(I know this is the second post about university in a row but I have not blogged about this in a long time, I promise the next post will be something different!)

When talking about university, you often hear the top comments, and misconceptions, about it. This can be off-putting for you or anyone you know who is interested in taking this further step into education. It can become demotivating and may affect you when you don’t want it to. But today, I am here to explain these “myths” to you, why they are not true, and what actually happens in accordance with these myths from personal experiences. Remember that university is a big step and responsibility but it should not be something you are too scared of, its a new step in life, a more mature version of education, and if you are sure your fit for it then it will be an amazing experience for you. Now let’s get down to debunking these myths.

Firstly, the classic myth that when you go to university you are putting yourself in tremendous debt, that you will never pay off and it will haunt you for the rest of your life. They’re going to say that you will never even earn enough to pay back the loan, it’s not worth it, it will be confusing to payback etc etc. If you are studying in the UK, this is completely untrue! When you take out your student loan through Student Finance England for example, you take out as much as you need, obviously in accordance with your tuition fee. Then your other loan for living costs etc is estimated and also given to you, so let’s say a grand total of £20,000 per year. I study a three-year course, so by the end of my course, my student debt will be in the high £50,000-£60,000. NOW: I will only start repaying the loan back when I earn over £25,000 per year AND ONLY THEN! So let’s say I am on £25,000 a year, my monthly deduction will come to about max £15-£30 per month. That is the cost of 2 takeouts per month. So is there really much to panic about? Not really, obviously, when you get into the university you know you will have to pay it back, but it is not in such massive amounts as you hear! Also another positive, after 30 years of your graduation, if you have not paid off your debt, it gets completely cleared. So most likely you will max payback maybe half of your degree at best, without making a dent in the bank. Side note, a student loan in the UK does not count as a loan in your credit score, so if your 30 and buying a house and you have student debt, or buying a car or anything you need your credit score for, this will not appear. I remember the mass panic I was going through when applying to university when I thought of all this money I will have to pay back one day, but when the student loans company came into my school and broke this down for us, my worries were at ease, so your welcome 😉

Another myth that is common when discussing university in the UK is that university is much harder than college and high school, that is it way more difficult than A-Levels, and that your just making your life harder for a longer period of time. This is not true either as within school and college, you focus on many different topics and study mass amounts of materials on things that sometimes do not relate, making it much harder for the brain to remember. It puts on a lot of stress as school exams are important for work and further life, whereas, at university, you make the choice to go there so it is just for your benefit, it is not compulsory education. Also, most of the time you focus on one topic unless you study a mixed degree, so it is much easier to remember! At university you also have many more recourses and people to help than in school, as most of the time, there is more space and productivity areas on campus and much more staff per student than in normal education. On top of this, remember, university is not all work, work and work, you get to have fun too so it was really confusing for me to constantly hear that I will be making my life miserable by going to university. Of course, you have to work hard and pay a high price, but you are also there for the experience.

Thirdly, a myth that annoys me to my maximum potential because of how untrue it is. If you go to university, you all have the same experience and lifestyle of drinking, partying, taking drugs, always being tired, not going to class, missing assignments etc. THIS IS SO UNTRUE! If you are that type of person then it is easy to get roped into, but this does not happen to every student. From personal experience, I can tell you that I am not a party person so this experience absolutely did not happen to me. When I first started university and met people, I started this lifestyle and I did not like it, getting home for a night out I didn’t enjoy at God knows what hour, wasting money on expensive drinks and taxis and watching my “friends” throw up their dinner. I knew this wasn’t me so I immediately departed from this group and before I knew it I was with the group of friends I was meant to b with. Cinema, beach. restaurants, shopping, the odd peaceful club night, events such as the Christmas fair, this was all part of my university experience and I will tell you that I loved it so much I would not change it for anything else. Make sure to not have this stereotype put you off, your experience is just for you, don’t let anyone predict what it is going to be like.

And lastly, you can only go to university if you are rich. Again, very untrue as for the past few years, there have been so many things made available to people who want to study but may not be from the best background. I and my boyfriend have a stable income from our parents but there is no way we could pay £20k a year upfront for our education, like most from our areas, so we took advantage of the loan system, which is not that scary as discussed in point one, and we are very happy with our decision. Not to mentions the mass amount of programs that are available within the universities for students even if you need extra income after the loan, some are even put in place so you don’t even have to pay them back. Do not be off-put by the “rich” stereotype, anyone who has a great mind can go to university without thinking money is an issue, you just have to do the right research and planning for your funding and your good to go! And get a confirmed place at university of course 😉

I hope you have found this post useful, somethings I wish I knew before going to university for sure! Just one final note, just in case you have not seen my updates tab or my Instagram, from the 16th of August till the 13th of September, posts will only be on Sundays at 3pm UK time, as I am going to Poland to see family for a month, after that my normal schedule will resume. Stay safe!

Love, Kasia x

Hi everyone,

As my time as a third-year student is approaching, I thought it would be a good idea to outline some of the best things to “do and don’t” during your time at university that I have picked up over the years. Some may be exected to you but some may be new, but I do recommend to follow this to have the best experience and education, that you are paying for! Here they are below:

• A: Do, Act properly: As this is something new, make sure to give a good first impression to your peers, teachers, everyone! It will make you more open and likeable and guarantee a socially smooth university experience.
• B: Don’t, Bottle up feelings: Again, as this is a new experience, you may be having mixed feelings about it all, make sure to speak to student services or to new and old friends to check in with your mental health.
• C: Do, Concentrate in your first year: In the UK, the first year of your degree for most does not count, but that still does not mean you should slack off as working hard in the first year will prepare you for the next 2 upcoming.
• D: Don’t, Ditch lessons: Relating to the first point, don’t ditch lessons, they are there for a reason and your paying for them!
• E: Do, Extensive research before choosing your university: Make sure you are choosing the right place for you, look at all your options and be open as the environment is key.
• F: Don’t, Fall out of touch with family and friends before university: Make sure to keep in contact with the people you love most and who helped you get to university, keep people around who know you well, even better than your new friends at university.
• G: Do, Go to freshers fair and events, ie club nights: Make sure to get out there and enjoy life! Be more social and experience new things out of your comfort zone.
• H: Don’t, Hide your true self: Make sure to always be you, don’t let this new “lifestyle” change who you really are as this is the person people want to get to know.
• I: Do, Interest yourself in societys and on-campus clubs: If clubs and nightlife are not your things, there are many on-campus things you can do to stay in the loop and be social.
• J: Don’t, “Just go with it”: Don’t give in to peer pressure from other students, everyone’s university experience will be different, make yours unique.
• K: Do, Keep calm: University will be stressful as a lot of new things will hit you all at once, keep calm, it will all calm down within time and you will get used to it.
• L: Don’t, Loose interest: Stick to your degree through thick and thin, it might be difficult and hard at first but it will all be worth it in the end.
• M: Do, Money management: This is so important, if you manage your finances right, then you can have an amazing time at university doing awesome things, but if you don’t then it can become a burden more than an experience.
• N: Don’t, Neglect basic life skills: Many people come to university and become children again as it is education, don’t be like them and be responsible.
• O: Do, Open to criticism: From anyone, university is a new experience so you need to learn from your mistakes and don’t take it personally.
• P: Don’t, postpone assignments: Make sure to them done on time, this gives you so much more free time and less stress.
• Q: Do, Question things: Make sure you know everything and take advantage of being able to ask questions about anything and everything, it will come in use as knowledge is power.
• R: Don’t, Rush: Anything. Take your time with things.
• S: Do, Show passion: If you’re at university then you know most likely what you want to do in life, work hard and succeed, show your passion in your field.
• T: Don’t, Take the experience for granted: 3-4 years of your course will go by so quickly, relish in your time there.
• U: Do, Understand what you are getting in to: University is serious, you are getting into debt and you need to know the financial responsibilities of this.
• V: Don’t, Vain: Understand everyone is at your level, no one is better or worse, be equal.
• W: Do, Want more and more out of your degree: This is a time where you pay for your education, get the most out of it.

• Don’t/do, x,y and z: Take peoples advice who have been in your position and enjoy as stated in T!

I hope you have enjoyed this post, university can be a new and stressful thing but trust me, if you follow some of these or all then you will be in a good position and surely enjoy your time at uni! Do let me know which of these you found useful or other things you would add.

Love, Kasia x