So I started at the University of Northampton in September studying Fashion Marketing and as my first year is almost over, I thought I would share some of my experiences and tips for those of you who are in the stages of applying or are thinking about your options for next year.
The first decision you'll have to make is which university you want to attend. Personally I chose Northampton as my first choice because it is fairly close to where I live, I have family who live in Northampton and I also didn't want to be too far from my boyfriend. It also is set on two campus's unlike city universities which I don't really like the feel of.
The second is whether you want to live in halls or a private rent. I decided to stay in halls which are in the Northampton town centre and were the nicest ones that the uni had to offer. I actually loved staying in these halls because I made loads of friends. Next year i'm sharing a house with some of my girl friends which i'm SO excited for.
In my opinion moving out definitely makes you grow up and get to know yourself better. I feel like more of an adult now that I've lived away from home as I haven't been able to rely on my mum to do everything for me. Having to do my own food shopping, washing up, and generally looking after myself was strange at first but it definitely gives you more freedom. Although it has been exciting, its also been hard as I have missed my parents and friends but luckily I have been able to come home quite often to visit everyone.
Being careful with money has been a bit of a challenge but for me it's not been too bad. I'm quite good at saving and being careful with my money when buying food, clothes and other things. But if you're someone who isn't very good with money then I definitely recommend making a spending plan and sticking to it because you don't want to be struggling toward the end of each term and having to stress about money as trust me, there are going to be plenty of other things that you will be stressing about.
Another tip I would give anyone in this position is to learn to cook a range of different foods. Before coming to uni I could cook some basic dishes but nothing fancy which was handy as you honestly won't have the money to be buying expensive food. Personally I found that if you're getting bored of cooking the same pasta dishes over and over, then start to share cooking with one or a few of your flat mates.. that way you'll be able to make more exciting dishes because you'll be sharing the cost and time it takes to make.
But overall I think that the most important things is to enjoy yourself (while also studying of course) because at the end of the day you're paying £9000 a year for your lectures alone so what's the point in spending all this money if you aren't going to make the most of it - making memories while also getting a good grade to help kick start your future.
