5 things I wish I had known before university

1. That everyone is in the same boat and WANTS to make friends 

I was nervous before going to university in September and spent quite a lot of time worrying that I would not make good friends. However, during freshers everybody is in the same boat and wants to make friends, so there really is not that much to worry about. You will make friends on your course, in your accommodation and through other people!  

2. There is no need to rush into finding a house for second year 

When considering renting a house for 2nd year it is vital that you consider the people that you will be living with. Make sure that you get on well and think about how the group dynamic works. I made the mistake of rushing into finding a house and regretted it because I did not get on well with two of the people that I rented with which made things a bit awkward.  

3. The importance of setting yourself a weekly spending budget 

I did not really consider money when coming into university and spent quite a bit of money during freshers in my first two weeks. So, I wish that I set myself a rough weekly budget to ensure that I did not fall into my overdraft. Luckily, I got into the swing of doing this after a month of living in Brighton!  

4. The variety of fun things to do in Brighton, such as the Brighton Fringe festival 

I wish that I did a bit more research into the monthly events that occur in Brighton because I missed out on a few things in my first year, such as the Brighton Fringe festival in May. This is a fantastic month where there are a variety of productions and shows that are available to go and enjoy.  

5. Academic reading is so important to develop your thinking, so keep up with it all 

During my first year, I did not really keep up with my weekly readings which meant that when it came to the assignment period, I would end up spending lots of time catching up. Therefore, I wish I knew the importance of keeping up with readings because this helps you develop your academic voice and ability to contribute to discussions with course mates and lecturers in seminars.