The University Diaries

In September, I remember the stress of having to find a new laptop! My old laptop was struggling a bit (bless her), a purple HP Pavilion who had outlived her life expectancy. My old laptop was certainly clonky, by the end of its life she would only work plugged into the mains, took about 15 years to get onto the login page, and would only connect to wifi spots she knew, AKA my home. So my plan was to look for a laptop which was affordable, but a bit plush, because y'know, I was starting uni. I wanted a decent size that would run smoothly with 100 tabs open (because I've got commitment issues with closing tabs), and did not break my bank! My budget was about £500 give or take.  My family had always had HP computers so initially I looked for that. I found this HP Laptop  that I liked . It was a little bit more expensive but there are usually deals on amazon (including student discount!) and I think the investment is worth it. However, my boyfriend had just bought a laptop af

Many reasons can determine your decision for living away or at home as a student. I am a 'Living at Home' medical student with placements, and here are the reasons behind my choice and also an evaluation of my circumstances. I hope this is able to provide some clarification, as when I was choosing a university I did not really know what I was looking for. Making Friends Those living in halls have a head start when making friends. Generally they move in about a week before term, take part in all the freshers events and get to know everyone they are living with. Making friends this way is really easy, especially as halls tend to mix courses, so you do not spend all day in lectures with people you are living with. If you do not live at uni, on your first day it can be a bit daunting as you may not know anyone there. Fear not! So many other people are in the same position as you! The nice thing about uni is that everyone talks to each other and it is really easy to make frie

Hello. I am a paramedic science student, living at home. I have recently completed my first term of university and this is a collection of my thoughts. University is an incredible place. I am lucky to attend a small uni which means that the experience is more personal. It is 30 minutes from where I live, making living at home and transportation relatively easy. My course is a larger cohort for the subject, with 80 students in lectures and 40 students in labs. I understand that this is far smaller than regular science courses, but we are the largest healthcare cohort in the uni. My cohort is diverse, formed of 18 year olds who are fresh out of school, those who already have a degree in another subject area and parents with children. It is interesting having such a wide range of opinions and experiences because everyone brings something different to the table. In the lecture hall you find love, conflict, laughter and tears. This course hits everyone differently at different times. I