Starting University Mini-Series: Introduction

I’ve decided to start a mini-series on the process of starting university. When I started, I didn’t really know what to do, or what to expect. I was just going with the flow and when the time came to move, I was pretty stressed while filled with great anticipation.

Hopefully the next few posts will provide a useful guide for starting university, everything you have to do to prepare, and a few tips and advice for when you arrive.

The Post-Holiday Blues and the Dawning of Exams

After a long holiday, like all students, you get used to the home life – the world of simplicity. You become complacent again, your food is cooked for you, and maybe even your washing washed. You get back to university and almost, as I call it, ‘forget how to student’. Your room immediately reminds you of your old environment of isolation and lack of face to face socialisation. Not for all, but for a lot. You remember the pains of being mature, you have to walk or bus everywhere, clean, and tidy etc. (the transition to full-adult-life is difficult ok!). You probably have exams coming up, did little work over the holidays and now overwhelmed with the feeling of ‘I just cannot be bothered’, and maybe, ‘I just want to return home’.

The Adventures of University: My Experience, Hints and Tips

A constant theme that seems to be reoccurring in all my posts is that university has turned out to be the total opposite to what I expected. I envisioned, quite naïvely and stupidly, that, like many graduates reminisce, a wonderful, smooth sailing journey of endless joy and fun. As one suspects, this could not be further from the truth.

While the clear majority of my uni experience I have greatly enjoyed, there have equally been instances where I have felt completely rock bottom. This blog will just provide a brief overview of some of my experiences and methods I use to stay positive. While everyone’s circumstances are different, one’s testimony can still go a long way. The underlying issues of most people’s experiences are identical, and tackling such difficulties will help immensely. Uni is hard, everyone feels the same, but it is not a bottomless pit. You can crawl out.

Embracing the Inevitable: Homesickness at University

Being homesick is horrible. Lying on your bed, weeping into your pillow, and almost like a toddler, crying just wanting to see the presence of your parents. You feel overwhelmed, lost and alone.

I have tried my best to make this post as concise as possible. But as I expressed my feelings and advice, there is just so much. So I have split this article into two sections: the first about my experience and a general background to homesickness, and section two dedicated wholly to advice, hints and tips.

An Incoherent Ramble of My Ongoing Experience at University: Ups and Downs, Hints and Tips

University is bloody difficult, and don’t let anyone tell you any different. Graduates will express love for their experiences while seemingly portraying that university is nothing but an endless, joyful ride.

But that is not true. It’s ok to have moments when you feel rock bottom. But remember to stay positive – look at what you do have, not what you have lost. Remember that going to university itself is incredibly impressive and that no matter where you are in your journey you have already come so far, and everyone is proud of you. Being down or upset won’t change that.