Ascending to a higher level of education is an important part of any life, whether said education is at a fully certified learning institution, the School of Hard Knocks or starring noted ingenue Carey Mulligan.
Here at PEDESTRIAN.TV a large portion of our editorial team are products of away from home moves for uni and cannot recommend it enough. Apart from putting space between you and people from high school, being forced to make large amounts of excellent friends and Dag Night at uni bar, the best part is obviously the satisfaction gained from striking out on your ‘own’.
To help anyone considering leaving the familial fold in pursuit of a degree, we’ve brainstormed a handful of tips to make the transition a little less fully homesik.
O-WEEK AND BEYOND
You may not traditionally be a ‘joiner’ but as cringe as Getting To Know You
games can be, everyone else is in the same boat. Some of life’s longest lasting friendships have been formed in O week and the unusual circumstances you’re in do mean you find unexpected things in common with the freshers around you.
DO attend ~*school spirit*~ based things no matter how dang they sound.
DON’T be the moll who disappears e v e r y weekend to go home.
MAKE STRATEGIC CONNECTIONS
First up, respect your elders. This is a good one even before you decide on your uni preferences – find someone who’s been there done that. It’s a big decision and requires many trips to the car to pack all your shit for the move, so search out people to answer any questions you have. Once you arrive don’t be afraid to approach second or third years to ask about assignments, where to get the cheapest feeds or what actually happens on Pub Run.
Did you know Subway let their employees take home any leftover cookies? Search out fellow students who work at local sustenance outlets and position yourself within their proximity when they finish their shift.
Besides befriending food industry workers, try to get to know people within your course. It’s all well and good to hang out with your dormies majority of the time but you’ll really appreciate the support of a friend who knows your own personal brand of essay pain.
STD R NOT KEWL
No one university is more of a hot bed of sin than the others, but they all have one thing in common: hormones. All across our great nation the hallowed halls of many a great institution is saturated with the waft of young people’s pheromones.
Use condoms. Avoid STDs. Get tested regularly. You know this stuff.
PACK THE ESSENTIALS
You can never have enough towels – both for drying your body and stuffing under your door to drown out your dormies death metal – and when it comes to what you’ll need, your parents house is an excellent site to strip of valuable resources such as plates, cups, sheets and home cooked food.
BOREDOM
It will set in, no matter what. But unlike most environments, this boredom occurs when you’re surrounded by hundreds of your peers within walking distance. As previously mentioned, getting involved in as much as you can will help with this; as will taking advantage of the fact that you’re swimming in delicious youthful exuberance and creative juices.
If someone is working on a student film for fun: get involved. Or better yet, come up with your own idea and get it started yourself. We say this looking back and wishing we were more productive with our time – you’ll never again be in a situation where you have so much time and so many talented people.
DESPITE ITS RELOCATION YOUR BODY IS STILL A TEMPLE
VITAMINS, HYDROLITES, WATER, VEGETABLES: remember these things. It’s not cute to get scurvy.
And always look out for your mates. R U OK? works all year round and there’s always place on campus to seek help if you’re feeling overwhelmed or just need to chat. In all things, remember to namaste, bring a jumper, look after yourself and eat properly.
