words of wisdom: how to survive university (sort of)

8/2/2019 Words of Wisdom: How To Survive University (sort of)

1/22

Words of WisHow To Survive University(sort of)

by Olivia Rafferty and friends


2/22

Introduction So, you're going to university soon. Excited? Terrified? Confused? Apprehensive?Raring to go? You should be all of these things. Well, you don't have to be, but it's natural to feel a mixture of emotions (this should be said in an annoying guidance-

counsellor-style voice). You're leaving home for the first time. Woohoo! You're all onyour own. Aaah, terrifying! It's okay to be freaking out and yet totally excited at the

same time, that's what it's all about.

During your first year you will learn a LOT. A crazy amount of things will happen andyou will grow and totally become a super awesome person! It's not going to be easy,

but it sure as hell isn't going to be boring either. It's going to be lots of fun, most of thetime, which is the best thing!

In this little volume I have compiled some things that I have learned in my time so far atuniversity that I wish I knew when I left home, and other stuff that I still haven't quitemanaged to grasp myself just yet. I've also asked my university friends to share little

bits of wisdom that they're learned over their years at uni. What you've got toremember is that learning this stuff won't come immediately, it's a process. Eventually,

things that seemed impossible to do will be easy breezy! You can do it! Good luck!


3/22

Contents Introduction

Why You're Actually Here

Halls and Flatmates

Socialising!

FOOD

Health! Argh!

Love and Not-So-Love

You!

Conclusion


4/22

Why You're ActuallyI think I might have had less retakes if somebody

had pointed out the fact that in the end you are atuni to work ...not pickle your liver. - Josephine Jonathan

Ah yes, before we get carried away with the excitement of making friends and washingdishes, let's take a moment to remember that you're actually here to get a degree,right? University is a great chance to learn a whole bunch of new things. You will learnhow to read a novel in a day, amongst other important life skills. Remember, if you

work hard, all the more excuse to play hard, too...

What, I'm going to actually have to do work!?Yep, them's the breaks, kiddo. University is all about learning, funnily enough, so learn,goddammit! Yeah, first and second year don't really count in the swing of things, butthey're there so you can get used to the university style of work. Go to your lectures,go to your tutorials. If you're afraid of the subject, if you totally don't understand it,trust me it is much worse to avoid the class , because then you have no hopes of evergetting to grips with calculus or Chaucer or whatever it is you're trying to learn. Just gofor it, don't be afraid and do try to do your reading.

Put in as much effort on coursework as humanlypossible. You'll be a lot happier going into examsif you have good coursework marks and thereforeonly need like 15% in the exam to pass. -Ed Cooke

A good essay plan will save your butt in times of crisisOnce upon a time I left writing an essay for Philosophy until the night before it was due(this will sound familiar, no?). This was my first mistake. I had written quite a thorough

essay plan for it, so I knew in which direction I was going. As I was about three quartersof the way through, my computer screen just zapped off. Kaput. No more essay. Nomore hard drive, as it later turned out. I was freaking out. The essay was due for 2pmthe next day! What did I do? Got up at seven the next morning, into the library for halfpast and got on a computer. Used my thorough essay plan to help power me throughwriting Essay Number Two, and got it all done before my ten o'clock tutorial. Safe!That essay got 67% (it's always the way).

Other lessons to be learned here are: Save, save, save, SAVE!!! Crtl+S!!! Save things like you've NEVER SAVED

BEFORE! Save things on to different places, like USB sticks and different computers. E-mailthings to yourself. A lot.


5/22

Cat gifs and videos will still be on the internetafter you've completed your assignments.

-Christian Illingworth

Cat gifs and videos run just as well in a minimisedwindow next to the one with your essay in it. Also,this is invaluable: writtenkitten.net -Daniel Fawcett

DO NOT buy one special expensive pen for the wholeyear, you will lose it, or someone will borrow itand lose it. Instead buy huge bag of pens fromplaces that sell things for cheap! Now take smallbatches of them and separate them into differentbags, jackets, drawers, pencil cases etc. Now youwill never be without a pen. -Hannah Killoh

The library is the best place to studySure, you may soon realise that it's super busy all the time (if it's anything like the onein Edinburgh), and probably full of really annoying human beings who like to slurp theircoffee and rustle papers and chew things loudly and OH MY GOD SHUT UP but really,it's so much better than studying at home. It's mostly quiet, everyone's there to gettheir head down and work (although if you look around, most of them are on

Facebook) and there are no distractions you'd get at home (for example, THE FRIDGE,your mortal enemy in times of revision).

Here are some handy library survival tips: Headphones! bring them with you, plug them into your computer. They are great

for blocking out unnecessary noise, like those two boys in front of you who thinkit's okay to have a conversation LIKE THEY'RE NOT EVEN IN A LIBRARY!?Even if you're not planning on listening to any music, headphones guarantee yourcomputer won't suddenly decide to blast out The Biebz for the whole secondfloor to hear.

To avoid getting a whopping fine for taking out a book and forgetting to return it,simply use the Squirrel Method. Found a handy book you'll be referencing in anessay? Use it, and then when you're done for the day, just put it in a SecretLocation where no-one will find it, but you. Say you've got a collection of criticalessays on Dickens-- stick it amongst the books on Ancient Cambodian History.You'll come into the library the next day and find it exactly where you left it!When you're done with it for good, just put it back in its rightful place.

Get to the library early if you've got a lot of work to do. It's easier to work in themornings, and means that you can do a full school-hour day at the lib (with abreak for lunch), and then relax in the evening!


6/22

Jump on the ludicrous amounts of free stuff at thestart of the year!

-Emmett Cruddas

Free food. -Simon Vansintjan

Freshers!?The Uni will have lined up a crazy bunch of stuff for you at the start of term. Lots ofoffers and clipboards being shoved in your face and oh my goodness it's absolutemadness, MADNESS I SAY!! However, you can totally blag free things for a while whichis good. At one instance Blackwells were giving away free mugs. Get all the merchandise!!! Also, go to Freshers events and meet tons of people, people who willmysteriously disappear and you will never see again... people you will never talk to everagain but constantly see around campus... and even people who become your goodfriends, phew!


7/22

Halls and Flatmates Make friends with your cleaner - when you'redeadly hungover she might take care of you!

-Becky Tonna

Halls, your home for the first year of university. It's a jungle, I tell ya! There's all typeshere. You may meet your best friends here, you may discover your worst enemies (notthat anyone really has a worst enemy, but if you ever spy them you can pretend theyare your arch nemesis and then swish your cape and foil their plans to get to lectures

on time by spending two hours in the bathroom-- ha!). This is your home now. Stick upsome posters and make it feel cosy and stuff. And don't forget to pick up a pair ofearplugs for your neighbour who plays Cheryl Cole at 5 in the morning...

Look after your thingsLaptop case, phone cover, all that stuff. Lock your room or your flat when you leave.When you're out, keep you handbag on you. It sucks to lose something!

It is useful to have a lot of clothing as washingdoesn't do itself. Unfortunately. -Josephine Jonathan

Laundry is the biggest pain in the butt everBut it must be done. You will find it is not rocket science. In halls, it's actuallysurprisingly easy, but the catch often is the fact that it is IMPOSSIBLE to find a washingmachine that is actually free when you have the spare time to do laundry. Try tacticslike doing it early in the morning or something. People will also be really mean and takeyour clothes out of the machine and dump them on the floor or whatever. This is justlaundry. Laundry is a dog-eat-dog world at university. Take no prisoners-- be mercilessfor the sake of clean clothing!

Your room will be a mess most of the timeFact of life, right here. Clean it when you can. There ain't much more I can say. You willbe surprised at just how messy you can get.

Kitchen rulesDo your own dishes, don't expect anyone else to do them for you, and in returnhopefully people won't expect you to do their dirty dishes. Organise a cleaning rota ofsome sort so things can be kept fair and no-one has reason to storm in and go"OMAGAWD YOU'RE THE WORST WHY DON'T YOU WASH THE OVEN" (huh?).

Make a set rota so people know exactly when it's their turn to take the bin out etc. Itwill save you a lot of arguments and bitchy comments. You will also have a lot of plasticbags. You always keep them "just in case", and they will take over the kitchen.


8/22

Make good friends with your landlord by feedingthem tea and cake when they come round... it willmake it a lot easier to get improvements made toyour flat when you ask for them! -Alice Graham

Live with me!Okay, when the time comes around for you to decide who you want to live with andwhere you want to live next year, don't do anything you don't want to. Be straightfrom the start, and don't lead people on. If you are honest from the off, then there willbe no real problem. Flat hunting is a really stressful experience and will put strain onfriendships, but if you are best buddies to the end then you'll get through it, no problem!Be clear with what you want-- is location important to you? What about bedroom size?Make sure people know what you want so you can make agreements. Don't worry ifyou don't find the perfect flat after five different viewings, or ten even... or twenty! Theperfect flat will be out there for you. At the same time, don't go for the first flat yousee. That is just dumb.


9/22

Socialising!Lectures are all online and can be caught up on,parties are not! -Alex Rata

This is by far the biggest section of this guide. It's the most exciting part of university,that's why! You're gonna be making friends for life here, yo! You're gonna be doingcrazy stuff like going to jazz bars late at night, staying up until six in the morninglistening to Craig David, waging war on best buddies with those dancing games in thearcade, going to obscure art-house films and secret-location gigs, climbing local

monuments with nothing but a can of cider and a good pal for some DMC (deepmeaningful conversation, yo) time, and so, so much more...

A friend who works in a baked potato store is avaluable source of sustenance in the final fewdays before student loan comes in. -Magnus Monahan

Don't freak outIf you haven't made your FRIENDS FOR LIFE in the first week of uni, or even first yearfor that matter, don't fret, pet! You will constantly be meeting new people. Like, ALLthe time. So talk talk talk to people! Everywhere! All the time! Freshers' is a wonderfulexercise for stepping out of your comfort zone and just walking up to someone andstriking up a conversation. Talking to random people isn't just restricted to Freshers',though. Duh! Big smile, be interesting, and the right people will respond to you. And youknow those people who you're looking for, who will actually "get" you, like the samestuff as you etc.? They exist. You will find them. Boy, and you thought YOU wereweird!?

Talk to the over-enthusiastic foreigners and

exchange students because they're usually thefriendliest and can get you some sweet hook ups inthe homeland when you go travelling. -Ellen Rafferty

Why do you hate me!?Sad, but true: you will meet people who won't like you, for seemingly inexplicablereasons. They exist, you just gotta get past them. You will also meet people that you really don't like. Be civil! Don't give them a reason to be nasty to you. Be your coolself. Haters gonna hate!


10/22

Just because its St. Patrick's doesn't mean that it'sappropriate to finish a bottle of Baileys, a bottleof Jameson's, and a crate of Guinness by yourself...but remember for all that stupid crap you do,you'll have a damn good story from it you canlaugh at eventually. -Holt Hauser

Don't drink tequila. -Jordan Rogers

Buy 'Bier Speciale' in Tesco. It may be what thetramps in my stairwell drink but it ain't bad andit's sooooo cheap! -Hannah Brown

I THINK I'M DYINGSo, you've been drinking quite heavily the night before. You wake up and go "ha! nohangover!... wait a sec... oh, yep, there it is". Google it all you want, honey, thereseriously is no cure. My usual tactic is to stay in bed as long as possible and try tosnooze it off. Make a massive playlist to listen to and play games on your phone. Youalso gotta eat something good, there is seriously nothing worse than being reallyhungover and having NO FOOD in the house to breakfast on in the morning. Take along hot shower and drink lots of water, if you're lucky it'll go away soon enough.

Get involved in a society! Best thing you could

ever possibly do. And also don't go to a gig/eventin a different city the night before an exam, itwill lead to a breakdown on the train and no onewants to be that guy. -Elyse Jamieson

Join Societies!I signed up for a bunch of different societies in Freshers Week, and then never went toany meetings for any of them. That is just what happens! However, the two societiesthat I went to and stuck with for more than a couple of weeks brought me to greatthings! I went swing dancing and met my future flatmate, as well as my futureboyfriend's next-door neighbour! I went to the student radio and met a TON ofamazing friends who all blog and tweet regularly, and got opportunities to interview coolpeople like Ian Rankin and go to lots of gigs! Join a society, learn new skills, make newfriends. Jump right in there! Do it do it do it! I cannot stress this enough!!!

If you don't have one already, get a provisionaldriving licence even if you have no intention ofdriving. Taking your passport out all the timeyou're bound to lose it, better to have somethingthat fits in a wallet. Also a provisional costs lessto replace if you do lose it. -Ed Cooke


11/22

How to navigate a night clubNight clubs are terrifying places. Sometimes a night out with your friends is the mostamazing thing ever! Sometimes, it's just the worst and you're going home in a taxi withyour bestie who is currently trying her very hardest to keep the contents of her stomachdown. It's a lottery! When you are out on the town, you truly see humanity at it'sgrodiest. You will see things and go "ewwwwwww" so much that your face retractsinto your head and you gain twelve more chins. Embrace the grodiness, and alwaysremember: you will never find true love in a nightclub. So that tall dark handsome guyacross the room is probably Frankenstein's monster when the lights go on and thealcohol wears off. Just dance with your friends, it's the best thing to do!

Party hard, for this is your best chance in life todo such things. -Max Reinhardt

Flat parties, hands down

If I'm offered with either going out on the town or heading to a flat party, nine times outof ten I'll go for a flat party instead. Flat parties are so much social, and usually that'swhere all the really crazy stuff goes down! You don't need to wear ten inch heels foracceptance here. All you need is a few good anecdotes and a great sense of humour.You can actually MEET new people at flat parties! You can dance if you want to, youcan play games! The best bit about flat parties is that they mostly have a theme, whichmeans dressing up! Woohoo! Here is also a handy quick guide to hosting your own flatparty:

Invite EVERYONE. Tell them to bring their friends, too. Always over-compensateon the invitations, because if you ask 100 people to come, then about 60 will.

Do it on a weekend. If you're in halls, then a bunch of first years partyingshouldn't be a problem, but when you move out to the 'real world', you will beliving around actual human beings who have children who go to school in themorning. Be considerate!

Make people dress up. Your guests will mingle more! Hey, what are you dressedas? or Sweet starfish costume! are great conversation starters. Choose atheme and make sure people make an effort!

Be prepared to clean up the next day, and clean up a LOT. Right, you're tired,maybe hungover, and now you've got to hoover. That's the deal with being thehost! Be prepared for some odd surprises. I remember after my first flat party Ifound trampled-on chocolate cake all over the kitchen floor...

People don't really care who you are or what you dowith your mates at university... As such, use thisas an opportunity to enjoy stupid jokes, act silly,and do ridiculous things, because, for once, no onewill judge you in such a way where it will haveany profound effect on you. -Holt Hauser


12/22

CostumesRepeat after me: Poundland is my friend. Poundstretcher is my friend. The BargainStore is my friend. These places will help you greatly in times of costume crisis. Whywould you splash 20 on some packaged banana costume when you can grab somecheapo tinsel and kids wings from a charity shop or bargain shop and come as a fairy?Get creative, people will love you for it.

Ask people outI'm not just talking about dating. If there's a gig or event you really want to go to butdon't have anyone to go with, then just ask a friend! Even better, ask someone whoyou'd like to hang out more with. I went to the cinema to see a double bill and asked aguy from the student radio to join me. I was still new to the station at the time, but hecame and we had a great time and bonded over gin and tonics with pomegranate juiceand our love of comedian Limmy (SUH-PRAHZ SUH-PRAHZ!).

Always say yes, no matter what the occasion orevent. More good comes from it then bad. -John Youngs

Your city is amazingWhere your living will have tons of awesome events and gigs going on. This is a greatway to get a handle on music and events, and you'll have so much fun. Ask someonecool to come see a band with you, you'll have a great time!

Always say yes if they've got cupcakes. -Patrick Hanrahan

...But be safe!Met someone cool? Wanna hang out with them but don't really know them that well?Whether it be a dude from Singapore who wants to cook you lasagne at his flat orwhatever, if you're going to hang out with someone you don't really know and yourfriends don't really know... do it in a public place, or take a good friend with you. Noteveryone is an axe-murderer, of course, but it's always better to be on the safe side!

Don't do online clothes shopping when you get backfrom a night out. Don't forget your school friends.

Do phone your parents every week. Do make lots offriends, but keep your independence. Do join lots ofclubs. Do keep a healthy balance between work andplay. -Aisling Halliday


13/22

food Never decide Tesco Value Tomatoes and spaghetti isa good idea. Even if your hideously hungover/drunkand cannot get to the shops. No one is ever THATpoor... -Sarah McGruvie

Food. It will be your best friend, your comfort in times of crisis. It will be your archnemesis, cackling as you pile on those Fresher pounds. What to do!? Navigating theedible world is such a crazy journey, but you only learn through living. Soon you willlearn life skills like how to boil potatoes, or make scrambled eggs. Soon you will learnhow to improvise in the kitchen. Soon you will learn that porridge and a glass of whitewine really isn't the best option for dinner, but, sometimes, needs must...?

DON'T PUT TIN FOIL IN THE MICROWAVEThere are some things you just don't do, or everyone will die (exaggeration?). This isone of those things.

Making dinner doesn't have to be a choreAt uni, food is going to totally be your best friend and your worst enemy. Some daysyou come home from a stressful day in the library and are just about ready to fill thebathtub up with milk and Coco Pops and drown in it. Other days you will not want toeven think about cooking food because IT'S JUST SO MUCH HASSLE. It doesn't haveto be like this, either of these things (because let's face it, a bath full of Coco Pops isgoing to be fun for about two minutes and then you realise that you've got some realproblems going on here). You'll eventually learn your simple go-to meals for times ofcooking crisis. My favourite is a salad. It is super simple. Also super simple is pasta(pasta + boiling water + ten minutes + Lloyd Grossman = yum), or omelette.

EVERYONE gets fat in first year...make sure youremember this when ordering the 4th Dominos of theweek. -Josephine Jonathan

Beware the Dominos, my girl! The cheese that melts! The crusts thatcrunch!(Jabberwocky reference, anyone?) Two For Tuesdays. They are dangerous. Yes,once in a blue moon it will have to come about. You will be tired and in need of a pizzapick-me up. Just be warned-- there will be people around you who may do this EVERYWEEK. Don't, just don't. Pizza is awesome, but a moment on the lips, forever on thehips (wiggly hip dance to be inserted here, accompanied by wagging finger)! Also,regular trips to the chippy will happen amongst your student pals. Restrain!Restrraaaiiiinnnn!


14/22

As soon as you finish your food, wash your plateThere is nothing worse than having a massive pile of dishes to wash. Even worse thanthis is having a pile of dishes in your bedroom to wash. Ew, much? Wash them! Washthem NOW! This is a good habit to start. You will thank me later.

Don't cook food in the oven the same day youcleaned it with proper oven cleaner. It'll make youill! -Becky Tonna

Best Before When!?If you're unsure about the food regarding whether its out of date (by a few days),then: if it doesn't look any different, doesn't smell any different, you're probably okay.If in doubt, call Mum!

Do not do your main weekly shopping when you arehungover. -Hannah Killoh

Do not do your main weekly shopping when you'rehungry! -Jenny Oxlade

Make use of the "Reduced to Clear" part of Tesco's,especially if you're looking for something to cookfor dinner that day! - Becky Tonna

The ShopShopping for food is fun, most of the time! In first year I did a weekly shop which cameto about 30, but as I got a hang of my eating habits etc. I started to just buy food as Ineed it, which feels like a much cheaper option, plus, it means your food won't all go outof date at the same time!

The SecretWhen you're picking up your dinner or other bits and bobs in the local supermarket,don't buy anything sweet. Avoid chocolate, avoid candy. Why? Because chances are

you'll be coming across these things anyway. Friends will offer you a biscuit, peopleoutside the library might be having a bake sale, someone gives you a free cupcake--seriously, and you're planning on eating your own chocolate on top of that?! I prefer toget my sugar fix for free!


15/22

health! argh!Register with a GP BEFORE you get ill. Lesson Ilearned the hard way. -Ed Cooke

Students are notorious for getting ill, like, all the time. Try not to do that. Of course, thecommon cold with come atcha with a vengeance. Sometimes you will have a really nicefriend who will give you a bar of chocolate and lend your their entire collection ofFuturama DVDs, which is always a good way to power through a nasty, snotty cold.There are other concerns that you will come across at university as well, though. Be

prepared is the best motto here...Your hot water bottle is your best friendStomach cramps, cold nights, whatever the ailment or situation, you hot water buddy isthere for you. It is the best thing, ever ever ever. Just make sure when you're filling itup you leave a bit of space and get the excess air out the top, so it's not full tobursting, because it can (and will) burst if you put enough pressure on it. Ouch! Boilinghot water in your bed? No thanks!

SEX!

Ew, I know, I know. But you're at uni. The "birds and the bees" CANNOT BE AVOIDED,so just hear me out okay? Use condoms-- for God's sake, use contraception! Don'tbe an idiot! Guys can sometimes be sneaky and be all like "oh I've been tested, and youcan always get the morning after pill anyway"-- DO NOT FALL FOR THIS. The morningafter pill is not contraception, and if he's refusing to use a condom, he's a jerk and yourbody is a temple, a temple , I say! If you've acquired a boyfriend (congrats!) then it's agood idea to get the pill. There are loads of different types of pill, the one I initially hadmade me throw up on a monthly basis, so if it's not working for you, making your bodyfeel like crap, then go to your GP and they'll hook you up with another type. It's alsoworth having a look at all the different types of contraception and see which one will suit

you best, there is a lot out there!"I Have A Problem!"If your body is doing something wack, often at university the first thing you want to dois Google your symptoms. Oh look! You have MENINGITIS! SMALLPOX! YOUDEFINITELY HAVE CANCER! YOU ARE GOING TO DIE! Do yourself a favour and justdon't do that. Call Mum or Dad (or a sibling), or failing that, chat to a close friend aboutit. If you have to eventually go see a doctor, book ASAP. It's so difficult to get anappointment that isn't like a whole week away, especially at the university's healthservice because students get sick ALL THE TIME. Even try calling on the day to ask if

there are any cancellations-- chances are there might be! Another trick if it's urgentand there's no free appointments in sight is to call NHS 24. If they think your problemneeds seen to straight away, they'll fix a GP appointment up for you that day.


16/22

Fatty Fatty Boom BoomYou're in first year. This is the first time you are totally in control of how much you eat,what you eat, and whether you exercise or not. Let's be totally frank: you're gonnaput on weight, and you're not gonna like it. Why has this horrible curse of blobbinessbefallen you?

Here are some reasons: You are eating pizza every night because cooking is "too stressful" You are drinking alcohol and alcohol is not the best thing to keep yourself trim

with You are not exercising, like, at all!

Boo hoo, you used to be a size 8/10/12/whatever! Now look at you! How can we fixthis!?

Here are some solutions: Don't starve yourself, just eat better things. Fruit is just as yummy as pizza,

maybe even more so! Look at your portions. Does your plateful resemble a diorama of Mount Pasta? Go running. Yes, ew, ick, I know. It took me three years to figure that one out.

It's good for you though, and people will admire you greatly if you're all like "I'moff for a run! Look how HEALTHY I am!"

Drink straight vodka-- no calories! I'm joking, I'm joking. You know you canhave fun without alcomohols, right? Have a couple, just don't get destroyed,alright? Your liver (and your 9am tutorial) will thank me.

Pumping iron(y)The student gym: a wonderland of exercise and wellbeing. Let me put it to youstraight: you are going to spend 100 signing up and go about five times, and thennever again. Save yourself the money and join a dance society, or go running, orsomething. Trust me, you're not going to go to that gym enough to get your money'sworth, not in first year at least!

On a side noteBy the way... glitter for your face and glitter for craft activities are two TOTALLYDIFFERENT THINGS. This, I learned it the hard way. Just... just don't put anything onyour face that's not supposed to go on your face, okay?


17/22

love and not-so-loveStatistics say the vast majority of people meettheir future husband/wife at university. Justsaying... Don't forget to look shmokin'. -Claire Roberts

Ohhhhh man. There's no avoiding it. Love and all that lies in-between is tough and it isimpossible to avoid. Damn! And you were doing so well! Now you've fallen forsomeone and your eyes turn into those little cartoon hearts and you're walking on fluffyclouds and everything is pink and gooey, like a marshmallow. I've provided excerpts

from my own diary during my musings on boys while at university. You will experiencea range of different types of love, and not-so-love...

Obsessed!There's gonna be people who you just can't explain what it is about them. I mean,they're maybe not even that good looking! You do really dumb things for them. You goto a jazz event where you only know about two people there just to see them. You'redying of the cold and yet you still go out into town just to grab a drink with them. Youplan your walk back from campus just to go past their halls, just in case they're hangingaround when you walk past so you can catch a glimpse of their face . Now listen to me,

in the wise words of Taio Cruz, they're only gonna break, break your, break, break yourheart! Sometimes in your gut you can just tell if they're not that into you. If you'rehovering around them 24/7 and they haven't made a move yet... maybe it's time topack up and find someone else. Someone out there will be just as obsessed with you,trust me! Although, that might not always be a good thing...

I really like the attention, but at the same time,the whole thing just makes me want to cringe. -Olivia'sdiary

I'm just not that into youYou're going to come across the Nick to your Lindsay soon enough (heyo, Freaks andGeeks!). Be honest if there's a boy who you don't like 'in that way'. Be straight withhim, don't lead him on, and hopefully you'll be able to stay good friends. It's up to himwhether he acts like a jerk afterwards or not. If he does, he was never worth your timeanyway.


18/22


19/22

you!Uni is the first time you're independent... makesure you do everything you can to exercise thatfact. Do all those things you always wanted to thatMum or Dad would never let you, go takespontaneous trips (cause more often than not therewont be too much stopping you), and get that job soyou can pay for your things 100 % guilt free. That's

the only way you learn the good (and horrid) partsof being an 'adult', and for every way things gowrong, there's also a way they'll go unusually well.Which is pretty weird coming from me... -Holt Hauser

Man, it's tough being independent. Like, you've got to take care of yourself, all thetime! Who knew you were so high maintenance? Those toenails won't cut themselves!But seriously, there's also a wonderful freedom to being a student. No-one's reallyholding you down. You're young, you're cool, you can get away with just about anyhair colour... this is you time. Find yourself, new capabilities and skills and all that jazz.And don't forget to call home every so often. Be like Jenny from the Block, I mean, nomatter where she went she KNEW where she came from...

Take long walksYour city is awesome. Explore it! Feeling a bit cloudy or unable to spend a whole in theshower "just thinking"? Get outside, go for a wander and feel better about it all. Youmay just discover a new cute coffee shop, or an amazing vintage treasure trove. It isalso exercise! Whee!

Help is always there if you ask for itDumbledore said it best: 'Help is Always At Hogwarts For Those Who Ask For It'...and it's true! Lecturers aren't going to "sense" you are struggling with something, andyour friends will always be there 4 U! If you're in a pickle, get help!

Don't avoid trying something because you're scared you're not going toget it right first timeGetting it wrong first time is the whole point, duh! The first try is so you can learn howto do it (and not to do it!), and then you can get better and better. And it's never goingto be as bad as you anticipate. Be brave, little one!


20/22

Always make sure you are safe getting home late at nightEven if it means bugging your friends to walk you or paying extra for a taxi. It'sALWAYS worth it, trust me.

Look at your bank balance regularly, and spend accordinglyIf you got no money, it sucks to have to ask for more, end of.

If you're absolutely pooped, pushed to the limit, then take a breakIt's tough being a student, innit? So much to do! So much running around! Lectures!Societies! Drinking! Partying! Shopping for groceries! Don't be afraid to chill out everyonce in a while. It's okay to say "no, I'm going to stay in tonight", no-one will thinkyou're a loser. Nothing better than an early night, sometimes!

Give yourself projects!So when you're not hanging with friends, studying hard or sleeping... what else can you

do? Apart from joining a society, give yourself something cool to do! In my time atuniversity so far I've started up a blog, written in my journal a LOT and became ahelluva lot better at guitar. Keep doing these creative things that make you happy.People will also be impressed, and they'll think you're cool, because you are.

Havin' a ME partaaayy!Spend time by yourself. Oh, it's just the best thing going to the picturehouse solo to areally artsy film. I often like to grab my journal and go sit down in one of my favouritecafes and write for hours on end about BOYS and other lame things like that. Have aslice of cake, while you're at it, too! It's good to be by yourself, to get to know

yourself.Call ya MumTrust me, she's freaking out. She probably thinks you are dead! Oh no! Call your Mumevery so often and you'll be in the good books. You know, it's the least you can doafter all she's done for you... what with giving birth to you, raising you, teaching youhow to speak English, etc. Call your Dad, too. And your siblings, and your grandma...


21/22

what i've learnt You can use this space to write down little things you've learned yourself. Clever you!


22/22

conclusion Well, there you go! That's all, folks! Hopefully you've gathered some helpful tips fromthis mish-mash of great/not-so-great advice and taken things on board. Of course,

there's practically a guarantee that when you leave home you are going to make somestupid mistakes of your own. Hey, it's the only way you learn! That is what growing up

is all about.

Life is weird and crazy and cool and university is so good at showing you that. Make themost of the opportunities you get here, and always remember how lucky you are to

have been accepted into uni in the first place!

I'm sure there could be a whole other twenty-odd pages of information that I've leftout... but if I wrote it all down, there'd be nothing left for you to find out for yourself,

right?

Now, go forth, and adventure!

Lots of love,

olivia

words of wisdom: how to survive university (sort of)

Documents