Blogger and 2nd year student Sophie Ottewell talks us through her top 5 tips for surviving University.
#1 Budget, budget, budget
I think it’s a well-known fact that students are supposed to have no money, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on nights out and treating yourself. Getting such a huge lump sum of money into your bank account makes it so tempting to run to the nearest shopping centre and buy everything you could never afford before – but this is something you will definitely regret when the money begins to run dry. Making a budget for your essentials means you’ll have more room to know how much you can treat yourself.
#2 Make use of student perks
This tip kind of follows on from tip No.1. Being a student comes with its perks. Whether it be £1000 interest free overdrafts or free railcards, there are so many reasons why being a student serves as an advantage money wise, so make sure you make use of these offers. Pretty Little Thing is just one of the stores that can offer you huge discounts for being a student. Student discount is likely to increase around fresher’s week so make sure to keep a look out on sites like My Unidays to see what’s on offer.
#3 Get work out of the way as soon as you can
Now I know this is a little easier said than done! I study Fashion Marketing and Branding at uni, which is fun but also a lot of work. Keeping to deadlines when you have so many can be tricky, so getting work out the way as soon as possible never hurts anyone. So many pieces of work from my 1st year could have been completed so much quicker than they were done, which would have made me a lot less stressed! It’s no nice to know all your work is done and you’re free to actual go and have fun, so why not do it sooner!
#4 Be as sociable as you can
This tip is one I tend to struggle with at uni, as I chose to stay at home since I live so close. While it means I’m so much better off financially, it is harder when it comes to making friends. That’s not to say I haven’t met so many lovely people on my course, but living in the next city means it’s hard to go out with them like you should do at university. If you have the opportunity to move into halls, I would 100% say go for it, as I definitely miss out on the social aspect of things being at home. It probably doesn’t help that I’m not the best at talking to new people, but I think I would enjoy uni even more if I had fully submerged myself in the whole experience of student life.
#5 Make the most of your time there
Three years may sound like a long time but in reality it will probably be some of the shortest but best years of your life, so enjoy it. I still cannot get over how quick 1st year has gone. Before I know it I’m sure I’ll be finishing my degree and (hopefully) have it figured out what I’m going to do with my life. Uni is one of the last chances to be young and naive so make sure you enjoy it while it lasts!
Follow Sophie on Insta: @sophieottewell
