At university you learn a lot more than just your degree subject, for most people it’s the first time they move away from home. Suddenly you have a LOT of responsibilities that most of us aren’t really prepared for. You really are thrown in at the deep end when you go to university and BU helps you out so much during Freshers! One of the biggest things I’ve gained from my first year of uni is being able to socialise a lot easier and have a bit more confidence.
As much as I like Dominoes takeaway and Iceland’s frozen range, after a while you really do have to start cooking for yourself if you want something fresh. I had done a bit of cooking before, but didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of my housemates by setting off any fire alarms! Online recipe pages are super helpful and I would definitely recommend having a look for easy recipes online. I have learned a load about cooking and while I’m no Nigella, I do make a killer burrito!
For the first time I had to really look at what I spent and so budgeting was important. After accounting for rent payments and how much I might spend each month on shopping and socialising, I quickly learned that I needed to think about materials for my course. I bought textbooks and signed up to become a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing to gain an extra qualification (BU can get you a membership at a cheaper rate), which had a big impact on my first attempt at budgeting. I also worked out several ways to save money when shopping, for instance you should never go food shopping when you are hungry!
By Chris Bowditch
