When coming to university as a first year, it’s easy to have a vision in your head of what it will be like. Deciding on which university to attend is a tough decision but researching Cardiff beforehand paints a picture of academics, an affordable and beautiful city, and exciting nightlife. All of this is definitely part of life here, however there are still some things that your research won’t teach you.

1.      Budgeting

Freshers’ week feels like the best time. You’re out almost every night with your new friends, spending at least £5 on a double vodka and coke (multiple times). Then, during the day, you’re spending as much time as you can exploring your new home. Having a shopping spree in the St David’s Centre feels like retail therapy was just what you needed. However, once you’ve spent that week living lavish, you check your bank account and realised that you’ve actually spent quite a lot. So, while Cardiff may be one of the most affordable cities for students, managing your money well is still a challenge. I’d suggest using a card that allows you to split your money up into pots, like Monzo, so that you can monitor how much you’re spending on what. Be responsible with your spending so you don’t end up eating super noodles for every meal.

2.      This brings us nicely to another difficult part of university living – eating well. Perhaps your parents taught you to cook while growing up, or maybe they gave you a crash course in the summer before you came and now you know four basic meals to get you through three years. Cycling through the same meals every week gets boring really easily. This leads to eating out more, buying easy meals to cook quickly, frozen processed foods. And, while these can be a good meal for a student every so often, eating too much of this is not good for you. You should try and learn to cook a good selection of meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that will sustain you all year and keep your diet balanced.

3.      Join a Society

Cardiff University is home to 200 societies and 65 sports teams. So, while it might feel obvious that you should join at least one, I’m here to tell you that its imperative that you do. When adjusting to your first year, your flatmates might be your closest friends, or perhaps your course mates that you met in the first lecture. You might find halfway through the year that you have less in common with your flatmates than you think – so it’s a good idea to join a society or sports team with people who have similar interests. Who knows – the people you meet at their events might turn out to be your best friends.

4.      Explore the City

Cardiff is a beautiful city. With over 330 parks and gardens, hundreds of shops, the beautiful bay and so many gorgeous surrounding suburbs there’s something new to discover every week. Some of the best advice you can receive is to familiarise yourself with the new city you’re staying in. From knowing the basics to then discovering hidden gems by the end of your first year, you should know your home for the next three years well. Take walks in Bute or Roath park, see a show in the Bay, and then sift through charity shops in Roath. Or even take a bus to the nearby castles like Castell Coch or visit St Fagans – the open concept museum of Welsh history. If you don’t take this opportunity from the start then before you know it three years will be over and you will have missed so much that Cardiff has to offer.

5.      Nights Out

Cardiff nightlife can be great, but there’s some things you need to know to make it the best. First of all, always have some way to get home if you end up alone. Especially in the first few weeks, you might find yourself lost or left by your new friends. In these cases, you need to make sure you have charge on your phone to either call them or order an uber home. Secondly, keep your drink covered and never leave it unattended. Spiking is a much more serious problem in cities compared to rural towns where a lot of people come to university from. So, learn to take care of your drink to avoid this. Finally, throw yourself in. Sure, Live Lounge and the SU are great nights out but there are plenty of amazing clubs and bars in Cardiff to try. Proud Mary’s, Boom Battle Bar, Ballie Ballerson, Tonight Josephine, and Coyote Ugly to name a few. Once you’ve got safety sorted, you can go wild in any of these places and make the most of your time in Cardiff.

Ava Hicks | Contributor