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Quite a few people told me that my last post about receiving A2 results really helped them, and it meant a lot to me to hear people say that my blog had helped them. I hope that everyone got what they wanted on Thursday and are now looking forward to starting at University. I thought I'd share some ideas based on my own experience of what you can be doing between now and starting university. I'm going to be doing separate posts on what to expect from Freshers and packing so won't dwell on them too much here. I know the month before you go to university is a hectic one. Part of you is so excited to go to University while another part of you is feeling really nervous about leaving your family and friends.
Search eBay for Fancy Dress
Most fresher's weeks involve a lot of fancy dress, and the fancy dress nights you have will differ from uni to uni. For me, I personally had a Back to School night, a UV night, Pub Golf and Anything But Clothes (this did not mean nude! It meant recycled materials to make dresses etc). It's fun to get involved with the fancy dress and making yourself look silly along with everyone else is also a bit of a bonding exercise in a way. The only problem is that fancy dress can be expensive, so make sure to look on eBay or in charity shops. Not all towns have fancy dress shops, and if they do they are much pricier. It's best finding out what fancy dress you will need in advance before you go. Most fresher's timetables will come out before you go. Check these to see what sort of fancy dress you might need and search on eBay to get a good deal. You can pick up some really cheap stuff from eBay and I've used it throughout my first year for all my fancy dress needs.
If your fresher's timetable isn't released beforehand I'd suggest bringing any fancy dress you already have to uni and also to bring a school shirt and tie. Most freshers weeks I've heard of from friends did a school night, so if you bring these with you already, you won't need to buy anything. Also, facepaint is brilliant whatever the occasions. It's a lot of fun to draw things on your new flatmates.
Make a List of Things to Pack
Personally, I don't think you need to start packing until the week before you go, most the things you will take you probably use most days so if you pack them you'll just end up unpacking. I think it's best to make a list of things you want to take to university. There's a lot of lists online provided by universities that give you an idea of what to pack. To make sure I didn't miss anything I thought about what I use everyday (from makeup to shampoo to pens) and made sure it was on the list.
Once you've made the list go through and tick what you already have. A lot of people spend a lot of money before university on buying things to take with them, but in most cases you don't need to do this and the money would be better spent while you are at university (most people spend too much in first term). For example, if you already have clothes hangers, take the ones you have rather than buying new ones.
Once you've worked out what you don't have, you know what you need to pick up before you go to university and have given yourself plenty of time to do so. It also gives you time to look for the best deals. Cutlery and Pots & Pans can work out quite expensive so make sure to look for deals. I got a lot of mine from Matalan and found they were really cheap and had a good variety.
Also, please don't take thing's you don't need. I'm sure you think you really need a pizza cutter, but knife works just as well. Speaking of knives, you don't need a full pack of chef's knives (like my flatmate had), I survived the whole year with only two.
Try and Find Your Flatmates
If you know your accommodation before you go to uni, try to see if you can find your flatmates before you go. This will help calm your nerves a bit and help you get to know them ahead of freshers, meaning it won't be so awkward. I found 11/12 of my flatmates on facebook, by seeing people posting in fresher's groups or subject groups. Facebook is a great way to meet people, so check your university facebook pages to see if anyone else is in your flat.
Learn to Cook
I'm not saying become a pro chef overnight, but just learn some basic meals that will get you through the first few weeks. I didn't bother learning how to cook and was really nervous about cooking for myself. I remember for my first week I ate nothing but beans on toast! Learning to cook a few simple meals will help to make sure you eat well during university and aren't so nervous.
So that's all I can think of for now, sorry it's so long but I had quite a few things to put in. If you have any more questions feel free to tweet me or email me at beautybucketlist@gmail.com.
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