#uni hack

Congrats on getting into uni I hope you have a wonderful time and it’s everything you want it to be and more :) This is a long post with just a few tips for those starting uni (or college). Feel free to add to it with any of your own ideas.

Things to take:

• Buy some plants they brighten things up are are great for covering up odd coloured walls and endless pine furniture. (Then buy some fake plants for when the real things inevitably die.)

• You will not need a kitchen worthy of a pro chef. There’ll be no room in your cupboards for food otherwise. A couple of pans, a frying pan, sieve (doubles up as a colander) and a baking tray will do you. Similarly, 2 plates, a bowl and a couple of knives and forks are fine as long as you keep up with the washing up.

• Bring some of your bits from home - a cushion, picture frames etc. they’ll make your room feel more like home & personal.

• Your childhood teddy. No one will laugh, trust me.

• A desk lamp, unless it’s included in your room already.

• Fairy lights. No student’s room is complete without fairylights + they’re aesthetic af.

Hacks:

•  Cover your baking trays with tin foil before cooking anything greasy - it’ll save so much effort washing up and prolong the life of your trays.

• Cook double portions of things like pasta and save half for the next day to save on cooking nd having to buy meals at uni. Also take a thermos of coffee, uni coffee is either shit or expensive.

• Layering blankets and jumpers is cheeper than turning on the heating if you’re paying your own bills. 

• Get out of the house at least 4 times a week and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. Otherwise you turn into a reclusive ghost with scurvy. 

• At first it might seem very quiet compared to home - play the radio if it is, the voices in the background and presenter’s conversations are very comforting.

• Absolutely everything is on facebook - groups for your halls, for your course, for your societies. Even tickets for freshers events are on facebook a lot of the time. Look it up before you go.

Study:

• Do things when they’re set - even if a lecturer says it’s for the assignment due in 3 months time do it when it’s set otherwise you’ll forget the topic and have to spend double time relearning everything later.

• Talk to lecturers, they’re real human people and they want you to pass. Make tutorials, email them at weird hours with bizarre questions and if you don’t understand something TELL SOMEONE.

• Study groups are wonderful, make some friends on your course with similar academic interests to you and work on assignments together. Often they’ll be able to support where you struggle and visa versa.

• If you’re struggling to work at home go out to a coffee shop and work their. In uni towns many places expect students to come in and have free wifi and plugs. Just make sure you buy something when you go in and then a drink every couple of hours after. If it starts to get really busy and baristas are giving you looks it’s time to leave, though.

• Look after yourself, sleep, mental and physical health will always be more important than your studies. You can take time out, resit assignments and drop out altogether if you need to. NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR HEALTH.

Social:

• Everyone is in the same boat as you, you don’t have to change who you are to be liked.

• You might have to force yourself to be more extroverted than normal and go to events/talk to housemates and course mates for the first few weeks but it’s worth it I promise. 

• Talk to the people you sit next to in lectures. Its handy if you miss something and need notes, plus I’ve made some of my best friends simply by happening to sit with them.

• Go explore where you live with people, it’s a good way to get to know them and the nice little nooks that will make the place home for the next few years. 

• Don’t feel you have to drink if you don’t want to. You can have a good night out sober (trust me). If you do drink be safe. Have a way home planned and don’t leave by yourself and without telling the people you’re with. Save some cash for a taxi fare. If someone you trust tells you to stop drinking, STOP. 

• People won’t unfriend you for not wanting to go out, or for going to bed early, or for having some alone time though. Make an effort to do communal things, but don’t feel pressured into doing something you don’t want to do, ever.

by Emma Beattie, Ryerson University

Being ecologically conscious when living in student housing/residences and handling the stress of your university years is tough, but implementing a few of these tips can go a long way to reducing your impact on our earth!

Food/Drink

Bring your own cutlery if the cafeteria doesn’t have reusables of it’s own. Imagine the waste if everyone used a disposable knife and fork three times a day!

 Opt for whole fruits(apples, pears, banana, etc. found in the bins) rather than pre-cut portions packaged in plastic containers.

 Bring your own water bottle instead of wasting precious meal plan dollars on sugary iced teas and pop.

 Invest in a floor/personal kettle and french press for making tea and coffee instead of using a paper cup every morning.

 Go without a lid when purchasing a soup/salad/etc, especially if you are eating in the caf (the combination of a lidless soup and taking the stairs is, however, not recommended).

 Ask for smaller servings (especially of rice) in the cafeteria if you often don’t finish your meals.

 Save leftovers for snacks rather than throwing them out.

 Bring a reusable cup to parties and avoid endless solo cups (bonus: you will always know which drink is yours).

 Buy Mr. Noodles in bags and use your own mug instead of buying cups of noodles.

  Your Room

 Avoid using AC/heating unless you are truly uncomfortable. Put on a sweater or open a window first (you are probably more resilient than you think).

 Apply insulating plastic to your window(s) - Called “window shrink film” at Canadian Tire, it decreases heat loss through cold windows in the winter.

 Use a power bar to easily switch off all of your electronics and chargers when you leave your room.

  Laundry/Chores

 Air dry your clothes on a folding drying rack and instead of using the dryer - this makes your clothes and your laundry money last longer, saves energy, and humidifies a dry room.

 Buddy up with a floormate to do small loads of laundry (whites, towels) to prevent unnecessary cycles.

 Clean the coils behind the refrigerator once a semester. Removing the dusty build-up improves energy efficiency!

 Put a full water bottle in your toilet tank - this saves the equivalent of the volume of the bottle in water with every flush.

 Remember reusable grocery bags!

  Miscellaneous

 Take the stairs! Get your blood pumping and save the energy of the elevator by walking. If you live on a high floor instead of pressing your floor number try getting off at the floor being stopped at nearest yours and walking the rest of the way.

 Have a clothing swap with your floor - recycle clothes and avoid a shopping trip all at once.