Going back a few years when I first moved out of my parents home to live in London, in University halls of residence, I remember feeling more excited than scared. The world of independence, no curfews and late night parties were something that had overwhelmed my senses. I felt extremely elated the first day I had arrived at my flat, knowing that this was the beginning of some exciting times. However, I was soon going to learn that maybe I should have prepared better for the daunting task of keeping up with the rent, doing my own laundry, buying food, cooking, cleaning and actually using the right cleaning equipment for getting rid of the beer stains!
I guess my first month of living in a flat with flatmates consisted of drinking, partying, more drinking and more partying. My first year at University appeared easier than I had expected, as with most students, this year was all about the novelty of entering into the world of university, making new friends and living in a completely unfamiliar area. It could not get any better for me - until one day I checked my bank account and the world of adulthood crashed down upon me. So coming from someone who is experienced in the world of 'being skint' there are a few things one must follow when beginning your new life.
First and foremost, stock up on your cleaning equipment. It is hard living with other people, as they are strangers to you at first and you each have differing habits. This is where you all need to get together when you first move in with each other, get to know each other (over a few drinks), and perhaps establish a routine of some sort. Drawing up a timetable of who will be doing the dishes on what day will not always work, but it is helpful and the finger can be pointed at the one that did not follow the roster. If you are a clean freak, like me, then you may need instigate rules of your own about cleanliness (without being too dictatorial).
Secondly get into a habit of budgeting, give yourself a realistic amount of money to spend so then you will not end up in a difficult situation of not having any money for food. Some people prefer to use envelopes, mark each of the week on each envelope and place a certain amount of money each envelope, forcing them to stick to a tight budget. This is fine, if you know you not be withdrawing any money from the bank, I recommend you stick to a carefully planned out budget and try to stay strong.
Thirdly try to cut down on your shopping for essentials only, keeping one or two days of the week a treat day. It is all very well going to pubs and students union bars with your friends, or shopping for wholesome food, but this can also place a heavy dent on your bank account. I have been in situations whereby I have spent extortionate amounts of money on shopping for food; this is where I had to learn about value for money foods and actually calculating how much I would need in a week. I would also spend a lot on cleaning equipment and products, falling into the trap of spending unnecessarily. So be careful.
Finally, devise a timetable for studying. University is all about finding out more about the big bad world, learning how to budget, meeting new people and enjoying your freedom. However, it is a time for you to work towards a fruitful and prospective career, so I am afraid to say that as much you will like to have fun, it is very easy to lose track of why you are here and end up with your grades suffering. Many have failed their first year at university, some have even dropped out, you want to be the one who stays on and continues throughout the whole of degree course. It is far more exciting to see how your time at university pans out - it gets better each year you are there.
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