Hi everyone, my name is Aymara and I am a second, nearly third-year medical student
at the University of Nottingham. I am also a vlogger and I document my time
whilst I study my medical degree at the University of Nottingham,
so feel free to check out my YouTube and Instagram channel to get more of an insight into this.
But anyway, today we’re going to be talking about how to manage your independence at university.
Now when I first got to university and I was a fresher I was obviously very excited to start
university and to start this new life, but this excitement and build-up kind of made
me overlook the challenges I'd potentially face, meaning that when I encountered them,
it took me a long time to find the solution and in the mean time I became very overwhelmed.
So today I am going to be going through five
lessons that I learnt the hard way that I’m sure will help you to thrive financially,
academically and socially, and to have the best time once you get to university.
My first tip is to plan a well-rounded and realistic daily or weekly routine. Once you
get to university you most likely will not have 9-3 or 9-4 lessons
like you did at school. And it’s so easy to lose balance when it comes to your daily routine when
you get to university. So, it’s so important that you have a think about what activities
and hobbies you enjoy and that also benefit your physical and mental health, and actively work
to implement them into your daily routine. This will help you lead a diverse, well-rounded life.
My second tip is to budget or keep track of your expenses. I’ve found that it can
be really easy to lose track over the money going in and out of your account,
especially because you’ll be getting a student loan which for most people, will be the
first time they’ve had large sums coming into their account. So, I suggest that you look up
a budget template and find one that works for you on the internet, or apply for a Monzo card
because it’s really easy to set goals and set limits so you can keep track of your expenses.
My third tip is to try new things and meet new people. Now it’s so important that,
now things are opening up, that you set yourself the challenge like me and my friends
to try and do something new in Nottingham every week. It’s literally so easy to just
go to the same restaurant every time, to go to the same clubs, but you’ll slowly realise
that your university years will fly by and you won’t know anything about the city you live in
and you won’t have met many people! So don’t be afraid to join societies, discover Nottingham
and I promise you you’ll meet friends for life and discover a love for Nottingham.
Okay, my fourth tip is going to be a set of quick-fire tips that I'm sure will save you money
and will improve your experience at university - so let’s go! My first mini-tip is to make the trek
to the nearest cheap supermarket. I love Lidl and Aldi and I’m not joking, this will literally save
you hundreds throughout the year. My second tip is to freeze food. If you’re buying for just
one person then food goes out of date really quickly so put it in the freezer if in doubt.
My third tip is to look up student-friendly recipes. You don’t want to be one of those
people that eats the same thing day in and day out because it’s probably not very good for you
and you’re going to need to learn to cook one day, right? My fourth
tip is to start a cleaning rota with your flatmates, it will make it easier
to keep the flat clean and it kind of boosts morale to be in it together doing the cleaning.
My fifth and final tip is to not be afraid to get help. Going to university is challenging
and it will affect everyone in different ways. If you’re struggling to manage your
independence and you’re struggling to live alone then please know that there is support available.
I’d suggest that you arrange a meeting with your personal tutor to discuss this
or your GP, or check out the Support and Wellbeing page on the University of Nottingham website.
Before I go, I just wanted to wish you the best of luck starting this new chapter of your life.
I’m sure you will all smash it and I can't wait to see some lovely new faces
around campus! Remember to check out my channels and I’ll see you in the next one.