Adulting 101: how to live alone as a student

Disclaimer: I live in the UK so this mostly applies to uk students, although some of the stuff I mention are just general life tips

Keeping your home clean

• A mop, a vacuum cleaner, white vinegar, washing up stuff and microfiber cloths are all you need (do some research on how to use white vinegar for cleaning)
• Very basic home cleaning: dust off dirt from surfaces and vacuum clean & mop the floor. Get rid of limescale in the shower (tap, glass shield, pipes) and on your sinks. Clean your toilet (seriously that’s one way of checking if a place is clean or not). Wipe any kind of surface like windows, kitchen countertops, tables etc. There, the house is already quite clean, not so difficult eh?
• Do some cleaning regularly, try to wash your dishes right after using them instead of leaving them in the sink, don’t let laundry pile up, empty your bin (seriously it’s nasty if you leave it full for a long time, you’ll get mold), learn how to wash your clothes properly (best thing is to wash everything at 30C and air dry, I only wash sheets and towels at 60-95C) so your clothes last longer
• Set a 10 min timer daily to do any tidying in your flat. You’d be surprised how as little as 10 min can make a big difference

Food

• ALWAYS make a list before going to the shops and stick to that list as much as possible
• Learn how to cook very simple meals: have a portion of carbs, vegetables and protein (animal or not!), that’s already a healthy meal!
• One word: Mealprep!!! It saves you so much money, it’s much healthier economically and physically than buying food out every lunch!! Take time out on your Sundays to make 4-5 lunches. I usually make 4 and have a day I allow myself to buy something nice! You can even meal prep your dinners. When i cook at night I make a big portion that would last 2-3 dinners. Takes me the same amount of time as cooking one portion so might as well make lots!
• Save the Earth, reuse plastic bags or bring your own bags (a great way of using all those free tote bags that are piling up)

Rent, bills, money

• Always pay all your bills in time. You do not want any surcharges.
• Don’t be scared to fight lettings agents, energy companies etc. It’s not because you’re a student that you’re easy prey for them.
• Don’t be afraid to say no to things when it’s out of your budget. For example, say you’re looking for a place to live with potential flatmates. Make sure you state how much you can pay in rent and don’t hesitate to speak up when things get too expensive. Worst case scenario you can always find new flatmates lol

26 February 2021 // sunny and bright on campus

31 January 2022 // slow start to my final term at university

29 November 2021 // wow this month has really flown by! almost all of my classes are finished and i’ve just got essays left to finish

09.02.2020 | it’s already February, and i’m full on studying for my last exams. Already had the first one, finances is comin up in two days, then it’s the last one about leadership and organisation on Valentine’s day. Time’s flying by so fast and i’m actually living on coffee, carbs and sugar at the moment. I’ve already gained some weight again, and the semester hasn’t come to a complete end yet, because after that, it will be time to write three research papers (between 10 and 15 pages each) in a month. How do you cope with stressfull times?

2.2.22

Guys, gals and all followers of my academic and general journey since summer of 2019. From today this blog is technically no longer a study blog, because I did it. I graduated (class of 2020 but due to covid officially in 2022)! I started this blog after coming a click away from dropping out after my second year but being convinced otherwise. I started it as a way of documenting my progress , keeping myself accountable, keeping myself excited about academia and being able to put it all behind me if I hung on a little longer. I have cried SOOOO much in the past year in the past three years.

This has been a safe space. It’s held deep thoughts and many feelings that I won’t be deleting but continuing to document as I figure out what else life has in store just like I have been doing even after I finished in 2020.

Thank you for being a part of this journey. I hope you’ll stick around.

#lifeafteruni

16.06.2020 if only i started studying sooner..

15.06.2020 cosy little study corner

11.05.2020 almond latte + new law books + fresh stationery

02.05.2020 fresh study set up stationery from here