Starting university is a bittersweet time.

On the one hand, there’s the coming-of-age and the independence, but on the other hand… do you really know what you’re doing?

Before you leave home, check out these five essential tips. They’re guaranteed to come in handy!

1. Learn To Manage Your Money… Fast.

When you’re out there on your own for the first time, the pennies don’t always stretch as far as you thought they would. Toilet paper gets expensive, you know?

Plan a budget and stick to it. If you’re sensible, you’ll be able to save enough to get by and have fun.

2. Learn To Love Doing Laundry

If you’ve never left home before, you might never have wondered how your clothes appear fresh and folded in your wardrobe on a regular basis, seemingly of their own accord. The thing is, they don’t always do that when you’re at university.

Become a student of the process. Nobody likes sharing a room with somebody who wears the same t-short for a week at a time.

3. Hate The Snooze Button

The snooze button is not your friend. It is your enemy. Don’t give in to the temptation.

Seriously, it isn’t easy to wake up at 8am when you didn’t get home from the pub until 3am, but it’s a skill that can be learned. The first step is learning to hate the snooze button, followed by remembering to keep a stack of energy drinks by the door.

4. Find The Work/Play Balance

Uni is an important time in any person’s life, and not only for the education. It’s the perfect time for a bit of self-discovery, so no student should avoid indulging in the nightlife and socialising.

But don’t let it take priority over everything else. Find the balance between having fun and getting things done. You’ll thank yourself come graduation.

5. A Far-Off Deadline Is Easily Forgotten

It’s not unusual to be given an assignment that isn’t due in for weeks or months, which is typically cause for great jubilation. However…

It’s not hard to tell yourself you’ll ‘get round to it’, but we all know that doesn’t always happen. Procrastinating turns into forgetting, and forgetting turns into failing. Keep track of your work, schedule what needs to be done, and keep on top of it.