Youth voice

It starts off watching your parents driving away with an empty car, leaving you wondering what on earth you have got yourself into.

Then fresher's week starts, which for me, passed in a blur of late nights, early mornings and drunken flatmates.

Memorable moments included the compulsory health and safety lecture, which gave a detailed description of what would happen, if we tried to boil the electric kettle on the hob.

The lecturer proudly displaying the burnt out shell of a kettle which had become the unfortunate victim of such an incident in the hands of a student.

The week was both exhilarating and exhausting, leaving me wondering what was going to happen next.

Then the lectures start and you find yourself rushing around the university, desperately trying to find out where it is you are supposed to be and then pondering whether you should admit to being in the wrong lecture or just sit tight and pretend you are a psychology student.

When you actually make it to the right lectures you find yourself piled up with work, assignments and most frightening of all, given deadlines.

You also have to cope with living on your own, being independent at a cost, you have to learn how to do your own washing.

I personally had a long battle trying to get the lid off the bleach, before surrendering and asking a flatmate for help.

Despite being defeated by the child lock on the bleach, I am enjoying myself immensely, learning to live on your own is fun and challenging, full of mistakes that often have amusing consequences.

It is true that you miss your friends and family but there are so many opportunities to do new things and meet new people that it is definitely worth it.

Going to university is a brilliant experience, and if you have a chance to go, I would definitely recommend that you do.

You learn more than just what you need for your degree, you learn how to laugh at your mistakes and stand on your own two feet.