MAISIE'S UNIVERSITY FRESHERS TOP TIPS (1-5)

These tips are based on university freshers who live on campus, in self-catered, en-suite accommodation. Although they may also be useful for others in different accommodation.

1. No matter if you think there's a high possibility that you won't get into university still apply for your loans, accommodation etc. and work your way through UCAS because even if you don't get into your choices you could get in through clearing. I got onto my first choice course, at my first choice university, after receiving EED in my A-Levels. Anything is possible! If you don't complete these steps, and you do end up getting in, your life will be so hard. I only just got my first installment of my student loans last week - almost 2 months after everybody else! You may also not be lucky enough to get into accommodation at the university and that will make your life harder, especially if you live far away!
2. When you first move into your university accommodation only bring the stuff you know you will need on a daily basis. Everything else you can get next time you go home! Obviously if you live far away and you've hired a van then bring as much as you like...you might just have to take some stuff back home. This tip is important because you don't know how well equip your room will be for storage, and you don't know how big it's going to be. You could bring a whole moving van of stuff and are only able to move quarter of it in! If you bring your essentials with you, you can then make a list up until when you next go home of the things you've been wanting or needing and you will also have a better judgement of whether or not it will fit!
3. Buy a recipe book. I personally have "Nosh For Students" by Joy May. This book is really good, as it's all set out and it's specifically for students. It has all different recipes which you can experiment with. In the corner of each page it gives you the information of how many portions it makes, how much it's estimated to cost, how long it will take to cook, how long it will take to prepare etc. it's really good and I would really recommend it. It also has simple information like how to cook pasta or rice, and how to store things in your fridge and for how long. Buying a recipe book can help you with your budgeting. As a student you're going to have to shop in places like iceland or with vouchers in big supermarkets whilst also buying their own brand stuff. By getting a recipe book you can choose what meals you're going to have that week and make a list of the ingredients you're going to need to buy. This will help so that you don't go hungry but you also don't waste your money on pointless things that you won't eat or aren't very nutritious so won't fill you up. Be sensible and remember that if a meal makes more than one portion thats more than one meals worth - you can put it the fridge and heat it up the next day! By doing that you will only need to cook 3-4 days a week!
4. Save up. You may get a job along side your uni work, but you're going to be at such an advantage if you come to uni with a good amount of money in your bank account. If you do have money don't waste it. Come the end of your first half semester you won't have much money left and you'll have wished you had taken my advice.
5. Be considerate. Don't go into university with the mind set on "I am who I am, I'm not going to change, everyone has got to deal with it" because you won't be very popular with your housemates. Make sure you take into consideration that you share the flat with other people - the kitchen is a shared area, don't leave it in a tip. The night time is meant for sleeping, if you know housemates are in and they're trying to sleep don't bring the party you've been to back with you! Everybody has to change to make allowances for other people, that doesn't mean change your personality, just try to overcome your bad habits like leaving your dirty washing up in the sink that everybody wants to use! They're not going to clean up after you, it's your responsibility now.