It may not feel like it, but everyone is in the same boat as you. Everyone was nervous before they arrived, everyone is nervous about moving away from home, everyone is nervous about making friends, everyone is nervous about their course. Everyone is feeling exactly the same as you, don't forget that just because some people seem like they have it easier than others.
Rosie
Lets start week two
