Livin’ It Lufbra: Growing Up 101
Our Livin’ It Lufbra blog series is aimed at helping you get the most out of your uni experience, be that at work, play and everything in between! This week we’re exploring the highs and lows of uni life in ‘Growing Up 101’.
Episode 3: Growing Up 101
It goes without saying that your time at uni is half studying for a degree and half learning how to keep yourself alive on a daily basis! You may well already be a ‘grown up’ but there’s a difference between being fully grown and being an adult. Uni will be a learning curve in the life skills department but there are some essential things that you should really be starting to get on top of by now…
Things You Should Be Able To Do By Now
1. Cook And Clean Competently
Cooking yourself a decent meal and keeping your student house/halls clean (or at least liveable) are two things that really need to be at the top of your ‘life skills you should be owning’ list. Keeping yourself nourished (no, that doesn’t mean living off cereals and super noodles) is essential if you want to keep your body (and mind) healthy. Everybody should have at least a handful of staple meals they can cook up at a moment’s notice. They don’t have to be complicated or visionary, in fact simple, one pot meals are favourable at uni as you can batch cook and freeze your leftovers for quick and easy meals whenever!
Likewise, cleaning should be something that you incorporate into your weekly, rather than monthly, routine! Nobody wants to be that one housemate inadvertently cooking up their own science experiments under their bed because they haven’t cleared away their dirty dishes for 6 weeks. Little and often is a good rule of thumb. Places like the bathroom and kitchen will need more regular attention than others but these communal areas can be divided up among your housemates.
Our top tip: set up a cleaning rota with your housemates and make it into a competition. Each week you can collectively judge who’s done the best job in their designated area and everyone else has to buy the winner a drink on your next night out!
2. The Food Shop (without spending your entire student loan)
Food shopping is another one of those ‘boring’ yet essential tasks that we all need to do to survive – it’s no good having a decent repertoire of student meals that you can cook up at a moments notice if all you ever have in the cupboards is super noodles!
With the rise of the ‘cheap’ supermarket the task of stocking up on decent food becomes somewhat less painful as the bill is kept down, however it’s still pretty easy to get carried away (especially if your student loan has just come in!) Try and stick to the essentials – bread, milk, eggs, meat, veg, pasta, cereals. Try not to buy too many snack foods as they tend to be more expensive, don’t last as long and are not very nutritious.
Our top tip: make a list before you go shopping and if you want to treat yourself to a beer or bottle of wine see what’s on offer and try something new if it’s not your favourite brand – you never know what you might discover!
3. Your Own Washing (without shrinking or dying it)
Having clean clothes is a pretty essential part of life and something you’ll learn pretty quickly is that it’s a never ending battle (seriously next time you see your parents you should thank them!) Getting to grips with doing your own washing is a task unto itself – not only have you got to remember to do it (hard enough), you’ve then got to navigate the ‘complex’ workings of the washing machine!
Our top tips:
- Always separate your whites
- Stick to a washing powder/liquid that you’ve used before (ask you parents!)
- Don’t overfill the machine – it’s really not a good idea to do a full 2 weeks of washing all in one go
- ‘Wash at 30 unless it’s really dirty’
- When it’s done, take it out! Not only will this free up the machine for your housemates but it’ll also keep your washing smelling fresh and reduce creasing
- Dry your clothes on an outside line if the sun is shining (or at least if it’s not raining!)
- If you’ve got a tumble dryer, use it! Drying clothes on the radiator or on a rack in your bedroom creates condensation which can lead to problems with mould
4. Manage Your Own Sleep Requirements!
This one speaks for itself really. You’re an adult now, nobody’s going to tell you when bedtime is except you. Take notice of what your body is telling you, when you’re tired go to bed. Likewise, if you know you’ve got a heavy work schedule coming up make sure you get enough shut eye and try not to burn the candle at both ends!
5. Be Able To Say ‘No’
Let’s face it, there’s always going to be ‘something’ going on during your time at uni, whether it’s a party, trip, night out or event. Likewise there’s probably always going to be a piece of work on your to do list with a deadline attached to it. Managing your time and knowing when to say ‘no’ is a vital skill that you should really try and master.
Top Student Deals & Offers – November 2015
We hope this month’s collection of deals and offers help to make ‘adulting’ that little bit easier… or at least cheaper!
20% Off All Homeware At Homebase
Getting your digs in order and keeping on top of the laundry might not be the most glamorous thing in the world (and definitely not something you want to spend too much money on!). So, 20% off at Homebase on all homeware products is just what you need to help kit yourself out with everything from laundry baskets big enough to hold 2 weeks worth of washing to compact vacuum cleaners.
Save Up To 70% On Your Food Shop
Saving 70% on your food shop is an offer anyone with an eye for a bargain would snap up. Check out Approved Foods and see how much you could save.
Shop Savvy For Your Cleaning Products
Keeping on top of the cleaning throughout the year will not only keep your house/halls looking and smelling great, it’ll also save you a lot of time and effort come moving out day! However, branded cleaning products don’t come cheap so comparison sites like ‘mysupermarket’ are an ideal place to find out where the deals are and stock up on all your cleaning products essentials when they’re on offer.
If you are planning to move-on from halls, then renting a shared property can be a great way of getting the most out of your time at uni. Our student houses are extremely popular and some have already been booked for next year! To avoid disappointment, take a look at our Loughborough student accommodation now and enquire EARLY! Alternatively, pop into the office anytime for a coffee and a chat to discuss your needs.
Andrew Chell can be contacted as follows:
Phone: 01509 552814
Mobile:07769 684800
Email: [email protected]
Office: 66 Ashby Road, Loughborough LE11 3AE
Published 5th November 2015
