Now in my second year living in London theirs definitely a few things i've done that were huge mistakes and I know so many people are moving away from home and living in tiny student accommodation. As someone who never lived in student accommodation their were a few things I missed on like how much easier it is to make friends but also the annoying fights between flatmates over who didn't do the dishes; do your dishes people! Nevertheless their are a few student struggles I still had to go through maybe a few more than those that don't live in London. London is great, the transportation system is fabulous, the shopping unbelievable, gigs and concerts going on 24/7 but boy is everything Expensive! so here's a few tricks and tips that I wish I knew going into uni;
1. Always ask for student discount, its not embarrassing its efficient and you'd be surprised how many shops do student discount.
2. Take the bus and walk whenever possible, this is more for London but you save so much. Also if you live in London citymapper (the app) is a lifesaver it shows you different routes, times and also how much its going to cost.
3. Learn to cook! eating take out pizza's, indian, Chinese etc sounds good and taste good but will not make you feel good afterwards, also you may think that deal on dominos is saving you money but buying and cooking your own food is a lot less expensive, turn your dinner outs into dinner in's its a great way to round up the flatmates and spend some quality time together while saving money :) (If you want me to post some of my favourite easy recipes, comment down below x)
4. Learn to do laundry. I thought I knew how to do laundry but when your stuck doing all your clothes at once, you realise how little you actually know (or at least I did).
5. Be organised. folders are lifesavers. Uni is much tougher than school, the deadlines and word counts are brutal but being organised defiantly helped me get through the year much smoothly. (if you want to see a whole post on how I stay organised comment down below x).
6. Put yourself out there! every freshman is feeling the same nerves your feeling, we're all nervous and terrified. Starting a conversation is something I am terrible at but I broke through that invisible glass wall and started talking to people, try to be friendly and social with as many people as possible and sooner or later you'll find the people you feel comfortable with. Talk to the person next to you in a lecture ask them if they wanna grab lunch after class, knock on your flatmate door and ask if they want a cup of tea. food is an amazing social tool. If you find out someone likes the same show as you, offer to watch the next episode together. Just put yourself out there. I used to be the person who would just tag along to what my best friend was doing and never really made plans for myself but I had to get over my fear of rejection and start talking. you might get rejected but you'll be surprised by how many people will say yes.
7. Join clubs. University is stressful but having a place to go to is an amazing way to de-stress, meet people and learn a new skill.
1 small courgette per person
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