University advice

As my second year of university dawns, I can't stop thinking about the scared girl who reluctantly walked into Flat 21 last September after crying the whole hour and a half  journey.

While I wasn't living miles and miles away from home it was still far enough for me to be homesick. Now I've never been a homesick girl, I spent a week away in Switzerland at the age of 13, loved sleeping round people's houses and never had experienced homesickness until I experience the horror that was Magaluf last summer.

So after that I was petrified to go to University, the first month I basically cried myself to sleep every night but after I realised that I needed to embrace it before rejecting it I actually had a good first year.

In a year I have learn't that  I can actually look after myself, buying your own food shopping is rather fun and makes you feel like an adult, washing your own clothes however isn't as fun and Canterbury isn't a town for carnage and party hard uni goers, which suits me fine.

I had a new round appreciation for my proximity to my usual London postcodes. I missed the small things, red buses, the ability to jump on a tube(something I didn't think i'd miss), to be able to get into central London in 20 minutes. But at the same time I appreciated my time away from the hecticness of the city and I enjoy my time in the english countryside (not even the countryside but it is compared to London)

I was lucky enough to meet wonderful friends this year, we are all similar and different at the same time but they definitely made my homesickness disappear. Without sounding disgustingly cringe worthy  it is like having a family away from home. You really don't have anyone other than your friends at university and everyone becomes incredibly close.

After going to school in Essex I was used to girls wearing lashing of fake tan, always wearing fake eyelashes and at least three layers of makeup, so it was a slight shock to the system to see that people actually went 'out out' dressed in jeans and flats. It's quite refreshing to be able to casually go out and wear whatever you feel like wearing.

When it comes to what to bring, I always say bring more, you can always get your parents to take some things back with them but you  don't want to be stuck without your home comforts. By the end of the year you'll realise that you only need two of everything really when it comes to kitchen and bathroom things ( me and my friends had some fun smashing mugs that we didn't want to pack at the end of the year).  I'd recommend a water filter (like Brita) if you are moving to a different part of the country because sometimes the water tastes a little funny.

I do recommend packing vitamins, these will help you through freshers and the whole year being surrounded by a plethora of germs, sounds like such a motherly thing to say but it is a necessity because you don't want to become un well at uni, you're mother is no longer there to bring you soup and tissues.

Photos of friends and family, cards and messages that you can put on your notice board will help you feel a little closer to home and will also make your room seem a little more personal. Me and my friends all had fairy lights in our rooms which made them feel really cosy as well as blankets and throw pillows.

I have to recommend on holding out on buying some of the text books unless your lecturers tell you that it's absolutely necessary otherwise you really waste an awful amount of money on books. That being said do buy the books that you do need, otherwise you'll be that annoying classmate who has to share with some poor person who bothered to buy the book.

The most important thing is to have fun, enjoy yourself and embrace the change. Do remember why you are there though! You aren't taking out a student loan and buying expensive books for nothing.

Good luck