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University Survival Kit: Adulting - Finances, Jobs, Living Alone & With Others

In slight contradiction with what I’ve already told you, university is not just about studying. University can also mean moving out of your family home (as we’ve already talked about two weeks ago) and living on your own for the first time. It’s a giant leap forward in your process of becoming an adult and honestly, it’s just as difficult and scary as it sounds. But as I said before, nothing is impossible and you can become successful at adulting, or at least survive the next three years. And I am here to show you how to do that.


I must say, I haven’t figured out adulting completely myself and I’m slowly coming to terms with the fact that I might never get there, just because I found that nobody really does. The last year, though, has taught me so much about how to take better care of myself and my money and my health and lifestyle, and I want to share the things that I’ve learned with you guys. I think I’m doing pretty well at the moment, and if I can ease up your shift to adulthood then I am all for it.


Our usual disclaimer: this post is written from the perspective of an international student in the United Kingdom, so my advice is primarily applicable for students coming here, but adaptable to pretty much any other place you’re going to university in.


Naturally, adulting is first about living in a place other than your family home. You’re moving out for the first time, to live in student accommodation or shared housing or your own flat (if you’re lucky enough). I and most of the people that I know had to live in student halls or share a house with other people, so although you are pretty much on your own, you’re also living with others. You guys are basically alone together. It sounds weird, doesn’t it?



(photo source: WeHeartIt)



Living away from your family home means that, maybe for the first time, you have to fully tend for yourself. You have to cook your meals, clean your living space, do your laundry, pay your bills, do your shopping and generally, take care of yourself and make sure you’re getting by. It might not sound like a lot to you just now, but I know that for me, these news came like a cold shower. For my entire life I’ve been a bit of a spoiled child, hadn’t had to lift a finger to do something around the house and I was pretty clueless about what it took to maintain a household. So when I moved into my first proper place after a year in student accommodation, I suddenly had to make myself edible food to survive and learn how to clean a toilet. So if you were or still are anything like me, I am living proof that you can make it, too.


As far as your diet is concerned, try and plan your meals in advance and find yourself a couple of shops and markets to go to for your weekly shopping. Although you might be tempted to either save money by buying rather crappy food or do the complete opposite, throw money out on takeaways, don’t do it – I’ve done them both and it wasn’t pleasant. Not only was I unhappy with eating a poor diet, but I also spent money that I could use on other things such as going on a day trip or getting myself something nice to wear. Find a few recipes that you like, learn how to do them well and before you know it, your whole week is planned out in terms of the food that you’re going to eat. I am quite a picky eater, so I’m happy with cooking myself around four or five recipes and making sure I have plenty of healthy snacks to eat in-between meals – find what works for you and your metabolism. If you live with other people that you get along with, you can share tips, tricks and recipe ideas or even pool money together to get the ingredients that you need for cooking a big group meal. In terms of saving up money for food, going to your local supermarket towards the closing time means that you can get a lot of food supposedly going off the next day, for ridiculously low prices – usually this food will not go off immediately if properly conserved. Wait for sales on rather expensive products: I made a commitment to myself to get my favourite brand of ice cream only if it’s on sale. Also, for your fruit and vegetable likings, visit a local market rather than your usual supermarket: prices are lower, quantities are more generous and fruit is tastier.


I don’t want to stoop so low that I tell you to clean your room, but keeping your living space neat will do you lots of good in the long run. Take half an hour every weekend to hoover, dust and clean your bathroom, and try not to leave dirty dishes piling up next to the sink for days. It will just feel more difficult to tackle all at once and you won’t be able to function properly in a dirty space. If you share your kitchen and bathroom with other people, set up a cleaning schedule for everybody to do the chores when their turn comes. Throughout the academic year you will have better things to do than cleaning around, so keeping a minimum level of tidy will prevent that from happening. As far as laundry is concerned, it’s really not that hard to do. Pay attention to the setting you switch your washing machine on, how much detergent and fabric softener you use, and dividing the colours and you’re good to go.



Managing your finances using an expenses tracker will help you keep your spending habits in check.

(source: personal archive)



Because most probably you’ll be living and sharing some of your living space with others, it’s ideal that you guys get along and collaborate well. Arguments will happen, but keeping things civil and reaching a consensus is key. Fights are unavoidable: you are different people coming from different backgrounds and you will each like a particular way for things to be like in your home – under no circumstances will you guys agree on everything. I was lucky enough to live with amazing people that I could always find a good solution with, and sharing a house together went smoothly. Make sure you communicate constantly.


Moving on to finances, as a student you will have to manage your own bank account and money and make sure that you’re living on an appropriate budget and maybe even save up. With money it can get quite tricky, especially if you are responsible for your own finances for the first time but just like with other aspects of adulting, there is a way to go about it. I found that keeping a record of the money coming in and out of my account made me more aware of my spending habits and how I can adjust them to save money rather than waste it and still not give up on anything important. I’m not even kidding, keep receipts and write or type down all your spendings and check your bank account regularly. I know the simple thought gives you anxiety, but there’s no reason for you to feel this way. Nothing will go out of your bank account unless you spend it yourself. So keep yourself accountable and you’ll be grateful for it later. A good way of saving money is cooking for yourself, planning out your meals and avoiding takeaways, but another one for me is not consuming alcohol. I do not drink alcohol altogether for personal reasons, except for the odd night out when I drink half a bottle of cider at most, and that happens during pre-drinks so you might know what that means? No money spent on drinks in the pub or club! If you like alcohol and want to enjoy yourself that’s absolutely fair, but cutting on alcohol consumption does save you loads.



Adulting means staying on top of things, and how else can you do that if not by using a planner?

(source: personal archive)



Finally, since we’ve already touched on the topic of money and managing your finances, we might as well stop to talk about jobs. You might want to get a job while you’re at university, it’s a good source of income and experience and if your classes and study hours allow, it’s a good time filler, too. I have a job while I’m at university, so do some of my friends and everybody seems to manage alright. Be aware, though, that it might slightly distract you from your studies. I didn’t feel it, and actually kept a good, healthy balance between studying, work and rest. There is always the temptation of focusing on work rather than going to your classes – and here, it’s your call to make decisions.


In a nutshell, that’s everything you might want to know about adulting at university. Is there anything useful I could’ve covered in this post and haven’t? Let me know in the comments section! I am also more than happy to take any questions you might have about university, either here or over on social media. Also, stick around for the next post in the series, more advice is coming your way!




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University Survival Kit – Posts:


August 27th – Adulting: Finances, Jobs, Living Alone & With Others

September 3rd – Managing Your Social Life at University

September 10th – Improving Your Skills & Experience at University

September 17th – Dealing with Culture Shock in an Academic Environment

September 24th – Little Funny Bits I Learned at University




Photo sources:


WeHeartIt, user @starwatchingeyes (link on picture)

Personal archive



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