Adjusting to independent living at university
Mawda Hussein
Media Studies
Hi, I'm Mawda! I'm a third year student at Huddersfield. In my blogs, I share my experience of university life.
I’ve lived away from home for a while now and here is my experience.
Before moving out, I was very excited to gain some independence. At the same time, I was nervous about meeting my flatmates as well as cooking all my own meals - my main issue is deciding what to eat!
My parents helped me to prepare for moving to university by taking me shopping for everything that I needed. We bought new bedding to fit my double bed in my accommodation, and pans suitable for the induction hob.
Most importantly, I took all my posters from my room at home to really make my new room feel like mine.
My first week living alone
It was an exciting feeling being away from home for the first time, but it came with its struggles. I had some anxiety when I needed to go into the kitchen because I was uncomfortable speaking to my new flatmates at first but once we broke the ice, I quickly realised that they’re just like me.
At the start it really helped to keep in touch with my friends from back home because I didn’t know anybody at university. I would call my two closest friends almost every day and without them I wouldn’t have been able to get through the first few months at uni.
Honestly, what shocked me the most in my first week was the fire alarm drill – it gives me a near heart attack to this day!
Adjusting to university life
Transitioning to university life was a big shift that took some getting used to. Especially in the first few months of new classes and engaging with a new, diverse group of people. Learning a whole new way of studying was scary at first, but the more I went to my classes, I eventually got the hang of it.
It felt very empowering to be going into higher education and studying for a degree that I have chosen and am passionate about. Starting university opened my eyes to what is within the realm of possibility for me in terms of my future. I was - and still am - very optimistic about it all.
Budgeting - tips and advice
My number one tip for saving money is to make use of student discounts - they are everywhere. Take your student card with you even if you’re not at uni, and if you’re unsure if there is a student discount, don’t be afraid to ask!
Apps like UNiDAYS and Student Beans are a great way to find student offers, as well as shopping cards such as Tesco Clubcard, Nectar Card for Sainsbury’s and Boots Advantage Card. You can save all these in your Apple Wallet.
Another important tip is to have a savings account to help you manage your money. Chances are that your student loan is the first large amount of money that you will have to manage and it’s important to make sure you always have money for necessities. One way you can do so is by setting yourself a weekly or monthly budget.
In addition, the University often has sample and vintage sales in the Students’ Union. I love these and I have many clothes from them that I bought at a great price. Sometimes there is also book, record and poster sales and there are always some great finds.
Cooking and food shopping on a student budget
It can be tricky to shop for food on a student budget, and what I have found works best for me is to buy things that you can make plenty of meals out of, such as chicken, frozen vegetables, pasta, salad, noodles, etc. Don’t forget to buy some snacks too! Personally, I like to do a big shop at Lidl every few weeks.
At the moment, my go to lunch to meal prep lunch is rice with red kidney beans. I like to put it in my microwaveable lunch box to take it to uni with me and use one of the microwaves on campus to heat up my food.
Learning to cook is one of the main challenges of living independently. What has helped me is finding simple recipes on social media that I can follow.
On occasion, I like to go out to eat with my friends. Our top three places to go are Nando’s, Pan Asian Street Food and Papi Queso (which is just across the road from campus).
Making friends and socialising
The most exciting part of uni is making new friends and bonding with the people that you are sharing this experience with.
The main way that I have made friends is by joining societies and going to events and socials. My two favourite societies are the Astrology Society - my friend is the president of it, so we get to hang out a lot - and the Yap Society, where I’m on the committee myself.
Becoming a Student Content Creator for the University led me to meet a solid group of friends that will last me a lifetime. My favourite thing to do with my friends is to go to the arcade in The Light. However, sometimes we just like to chill in the common room to study and play Monopoly.
Getting the right balance
The hardest part of being a uni student is managing your mental health - the pressure of deadlines and assignments can be very stressful. The best thing I’ve found to do is to recognise when your body needs a break and to not neglect rest.
A massive help has been having a calendar to remember key dates and having my to do list on my wall so I can keep track of what I need to get done.
Having hobbies outside of studying is important as uni can feel all-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be. Make sure you still have time for yourself and the people in your life.
If things ever get too much, always remember that help is available, such as the Student Wellbeing Team, who have been a great help to me.
Make the most of wellbeing services
Pursuing higher education can be intimidating, but at Huddersfield there are many student support services at my disposal that have made me more confident in my academic abilities. One of these is the Student Wellbeing Team. Booking an appointment is as simple as using the student wellbeing appointment booking link on the University website.
During my wellbeing appointments I have received practical advice and tools for how to study better. For example, the studying strategy that I enjoy the most is the ‘pomodoro’ method which involves setting yourself a timed task and working on it until the timer goes off, typically for twenty-five minutes and then taking a five-minute break. Knowing that I will be able to take a break soon helps me to stay focused on one task at a time and worry less about the end product of an assignment.
Through the wellbeing team, I have also been directed to HudStudy, a study service which provides a range of tools for organising, structuring and planning your learning.
As a Muslim student, I am grateful to have the Jo Cox More in Common Centre, which has communal spaces, prayer rooms, counselling rooms and meeting spaces. I find it helpful to have an easily accessible prayer room on campus that I can go to between my lectures and study sessions.
After the transitional period of my first few months at university and adjusting to a new routine and a new place, I found my footing and now I feel right at home.
In the beginning, it can feel as though you will never fit in or excel at uni, but this feeling doesn’t last forever.
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