When most people imagine moving away for university, they imagine wild parties, eating ramen at midnight and horrible cram sessions. While many of those things may be true, it doesn’t mean that everyone will have the same experience. I did not have that experience, because the truth about moving away for school hit me hard! These are the ten things I learned after moving away for university:
Nobody is concerned with what you do
This is a fact that you will come to terms with very quickly. When at home, your parents probably told you to wash your dishes or to do your homework, however at university nobody is concerned with whether you are doing that. Everyone is going at their own pace in life and it becomes your own responsibility to manage your time and take on responsibility. Adulting truly becomes real when you’re living on your own and trying to navigate life.
Pizza will get boring — fast
Before starting university, I could have gone on and on about my love for the cheesy delight. By the second week of school and my hundredth slice of pizza, I was beyond bored. You’re going to miss a real home cooked meal — you’re going to miss your mom who made you those meals. Aside from the repetitive dining, you mentally will start to get fed up with eating out every single day and you will want to eat healthy. Although pizza seems like the ultimate saviour at first, it can switch up on you fast and become a chore to eat.
You thought you knew how to study
The sheer amount of reading within the first few days of classes will throw you off. For me it was like being thrown off the pedestal I had put myself and my study habits on. I half-assed my way through high school and got good grades. It wasn’t until my first week at university that I realized the toxic study habits that got me through high school wouldn’t work in post-secondary. In university, you have to work ten times harder to achieve a decent grade, in addition to having to constantly work on yourself and manage your time.
Homesickness will hit you hard
I can’t count on my fingers the amount of nights I cried because I missed my mom, dad, brothers, sisters and pets. I missed everything there was to miss about home — even the annoying chores my mom had me do on the weekends. Some nights I felt so overwhelmed that I just wanted to be sitting in my living room and watching some stupid soap opera with my family. Feeling homesick is completely normal and the best of us go through it, but you have to pull yourself through by reminding yourself that it won’t be long until you see your family again.
Managing money is a real issue
When we are at home living with our parents, we are never expected to pay for our luxuries because we can fall back on our parent’s money for that. Coming to university can be a shock to some individuals because suddenly they are flabbergasted by how expensive everything is and how little money university students usually have.
You must make connections
There is no simple way to put it, honestly. University is good for making connections that go far, whether it’s through your friends, profs or peers. When you make connections, they help you with finding co-op placements and getting reference letters. Make use of all your free time in between classes to visit your professors during their office hours or by networking with the people around. You are in control of how you utilize your time: Spending time to make life-long connections that will get you far is never a bad thing.
Find the right resources
University can be a tough time for a bunch of people: The constant workload and stress can get the best of us. The biggest mistake people make in their times of hardship is failing to realize that there is always help. There are so many resources for people to get help and so many people who are on campus for the sole purpose of helping you. Life is a horrible road to navigate through — it helps to have resources like the wellness center and academic advisors who are always there to help.
Make friends
As we’ve discussed a million times before in this article, people often find themselves isolated and struggling for companionship in university — especially when they’re living away from home for the first time. It was easier to make friends in high school because of the small class sizes and the fact that everyone eventually got to know you. In university, it is very hard to branch out and make friends because of the vast amount of people sitting in lecture halls and the fact that everyone is busy with their lives. It helps to join clubs that you’re interested in so that you can meet individuals who share the same interests as you.
The limit does not exist – wrong!
It’s immature of anyone to assume that they can go out party all night and be functional in their 8 a.m. class the next morning. When you’re on your own, you have to set limits on how you party, how you drink and how you sleep. It’s not a bad thing to party and drink, but don’t let it take consume your every thought. Learn to separate fun from what needs to be completed.
The only mantra you need is: this too shall pass
It’s easy to feel really down when you’ve gotten a bad grade, gone through a messy break up or if you’re just having the worst day of your life. In those tough times, where it seems like life is never going to look up again, it’s good to remember that the sadness or loneliness will not last forever. Over time, you will get back up in a positive mood. That bad grade you got on your psych paper won’t matter in the long run. That messy break up won’t matter when you finally meet the person you’re destined to be with. One bad day is never going to define the rest of your days. You have to constantly push through and remember that bad things will take their course, but the sunny days are not too far away.
Now, not everyone will ever have the same experience, but I do hope that everyone can relate to some aspects of the article. I hope everyone can read this article and realize if they’ve ever struggled with one of the ten things above — they are not the only one.