- Twitter - People use this to vent their emotions about other people or how they're feeling. Cryptic in a way that it doesn't obviously mention people's names but at the same time not cryptic enough, especially if you've annoyed them 5 minutes before and coincidentally an angry tweet pops up. I don't think there's any need for them. People on Twitter can be quite unnecessarily mean so I usually try and stay away from it.
- University is like a school playground. When you're a kid in Secondary school, you have the usual cliques and the gangs and the same applies here. It is school second time round but this time, you know what to do or who to be friends with at university.
- But then again, you also don't know who your friends are. Friends go into different career directions or go onto higher education, I guess it's inevitable that people will drift apart. From having friends at school and college to people you never speak to anymore. Luckily I'm still in touch with a few but I only have about a few, maybe even a couple of best friends and that's it. The rest are strangers.
- Naps are the best thing in the world! You appreciate sleep so much.
- It seems that the most important lessons are at 9am. Why. I don't know. Which leads on to my next point.
- You feel very guilty when you oversleep and miss a lesson. In school? Yeah, not a problem. In college? They'll probably repeat the lesson again. At university? No, no I can't afford to. Plus, they would've have probably mentioned something really important in the lesson, typically when you're still snoring your head off and you're too ashamed to ask your classmate what happened in the lesson in case they get annoyed.
- I would rather spend money on food than alcohol. Everyone raved about the amount of times they went out during 1st and even 2nd year but I love my food more than anything.
- It's a tough balance between being social, whilst doing work, maintaining a relationship and wanting space to chill on your own. People will call you unsociable or boring for it but sometimes sacrifices have to be made to do work.
- One thing about being in a relationship at university: If your boyfriend lives only 20 seconds away or living with you, you kinda end up feeding for him too. It's a fact. You gotta stock up on food. The baby needs feeding.
- You cry often about work. At the beginning, I thought it was a bad thing to cry about coursework but sometimes you just gotta let it out because it builds up so much. The only people I cry to though is my boyfriend and my mum. They're my best friends.
- I've mastered this since Primary school but you learn to enjoy yourself. People won't be there for you so you rely on yourself. Being alone isn't as bad as you think. I know some people can't stand it but I think it is a skill that needs to be learnt.
- You become more confident. You can talk to people. I go out with my hair all over the place. It's the smallest things that make a difference to you. You also decide to take on responsibility. I took a leap last year and put myself forward to be an editor of the student magazine because I joined a media society and now we have two issues out. It's a lot of hard work but I'm hoping it'll be all worth it in the end. You end up being responsible for other people and helping them progress and add to their CV is a great feeling.
- You find out people don't know the simple things in life. Like where a stamp goes on an envelope or taking the bins out. I remember someone told me that their housemate had placed his bacon in the cupboard because his mother used to cook for him all the time so he didn't know where it went. If a situation like that emerges, just gently guide them on their way. No harm in helping them. It's just a shame the parents didn't guide them well enough to know these things.
- You get the odd stressy student who needs calming down. All they need is a cup of tea and some chocolate and tell them that everything is going to be okay. Because everything will be. All this stress will be worth it.
- I've learnt that within friendships, it's commonly okay to tease and be horrible to your friend. It's humorous and fine.
- You really need work experience. Waaaaaa. I'm working on it.
- Failure isn't the end of the world. Everything is a learning curve and you just got to do better next time. Don't beat yourselves up about a low grade or a failed unit, stand strong and move forward.
See, I look back at this and wonder what lies ahead for me in 3rd year. I'm hoping it won't be as long as this post right here. But you never know, I could fuck everything up by then.
