Settling in to University life

Although I have only been in University life for the two induction days, I have to admit that I have settled in a bit. I have tried to teach myself not to be so pessimistic about everything and to try to look on the bright side of life, which always causes me to start singing that song by Eric Idle:
Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you’re chewing on life’s gristle
Don’t grumble, give a whistle
And this’ll help things turn out for the best…

And…always look on the bright side of life…
Always look on the light side of life… ETC.

It is a shame that I can’t whistle, anyway…

I thought that moving from the constricted rules of Secondary/6th Form life into University life would be hard, but apart from the occasional set of nerves and worrying about making more friends, I have actually settled in.

I keep looking at this Fresher’s Week Wristband and thinking “I really should go out to some of these events that they have on.” Truth be told that the real reason I haven’t been to any yet is because I am tired. After three months off school, it is hard to get back into the swing of things when it comes to getting up early and getting on a bus, then a train, then another train and then another bus before getting to university. My mum keeps telling me that I can’t say the word ‘school‘ anymore because I now go to ‘university‘.

I never thought that this day would come, I really didn’t. Especially with all the problems that I have faced in recent months, but I have beaten all the odds and now I am standing at the start of a very long and very winding road. I am especially standing here staring at the hardest thing I am ever going to have to go through – Computer Science. Yes, I am good with computers, countless people tell me that, but it is that which scares me most. I don’t want to upset or let anyone down. I want to prove that I can do this and that I don’t need to be coddled anymore.

I have come to realise that no matter where you go, be it Kingston University or Kings College or even the Open University, make sure that you do get stuck in, as they say, to University life. You only do it once, right? Unless you really like school and do a postgraduate or a Masters, but I think by then you will be more focused on work and less on Partying, but what do I know, I’m only an undergraduate.
So join societies, even if they are weird and wacky and you think you’re going to be the only boy or girl there. As long as you enjoy it then who’s to stop you? And if there are no societies that take your fancy, then start your own. You can do that. They are also the best way to meet new people who are like you, you just have to put yourself out there and be the first person to say ‘Hi, my name is…and I am studying…‘ I know it is scary, trust me, I really do because I am the shyest person you will ever meet (or won’t because I won’t want to talk), but if you want to make friends then don’t expect people to come up to you, you may have to take a leap of faith and hope you make friends.

But University life isn’t all about parties, societies and making friends. You got to university by working your ass off and studying till the early hours of the morning. That isn’t going to change. You just get a more localised area to study. An area you should be good at. Hopefully.
So yes, enjoy your time there and happily settle down to the fun side of it, but don’t fall through the cracks and behind everyone else because you don’t want to be doing retakes in August.

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD AND SLEEP WHEN YOU’RE DEAD.

If, unlike me, you are settling into halls then try to get some sleep because I know that people around you will be making a lot of noise when they stroll in from nightclubs such as Oceana (If you are studying at Kingston). So, it is with that in mind that I suggest that you buy ear plugs or sleeping pills and take half of one if you can’t sleep. All I can really say is that although I would love to be on campus for my first year, I would hate to be in a very loud resident area. So good luck.

Halls are a good way to receive independence from parents and to learn what you need to survive, but it is also a daunting and scary thing. I would have liked to have done it for the first year, but ce la vie.

One thing that they always tell us when it comes to being a student is that we are always broke and have no money at all, so the main thing that we have to worry about when it comes to being a student is that we need to balance our money and not spend wildly, which is something I have still to learn (I brought 4 pairs of shoes in 2 weeks) Bad move, but I do love the shoes I brought.

So to all the students out there, I wish you luck and all the best for the next 3 years plus of your life and I hope that we are all still standing at the end of it. Good Luck getting a job once you have graduated too.

Related articles

• Freshers’ Week: 10 things you should know (telegraph.co.uk)
• Freshers’ Week: the Telegraph guide (telegraph.co.uk)
• Freshers’ Week: the Telegraph’s memories (telegraph.co.uk)
• Eric Idle’s fun moment at Olympics; ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’ (examiner.com)
• VIDEO: Spice Girls, Eric Idle rock Closing Ceremony (3news.co.nz)
• London 2012 Closing Ceremony: Eric Idle leads crowd in rendition of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (dailymail.co.uk)