Our years at university are supposed to be some of the best years of our lives. Yet, there are definitely some things that totally get on our nerves. Waking up early, pulling all nighters, and being broke are just some of the things that make being a student at uni the worst. But it doesn’t stop there, of course.
1. 9AM starts.
It doesn’t really matter if you have one or five 9AMs a week, setting your alarm for 7 o’clock or earlier will always hurt. Besides, how can we be expected to resist hitting snooze repeatedly?!
2. Group projects.
We’ve all been there; the lecturer says the words ‘group project’ and your heart drops. It’s true, some students love meeting and working with new people, but some dread interraction with people they have nothing in common with, nevermind working on an assignment together.
3. The morning after.
It’s a common occurrence. Your friends invite you out for a few drinks and even though you know that you have university the next day you decide to just go out for one or two. But that’s not realistic, is it? After two, you decide on one more and before you know it you’re downing Jägerbombs and singing Rick Astley. Of course, that’s not a problem until your alarm goes off the next day.
4. A dried-up bank account.
When the term starts, every student feels secure. With a healthy looking bank balance and a reasonable weekly budget, spirits are high. Then every week you dip a little into next week’s budget for a new coat or your best friend’s birthday and before you know it, you’re sinking into your overdraft like quicksand.
5. ‘Mandatory’ books
You start the term with a hefty reading list and notice that a couple of the texts are mandatory. Following the ‘new year, new me’ mantra, you invest in an attempt at being the model student (also not realistic for some— which is fine). Then the rest of the year, your lecturers touch on every text apart from that ‘mandatory’ book sitting on your shelf gathering dust. What was the point?!
6. The people who recall.
A familiar scenario: deadlines are nearing, weeks are going past, and now you’re spending hours in the library. You borrow loads of books to crack on with over the next few weeks and within a few days you have ten emails notifying you that three books have been recalled and you have until tomorrow to return it. You can ignore them, if you’re willing to pay for it.
7. Bi-weekly breakdown
Whether you’re a social butterfly, or recluse, you can’t get through university without regular emotional breakdowns.