Lessons From University : 25 Things It Helps to Know Going In

So here we are at my last ever column, and to mark the occasion IÔÇÖve compiled a list of the things I wish I knew before coming to uni. IÔÇÖve kept it to the fairly inconsequential stuff since the big lessons you learn will be things you have to experience first hand to really know, and as someone whose uni years have been so dominated by pandemics and strikes, IÔÇÖm not particularly qualified to give anyone comprehensive advice about the traditional ÔÇÿuniversity experienceÔÇÖ anyway. Instead, IÔÇÖve kept it to a selection of practical bits of wisdom that I think are handy to have going in. So, without further ado, here are twenty-five things IÔÇÖve learnt over six semesters at Cardiff: 

1. First Year doesnÔÇÖt count and will be remembered hazily.
2. The best essays are often written in the most dire circumstances,
3. And the referenced page numbers for those essays can always be guessed rather than known. 
4. Never place too much trust in Microsoft WordÔÇÖs autosave feature, disaster is only one laptop crash away.┬á
5. You will not work on your assignments over Christmas. 
6. Or Easter. 
7. And you wonÔÇÖt read anything on your reading lists in reading week.┬á
8. When carrying bottles of wine across a road, watch out for the kerb. No one wants to be referred to as ÔÇÿred wine girlÔÇÖ forevermore by all of the co-op employees who laughed at you through the CCTV footage.┬á
9. The queue for the loos in LiveLounge is shortest upstairs, and same goes for the bar. 
10. Nightclub photo-booths are a rip off and absolutely worth every penny.
11. Neighbours will always wait until youÔÇÖre hungover to get the drill out.
12. Download the Cardiff Bus app and donÔÇÖt be afraid to explore beyond the city centre, I especially recommend the walk around Rhiwbina Hill.
13. If your fridge smells, you need to clean the drip tray – itÔÇÖll be found in the back and you can get it out with a screwdriver.┬á
14. If the washing machine smells, you need to clean inbetween the folds of rubber in the door – wiping it with some bleach should do the trick.┬á
15. If your bedroom smells, you need to pull yourself together.
16. Remember to take the bins out on bin night.
17. DonÔÇÖt let your flatmates catch on to the fact that youÔÇÖre capable taking out said bins on bin night.┬áUnless you really enjoy it for some reason.
18. Invest in a good electric blanket.
19. And a good mattress topper.
20. But remember that rotting in bed all day should be kept to a once a month activity, tops.
21. When it comes to fellow students, most of them will be lying about their bank balance. 
22. And the more drugs/sex/rock-and-roll people tell you they do, the more boring theyÔÇÖll usually turn out to be.┬á
23. The same goes for gym-goers, once they start on about about protein shakes thereÔÇÖs no easy way of escaping the mind-numbing torture of that conversation.┬á┬á
24. Normal, sane, types of people can be quite hard to come by, but once you find them youÔÇÖll have friends for life.┬á
25. And finally, donÔÇÖt leave baking paper near open flamesÔǪor under the grill. (And learn where your fire blanket is).┬á

Best of luck!

Charlotte Harris