Students are always drinking
Starting with a classic student life myth, yes for a lot of students their past time and social situations will involve drinking or nights out however research has shown from a study published in the BMC Public Health Journal found that more than 25% of young people classed themselves as “non-drinkers”. The trends of drinking are certainly changing; abstaining from alcohol is presenting to become more mainstream in the coming years. So basically, if you don’t want to drink then don’t drink. It’s not an essential part of uni life despite the common misconception of that’s what student life and money revolves around. There are other ways to make friends and meet new people instantly if you’re someone who wants to give drinking a miss!
You’ll live off packet noodles and beans on toast
Another big student myth and one your parents have probably gone on about. Okay so yes some students would have never really cooked before and don’t know where to start that doesn’t mean you’ll inevitably be living off the same two meals. Cooking is a great social skill to have at uni and if you’re keen to meet people or make friends quickly. There are many great websites out there specifically for students to create cheap and easy meals, these are great places to start cooking! Despite the myths, most students will have some idea of cooking so cooking together is a great way to learn and meet people in an everyday scenario.
Clubbing and bar crawls are an essential part of student life
This is most certainly a myth, most future students may feel this is the only way you’ll be able to make friends and interact with new people … it’s definitely not! Yes, clubbing and bar crawls can be fun of course but it isn’t the only part of a student’s social life. To start with, this may well be the case especially for the first year. I can assure you that most students will not have the stamina or money to continue like this - or even want to! To be honest it’s more likely the case that you’ll end up spending more time out on society events and socials or sitting in front of Netflix with a takeaway with the rest of your flat! These things tend to be better ways of actually meeting and getting to know people instead of the struggle of the crowded and noisy dancefloor.
A part-time job is bad for your studies
Most people will probably tell you that a university course is way too intense and time consuming for a part-time job. Yes, this can be true however it is also very important to balance your time and keep a variety of activities going in your uni life. Combining work and your studies will likely make you even more focused on how you organise your time priorities. In a way, it will motivate you to complete your studies and deadlines in more manageable time frames as you know you will have chunks for your time taken up by your job.
Having a job will also relieve some money stress, knowing that you will have some money coming in each month/week will allow you to feel more at ease and not counting down the days until your next student loan comes in. If both these reasons don’t debunk this myth enough, another benefit of working a part-time job is because it will look great on your CV. It is always good to have student work exeperience! It can demonstrate to future employers that you have been able to support yourself financially throughout uni and taken on more responsibility on top of your studies and gaining more workplace skills alongside your academic ones. A good tip for part-time work at uni is if you don’t want to stick to set hours and rotas each week, a really flexible way of working is to sign up to agencies such as events and catering as these will often allow you to pick and choose when you work to work around your availability.
If someone dies in an exam you automatically pass
Despite what others may tell you this is definitely not the case other than being involved in a traumatic experience there is not much else that is done during this kind of event. The Joint Council for Qualifications only allows for candidates to apply for an adjustment of their score of up to 5%, it is not an automatic adjustment in the circumstance. Did you really think this would save you?! Well, I am sorry to say it is just another myth!
You’ll make all your friends during fresher’s week
A common uni myth is that you’ll have met most of your friends by the end of freshers and all the people you share your first digs with will be your uni friends for life. However this may be the case primarily, due to your desperation and anxiety from moving to uni you may force yourself to be friends with the first people you meet, however, it may not be later on in the year do you realise these people really aren’t for you now that fresher’s are over and everyone become more comfortable and themselves around each other.
A lot of the friends you make will be from meeting people in societies and on your course so don’t worry if you haven’t made instant friends during fresher’s there are still plenty of opportunities. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and get yourself out there in different ways!
Enjoyed this blog? Take a look at: Making the Most out of First Year: 10 Essential Tips or Should You Get a Part-Time Job at University?
