You know those annoying links to pointless and unnecessary stories that always appear on Facebook? Well, one actually inspired me today. 10 things I miss about uni.
I was a University of Birmingham student from 2005 – 2008 and while there are a few things that I don’t miss, there is a lot that I do miss, everyday:
1. Living in a shared house with girls completely different to me but so similar in other ways. We laughed, cried and shared an amazing experience together. It was so much easier to meet new people and make friends at uni. This, I do miss.
2. Daily naps. I was the queen of naps, whether it was at 12.30 in the afternoon or 6.00 in the evening. They were an integral part of my uni lifestyle.
3. Pre-drinks. No-one does better pre-drinking than a student. Pre-drinks often included hair in rollers and my friend Shreena playing MUA for a bunch of tipsy girls. Too much fake tan, short hemlines and high heels in a judgemental-free zone. Amazing.
4. Fancy dress. Playboy bunny ears and hot pants to fairy wings and even superman pyjamas; fancy dress epitomises uni nights out.
5. Junk Food. I remember in the space of 24 hours we ate pizza at 2am after leaving a club, followed by an all-you-can eat Chinese buffet the following lunchtime and an Indian takeaway later that evening for dinner. We ate £1.05 chicken and chips and £1.99 huge pizzas. It was bad for us, we knew it, and we loved it.
6. Using my brain. Last-minute essay writing in Strathcona, researching using BOOKS in the library and not the internet (although Wikipedia came in useful occasionally) and actually learning from theorists like Edward Said. Not relying on the Daily Mail for lunchtime reading. Yes, this is definitely something I miss.
7. The emergence of Facebook. While I was in the first year of uni, Facebook was growing in popularity in the UK. However, at this time users joined the site as a student and we were differentiated by the university we went to. It was essentially used for uni students, not mums, dads, great aunts and distant cousins. I liked this time.
8. Money wasn’t real and we had a complete lack of responsiblity. I never looked at money like it was real, it was simply a way to fund my student lifestyle. This was particularly evident when student loan day came. Although this is not to say that we didn’t work – I had part-time jobs in the first and second year. I thought they were ‘hard work’ at the time. Little did I know what real life would be like.
9. Cheap as chips. Everything cost half the price as a student – food, living costs, clothes, nights out. From £1 vodka red bulls at Vodbull to 20% student discount at Topshop, life could still be good on a student budget.
10. Procrastination. There was always something to do, people to see, a book to read and an essay to write.
11. Living around the corner from most of your friends. The student estate we lived in was dodgy as hell and the locals even dodgier but it was our student estate dammit and we loved it!
12. The ability to always find the energy for a 2am 24 hour Tesco visit.
Love these!
13. Wearing Uggs and lounge wear to uni. And getting away with it.
14. Watching box sets through the night until it’s daylight. Lost and SATC were particular faves.