The Student Pocket Guide Winter 2014 - Leicester & Nottingham

I’d always wondered what it was like to be a Fresher. Moving to a new city, making new friends, house parties, having to do my own washing! ‘Growing up’ as my parents would put it. For me, this was a time to really let myself go. No more phone calls from mum on Sunday morning if I wasn’t home, no more nagging to do my washing up… And as for turning down my music, Dad - it’s time for new rules.

Term one was over quicker than my mum could shout “Tommy there’s a knock at the door and it’s gone10pm” and I had encountered more hangovers in three months than I had done in three years.

Having to learn to fend for myself was... ‘interesting’. I took to it like Attenborough in the Alps. I was finally getting the knack of how to cook for myself with as little cleaning and effort as possible – here’s my top tip from term one: 1 x plastic fork, 1 x steel knife, yesterday’s pizza box (not crucial), cheese, ham and coleslaw. Cut slices of cheese using the knife and then leave it in the sink. Hand feed yourself the cheese and ham and use the fork for the coleslaw. It takes 30 seconds to prepare and once you’re done, there’s only one item to wash (if your house mates don’t wash it for you). Plus this ‘healthy’ little number costs less than £4 and you can make it last for a few days. Sorted. Note to self: Use plates if you have company.

Washing clothes is simple - just put all the colours in together but wash them on a cold setting so the colours don’t run. If you forget to take your clothes out of the machine and they have that damp smell lingering about, hang them up and spray them with Febreze.

A few months into uni, a few lessons learnt, and now with a few hairs on my chest, it was time for me to leave my new city and go home for Christmas. Term one was over and whilst I was enjoying my time away ‘finding myself’, I was thoroughly looking forward to going home, seeing my old friends and dare I say it, seeing my folks.

“So son, you got yourself a girlfriend yet?” were the first words my father muttered. To which before I had a chance to answer, my mum politely said, “Bob, come on, give Tommy a break. Tommy have you got all of your washing with you? I’m putting on the darks”.

Home sweet home.

By the sound of things, the real work starts in the second term. With that in mind I think I’ll use my time at home wisely. I’m going to study hard, work some extra shifts at my local for some much needed dosh and try to complete Candy Crush.

Until next time…

Got a story to share? Email us: info@thestudentpocketguide.com