Lets start with the cons:
No.1: Cooking. Now, I know even within my social group at uni many will find it hard to regard this a con, but it's just not my thing. You're probably thinking I have valid reason for this dislike of cooking e.g. I'm not good at it. Well no, I can cook, in fact I'm actually capable of being a relatively good cook. But until you are nearly entirely self sufficient you don't realise how much effort goes into preparing three meals a day. Props go to my parents for doing that for over twenty years for me and my brother because I'm just not coping.
I'm a complete foodie but it never tastes as good when you've been standing over it for the last 30 minutes, hot and bothered (in may I mention an unreasonably small kitchen in comparison to the rest of my halls) and trying desperately not to over or under cook your meal. After all of that I almost feel nauseous. I may be being a bit dramatic here but that just emphasises my point, I am not a happy cooker.
No.2: 'Best Before' dates: This one may sound a little bit odd to anyone who shares their food with families or whoever they live with. But when you are the only person eating the food you've bought, sell by dates will fast become the bane of your life. Unless you buy a ready meal for one, all your food will come with multiple servings. Which is great, more food right? Wrong. When theres only one person consuming these products it becomes a fight against time to try and eat it all before it goes off.
The worst culprit is milk, once you have opened milk you have a very limited time before it goes off. As a person who drinks milk perhaps twice a week this becomes extremely frustrating. I can't count how many times I've bought a pint of milk and before I've managed to get even half way through it I've had to throw it away. Such a waste of precious vodka-money.
Also, if you're waking up for work you are even more obliged to get up. You need money to live - if you don't go- you don't have money - then you can't do anything that you actually enjoy (also there are probably a lot of people relying on you to actually be there.)
The issue with getting up for university is, no-ones going to ring your parents if you don't turn up and no-one other than your lecturer is even going to know you missed your 9 o'clock. Even they don't know most of the time, with 150 students who all look the same to them. This makes it extremely easy to convince yourself you really don't need to be there, but in next weeks exam you're going to be feeling a heck of a lot different.
I could easily go on about the difficulties of washing, do my white delicates go in with the white wash or the delicate wash? And the fact I don't have my car, but lets try and be positive now. On with the Pros.
In the halls I live in we have blocks of flats and then within that block, lots and lots of self contained flats all filled with first year students. I think it's both daunting and exhilarating for any 18 year old (or any aged person for that matter) to leave home for the first time and go to live with 6 other people they've never met before. I was not exempt from that group of nervous first years just hoping they're not living with some sort of deranged killer or merely people they didn't get along with.
In my case, and in the majority of others I've heard, none of us had anything to be worried about. My flat consists of 6 other wonderful people who I wouldn't change for the world, despite them being delightfully insane. Within only two months they have become such close friends I can't imagine not knowing them. So anyone nervous about starting university in the coming years, you'll definitely have lovely people to get your through it!
Pro No.2: The Night-life. For the majority of universities, even if they're in country towns, there will be numerous opportunities to go out at night and socialise. Whether it be at a club, a house party or even just the student union bar.
I've heard it said by an unruly amount of people that you don't know someone until you've been drunk with them once. Although I don't agree that you can base a friendship on intoxication, you definitely get to see a more liberated version of that person, and a few gems always spill out that they'd have never told you sober. I love being able to do sober activities with my friends at uni but what 18 year old fresher wouldn't relish in the night life university can provide you with.
I think it's almost vital at the beginning, for more nervous people like me, as in my first few nights of being here I don't think I would have had the guts to socialise half as much as I did, if we hadn't had copious nights out with a little bit of dutch courage. As long as your safe with it, alcohol can be a great asset to potentially awkward social situations, but only when appropriate, no-one appreciates that one person who's drunk in lectures. No-one.
Pro No.3: Days off. I think university is the only period of my life where I'm only expected to turn up 3 days a week. School was always 5 days and work can be up to 7 days a week. I'm certainly going to enjoy this. I personally get every Wednesday and Friday free, meaning I have 3 day weekends and a break mid week. Most of the other people I've spoken to also get one or two days off. It's great! I know I'm an adult and all now and probably shouldn't be trying to dodge my responsibilities but it's fine, it's not like I have a real job in the real world yet. Let me enjoy my last few years of irresponsibility.
Oh yeah and you get a degree or something and lots of great job opportunities and... stuff.
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