5 things I wish I had known before university

Here is a rundown of 5 things I wish I had known before I started at university that I think would have really helped make the process smoother, easier and cheaper!  

You don’t need to buy as much as you think. When buying your kit to bring with you, only buy the essentials, everyone I know brought far too much with them, and you simply do not need it. Buy the bare minimum, and then as you need things you can buy them. You can get 6 months free of amazon prime student which means if you do realise you need something urgently, then you can get it in no time at all. Overall this will save you a lot of money and effort of lugging everything across the country with you.

How much you can *actually* drink and not embarrass yourself. This sounds silly, but actually I think lot of people could have saved themselves some embarrassment or awkward situations if they had armed themselves with this knowledge. Obviously you don’t need to drink, but it does form a large part of uni culture particularly in the first few weeks. Finding your drink and how much of that you actually need to drink is a good way of ensuring you don’t overdo It, maintaining your control and composure whilst also being able to have fun.  

That a lot of student discounts aren’t really the best deal out there! A lot of student discounts are actually not necessarily a good deal, or, are using a small discount to get you to spend money you don’t need or want to.  10% off is alright, but often there will be 20% off codes at other times, which is obviously better. Also just because something is 10% off doesn’t mean it is something of value to you. Learning when to spend and when not to before you get to uni is a skill that will save you a lot! Also the student shopping nights are awful, don’t go, its long queues and the same discounts you can get online most off the time.  

ALWAYS ask if there is a student discount. On the flipside of the above, it is also important to note that it is always worth asking about student discount, many companies will have them, even if they are not advertised. And some may even offer you one off the cuff if you ask as a goodwill gesture! Sometimes it will surprise you, and the worst they can say is no! 

The miracles of Echinacea and vitamin C. These two supplements are god sends during any period when you are run down and could be ill, be this from late nights during freshers, or during exams or deadlines. Both help to ward off or suppress the symptoms of colds and flu. Obviously now we are in COVID time keeping the immune system strong is of upmost importance so I would highly recommend getting these before you start. Also worth getting a multivitamin if you have a bad diet (be honest with yourself) to keep everything else up to correct levels.