Going to university is such a big step in your life, you want to be extra-prepared, but unfortunately, there are always surprises.
You will feel very lonely and miss your loved ones more than you think
When I got into King’s College London, I was so excited to leave France and start a new life in my dream city, London. When I got there and started living by myself for the first time, I realised that living alone in another country was not as amazing as I thought it would be. I have been living in London for two months now and I am still not used to living by myself. Even if I live in a flat that I share with 5 other people, I still feel lonely all the time. I knew I was going to miss my parents and sisters but I did not think it was going to be this hard. I want to call them every single day, eat dinner with them, talk about our day, but I can’t do any of this. I am by myself now, and even if it is hard, I have to get used to it.
Living alone is not as fun as you might think
Living alone in your own place seems very enticing I will give you that, but the truth is, it is not as fun as you might think. No one is here to cook for you, you have to cook and find ideas of recipes to try not to eat pasta every day. You have to do your own laundry and try not to mow the colours together or you will end up with a pink tee-shirt that was supposed to be white. You have to do your groceries, which is yes fun when you can buy sweets, but when you have to buy vegetables and are on a budget, it becomes less fun very quickly.
You have to work by yourself
In high school, I was used to going to school, sitting on a chair, and staying there the whole day, just listening to the teacher talking and taking notes. In university, it is very different, because you have to be autonomous and plan your own schedule. No one is going to be telling you what to do, you have to figure it out by yourself. You have to force yourself to wake up early and go to the library because no one is going to make sure that you get your work done. Moreover, you have a lot of readings and research to do which takes up most of your time outside of your classes.
You will not party every weekend
When I came to university, I thought I would go clubbing every Saturday and meet so many new people but the reality is far from that. I have been in London for two months now and I haven’t been clubbing even once. I end up being too exhausted from the week and so decide to have a night-in instead and do some more studying.
You will not become a new person
Before starting university, I don’t know why but I thought that my life was going to drastically change, that I was going to become the best version of myself. It was all a lie because I still haven’t been to the gym, still haven’t found a boyfriend, and still haven’t met Tom Holland in the streets of London. I like who I am but I think a few improvements could be made.
You will meet some amazing people
When I first came to uni, I thought that the friends I was going to make would only be ‘uni friends’ but I know that some of them are going to become some of my closest friends. University is the best place to find friends that will stay in your life forever.
You will become more independent than you think
Even if living alone seems like it has no perks, it is not true. You will become more independent and learn how to take care of yourself. You can do anything you want, no one is here to tell you what to and not to do. You want to go for a run at midnight? You can. You want to eat ice cream in bed? You can.
You will finally find yourself
Something I realised when starting university was that I can finally be who I truly am. No one will judge for who you are or who you want to be, you can be your true self. I think that university has helped me find who I truly am and who I want to become in the future. I am proud of who I am and would never change myself for anyone.
It is a place to try new things
University is also the perfect place to start doing new things you have never done before. For example, I tried cheerleading which I have never done before, loved it, and now I am part of my university’s pom team. There are things for every taste, everyone is included in the university experience. It is an amazing way of finding what you are really passionate about and meeting people who share the same interests as you.
You will learn to appreciate home
Being away from your family, from your friends, from your home town, you will end up finally appreciating every moment spent there. Living alone in a foreign country has made me realise how I did not enjoy enough the time spent at home surrounded by my family. Now, every time I come back, it fills me with joy and excitement. I always look forward to the holidays because I know I will be back home, with my parents and sisters, my cat, living all together like I never moved out. I don’t necessarily miss my old life but more the people I spent it with.