University Life: 5 ways to conquer living independently

For many and most people, starting the university chapter of life means moving away from home and familiar settings. I can’t speak for everyone, but even if you’ve been desperate to escape from under the roof of your parents and explore more of the world independently, there will undoubtedly be one or two worries nestled in the back of your mind.

University serves as a brilliant time and place for you to step out, dip your toes into the ‘grown-up world’ and experience new things. This is the time to make mistakes (of course, within reason) and have the chance to learn from them! I would say that your years at university almost act like a buffer between having your hand held throughout school and being thrown into the depths of the working adult life.

So, without further ado, here are some tips on living out and independently during your time at university from someone who has been through it all not too long ago…

1.      Familiarise yourself with your local area

As obvious as it may sound, get to know where your local shops and supermarkets are, locate your nearest public transport stops, pinpoint your local GP practice, and even scout out where the local gym is. The sooner you accustom yourself to these essential whereabouts, the quicker you will settle down. Most importantly, get to know where certain university locations and buildings that are relevant to you are, to save yourself from a last-minute panic and getting lost just before your lectures! I promise you, planning your journeys will never do you any harm (subject to TFL’s shenanigans if you’re in London…).

2.      Get into a routine

Amid the chaos of it all, try your best to slowly work out a routine to keep yourself from being too overwhelmed. A warning: Freshers’ Week will be packed with events, you’ll be meeting new people every day, and be attending several course introduction talks. Keep a copy of your timetable close at hand – often you should be able to merge your university/course-specific timetable into your phone calendar – and add in other activities you want to go to, such as any club and society events.

Once things calm down a bit from the first week or so, you can think about planning your day and routine to perhaps fit in a gym session in the morning before your first lecture or at the end of your day on your way back to your accommodation. Set an evening routine to make and eat dinner, organise a time to work on assignments and find time to unwind by either watching an episode of a show or tucking into a good book. This may help to distract you if you’re feeling a little homesick whilst also giving yourself some more structure and familiarity to the day.  The thing about university is that your schedule may not always be the same day to day like it was at school. You could have two hours’ worth of lectures in the morning one day, then have a whole 9-5 consisting of an assortment of seminars and lectures on another. So, it is incredibly important to plan ahead.

3.      Meal prep and explore new recipes

When you’re cooking for yourself away from home, it can be quite difficult at first to get the food shop just right. I found myself struggling to finish things before their expiry dates when trying to balance numerous foodstuffs for different meals. For example, I would use half a cabbage for a particular dish then forget about the other half… I suppose this is where meal prepping really comes in handy. If you’re on it, planning and preparing your meals for the week ahead would definitely save you a fair bit of stress, money and food waste. And don’t forget, the freezer is your best friend.

Still on the topic of food – make the most of all the websites, channels and accounts on social media that share recipe ideas. You could save them to a folder and create a sort of virtual recipe book! These have been instrumental for me in my cooking endeavours especially as someone who is always looking for new things to try. I would also highly recommend trying out new recipes with friends and flatmates, sharing ones of your own and from your own culture, and picking up new skills and techniques from others. I first learnt how to make a béchamel sauce from a friend and then went on to teach them how to fold dumplings!

4.      Budgeting

Give yourself a budget for the various expenses you will come across. After your accommodation rent and tuition fees, think about how much you plan to spend on your food and supplies shop, your travel expenses, nights out and socials, phone bill, gym membership, and personal entertainment subscriptions such as Netflix or Amazon Prime. There are plenty of budgeting apps available, so try familiarising yourself with one as soon as possible so you can keep an eye on your spending habits.

You will seldom hear more enthusiasm and passion in the voice of a university student than when they are talking about all the student deals on offer. You will be eligible for a whole host of travel, restaurant, and shopping discounts. Check out apps such as UNiDays, Student Beans and TOTUM which provide you with a vast directory of student discount codes.

5.      A little each time goes a long way

What I’m talking about here, is cleaning. It’s not the most exciting activity and very likely the last thing you want to think about when there are so many more dopamine-inducing things you could be doing… Yes, it has taken me several years to admit, but small things like washing the plate you have just finished using immediately, will take less than 10 seconds and make your life 10 times easier. Unless you’re preparing a huge feast for a dinner party, telling yourself that you will “do the dishes later” (infamous last words) will 9/10 times result in a gradual pile up of dishes that will take even more time to tackle than if you had done a little each time. At least for me, it always takes a good chunk of time to first observe and accept the mountainous task, then wonder why I didn’t do it earlier, and finally muster up the courage to sort it all out. You know what they say – tidy kitchen sink, tidy mind. Or something like that.

When you move out for university, there are so many things you will encounter for the first time and it’s ok if you don’t adjust to everything overnight. Most of your fellow university mates will be in the same boat, so do help each other out! Hopefully these tips will help you along the way, give you a good idea of what to expect, and break down how to manage the chaos of settling into university life and living independently. Good Luck!

Emily Jin is Head of Media and Communications at STEMaccess, after graduating from Imperial College London with a BSc in Medical Biosciences with Management.