A Letter To My Younger Self.

A company called Earnest is encouraging people like me to share advice I would have for myself back when I started University. It's fair to say i've been through a lot between the ages of 19 and 22, and whilst I don't think 'wise' is a word that would ever be used to describe myself, I know i'm definitely wiser. I don't have any regrets, and wouldn't change any decisions I have ever made, but i'd love to go back in time to just give myself some reassurance.

Me, Anya & Emma, on holiday in Mallorca, a few weeks before I started 1st Year.

So if I could write a letter to my 19 year old self, what would it say?

Dear Pre-University Me,
Get ready. Because you're about to enter the weirdest and most roller-coaster-ish 4 years of your life, and you won't even recognise yourself at the end of it (that's a good thing).

You're going to meet a hell of a lot of new people, but remember, you're all in this stress-inducing experience together. You'll meet people that are nice, mean, judgy, helpful, kind, funny, annoying, intelligent... But the most important thing to remember, and something you're going to struggle with for the next few years is just to be yourself, who cares what anyone else thinks. You're going to get judged whether you like it or not, so at least let it be whilst you're enjoying yourself.

Remember that everyone is different. No one is the same. You won't find another human being who treats you exactly how you treat others, so if someone's a little frosty or maybe a little over-enthusiastic; cut them some slack. They're not you.

Make the most of absolutely everything. Even the rubbish bits. Embracing the rubbish bits make you appreciate the great bits. And making the most of the great bits just goes without saying. Nothing lasts forever so appreciate what you have whilst you've got it.

STOP SPENDING YOUR MONEY. Somehow I don't think you're ever going to get a handle on this, but you can at least try. Learn to budget. Stop spending your money on food and stupid stuff you'll like for a week then forget about.

And for gods sake, don't leave assignments to the day before. There's nothing worse than getting a stress on when you've done an all nighter and you're hyped up on coffee with 600 out of 2,000 words done. Just learn to manage your time better and stop having Netflix marathons.

Annabel

Earnest's student loan refinancing page is a great resource for information on paying off loans and financing for University!