5 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF AT A UNI OPEN DAY

 1. DO THE STUDENTS LOOK HAPPY?

My mum would always ask me this as we walked around the Universities. You can get a good feel for the university by speaking  to the students. Unless they’ve been sworn to lie, this is the opportunity to hear honestly and unfiltered what the Uni is really like. Is their enthusiasm genuine? Speak to them and ask questions the student volunteers at the open days are always more than willing to chat with you and answer questions. 

2. IS THE COURSE INTERESTING? 

University is a 3 or 4 year commitment. As you’re in your course talk or walking around ask yourself: Could you imagine yourself doing the course for 3/4 years? At one of the universities I remember nearly falling asleep during the course talk at one of the open days I went to. That was a major red flag. You could be in love with your chosen course but just bare in mind that every Uni will teach it differently. Some may be more practical others more theoretical. So at that specific Uni does this course sound exciting, would you be eager to attend your lectures and could you happily spend hours researching for your projects. Basically ask yourself is this worth years of my life? 

3.  WHAT FACILITIES ARE USEFUL TO YOU AND YOUR COURSE?

A Universities’ facilities, or lack of, can make or break your decision. Look around at the facilities on offer. Shops, banks, Gym, Swimming pool, Bars, Cafe’s, Library etc. You’re going to spend most or all of your day on campus so it’s a bonus if it’s a good one. If you’re someone who enjoys to socialise not having a student bar or pub on campus would be a dealbreaker so make sure you have a thorough mooch around to check that they have the facilities that are useful to you. Or useful to your course, e.g if you’re studying a performing arts course, a University with an on campus theatre would set it apart from one that doesn’t. 

4.  WHAT IS THE AREA LIKE?

To really make the most of the open day I recommend either before or after going into the nearest city/town to your University campus. Have a walk around. What’s there? If you’re a shopaholic you might want to see what shops are in the centre or if you enjoy being outdoors, is there a close local park or easy access to the countryside. You just have to ask yourself: Could I imagine living here? Because essentially that’s exactly what you’re getting yourself in to. 

5. IS UNIVERSITY FOR ME? 

University isn’t for everyone and an open day can be just the thing to make you realise that it just isn’t for you at all. So don’t try and force yourself to love the idea of Uni, it’s fine if you don’t. Make sure you ask yourself that question at the end of the open day to be certain you’re making the best decision for you, no one else. 

THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE I PASSED MY TEST

I hate to toot my own trumpet but I am in that 47.5% of people in the UK that passed both there theory and practical test first time. So there I was at 17 and 7 months old with my shiny pass certificate in my hand thinking I now had the golden ticket to freedom. You know ‘The world is your oyster’ and all that. I naively believed, I could now go anywhere, and it wouldn’t cost as much public transport, oh and that my little 2008 second hand MINI Hatch would never break or need repairs. Well how wrong was I! The day after I passed my test I was at the garage having a new tyre fitted due to a puncture. THIS WAS DAY 2. Driving and owning a car is not a fairytale, it’s expensive, it can be unpredictable and it’s not as simple as we’re initially led to believe, so here is some things I wish I knew before I passed my test.

PETROL IS EXPENSIVE

Fuel prices, guess what? Petrol costs money, I’m not trying to be patronising because obviously we all know that, but I honestly had no idea just how expensive it would be. Whatever you do, do not buy a diesel engine car for your first car because the petrol is significantly more expensive making it costly to run. You’ll live to regret it when you have to pay that bit more than the guy at the pump behind you who’s filling up with unleaded.

Obviously how expensive it is to own a car all depends on how much you use it. So just for reference, when I first passed I would do 2/3 (I car shared) 28 mile round trips to college and then some smaller journeys on a weekend. I would fill my 1.4 litre MINI with around £25-£30 worth of petrol a week. So we’re talking £100-£120 a month. Fortunately I did have some help with the costs when I was in college but not anymore. So a way I’ve reduced fuel costs is by filling up at supermarket petrol stations. They always seem so much cheaper than for example a Shell garage. You’ll end up saving so much.

WHEN YOU PASS AT 17 YOUR INSURANCE IS SKY HIGH

This is common sense and I had heard this before my test but I hadn’t realised just how much it would cost. This not to say you should delay passing your test, that’s not what I mean but just bear this in mind that insurance for your first year is going to be £1000+.
There are ways to bring it down though. Black boxes monitor your driving and sometimes have some safe driver rules you have to stick to (e.g curfews) but if you can get through the first year with one you’re gonna save so much money. What I had was like a black box, it was called a telematics box which gives you a point score for every journey you make. Over your first year your average score could result in a lower insurance quote the next year.
Another little trick to try out is adding one of your parents to the insurance policy as a second driver. Adding my mum to my policy brought it down by about £200.


CARS AREN’T ALWAYS RELIABLE

And believe me I learnt this the hard way. As I’ve already said, on my second day of driving I had a puncture and had to get a new tyre, setting me back £70, on only DAY 2. I had this confident attitude that my car would never need repairs, it would be just fine. Sadly that’s not true. No matter how new the car is, at some point you might stumble across a problem that needs a repair. It could be something so minor like a broken headlight that costs £20ish to repair but it could also be an engine fault which is what I had with my MINI which cost an eye watering £300 to fix. So just be mindful of the realities of owning a car to avoid being as unprepared as I was.

CHOOSE SUBSTANCE OVER STYLE

This is where I really went wrong. For my first car I went for a sporty MINI Hatch, impressed by it’s cutesy look. Fast forward only 6 months later I’m selling it and buying a new car because it was a complete NIGHTMARE. It’s age didn’t help so in hindsight I would definitely be careful when buying older cars (check mileage and any past repairs it’s had). So my advice is do some research into the car before buying it, especially if you are buying second hand, I wish I had done more.

THAT ROAD TAX IS AN ACTUAL THING

I’m not joking, I was so naive to road tax. I remember being in the car sales office and the guy saying ‘How would you like to pay for your road tax? Annually or Monthly?’, I turned my head to stare at my mum ‘Road tax!’ Again I was just so naive in fairy land to have even considered having to pay road tax but worse I didn’t have a clue what it was! In case you’re as clueless as I was, road tax is a tax you have to pay based on your car’s carbon dioxide emissions, so cars that produce the most CO2 incur the highest tax bills for their owners. The road tax on my MINI was around £120 a year. Which I know isn’t loads but some cars are road tax free. It’s definitely something to consider when looking for your car, again it all comes down to research and not rushing in to buying the first car you see because it looks cute.


SO WHAT TO LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES

The biggest thing I regret was rushing into it. What I wish I had known is how valuable research is. So talk to your parents and friends about their car, find reliable car dealerships who are open and honest and most importantly research the car you are wanting to buy.


Remember a car always decreases in value so make sure your purchase is worth it or even considering leasing a car and paying monthly to avoid the financial commitment.

HOW TO GET YOUR SH*T TOGETHER

 


In the past I have really struggled with keeping on top of life and it’s not easy trying to juggle work, studying, a social life and a relationship. Sometimes I would have so much on that I would just completely forget things. Last year I even got kicked out of my own dentist for missing/ cancelling last minute, 2 consecutive appointments. It was at that point I was like... ‘Grace you need to get your shit together’ life was beginning to get the better of me and I crumbled under the pressure of it all. As you grow older, the more independence you have, the more things you need to organise and be on top of so it’s best to crack the code now before life gets any crazier with a 9 to 5, weddings and baby showers.

WRITE THINGS DOWN:

This is my BIGGEST tip to never forgetting an appointment, event or birthday again. Just write it down, whether it’s an annual calendar or a diary, just write it down. At the start of each new week check your calendar or diary to see what’s happening that week so you can prepare for what’s coming up.

Day to day writing lists helps me outline the things I need to do that day. It’s always simple things like: ‘Ring so and so’ or ‘Post package at Post office’ for example. I can be so forgetful so writing lists basically keeps me on track and there is just something so satisfying about crossing each thing off. Really helps you feel productive.

OR JUST USE YOUR PHONE:

Some people are not into stationary, wouldn’t carry around a diary or just can’t be bothered to write things down. So just use your phone to keep on top of things. Set reminders, put your appointments and birthdays in your calendar and use your notes to make lists, I do that a lot when I’m out and about.
If you don’t like moving between each app on your phone I recommend downloading an app called ‘Actions by moleskin’ (pics below). It’s basically a calendar, schedule, to do list and reminders setter all in one. Tried, tested and highly recommend.

CLEAN YOUR ROOM/MOST FREQUENTLY USED SPACE ONCE A WEEK

I know, I know, this sounds like effort and your used to cleaning once a month, if that. But one thing about me, and my friends could vouch is that my room is always relatively clean. Bed is made everyday without fail, clothes hung up or in washing basket and clutter out of site. This is key to being on top of shit because if the space around you is a mess than it makes it 10X harder to be organised. I’m no Mrs Hinch by any means and my room isn’t spotless but it’s organised. I  have lots of storage boxes and I usually know where to find things with the odd exception. A clean room = knowing where to find stuff = less time wasted = more organised. Basically don’t let crap accumulate.

PLAN AHEAD

This has taken me some time to master and even now I can have my leave it till last minute moments. But planning ahead is undoubtedly the best way to get your shit together. For example if it’s your mate’s birthday at the end of the month, plan ahead. Get their present sorted early when you’ve got the cash, put some money aside if they’re having a meal or a night out and plan out what you’re gonna wear so you’re not rushing 10 mins before you’ve got to leave (I’ve been there). Or if you wanna go on a girls holiday in the summer, plan well in advance so you’re gonna have a date set in stone and then you can budget how you’re gonna be able to pay for it. My friend Robyn once told me “Prior planning prevents poor performance” and she’s so right, nothing can go possibly go wrong if you’ve planned ahead.





FIND A BALANCE

The key to staying on top of your shit is finding a balance. Don’t over do it or over stretch yourself.  Never work too much to the point you never have time to go out but then don’t go out every night to the point you have no money to eat or do other things. Honestly finding your own personal balance will really make you feel in control of your life rather than stressed about it. You’ll feel motivated to do work, instead of dragged down because you’re overdoing it, you’ll be excited to go out with your mates instead of feeling shattered and being skint. Seriously this is probably the best tip I have if you maintain a balance between all the different aspects of your life you’ll feel happier and more fulfilled and I can promise you that

HOW TO AVOID DRIFTING FROM FRIENDS

If you’re moving away or maybe you and your friends are parting ways to go off to different Uni’s. Staying in touch IS possible. Here are some things that helped me to avoid drifting from my friends when I left to go to another college instead of staying on at our high school sixth form college.

MAKE AN EFFORT
This sounds simple and it is. If neither of you make an effort to stay in touch, guess what? You won’t. Make the effort to send the odd text, comment on their Instagram post, swipe up to their snaps, just be visible and present in their life. When your home, call them to let them know and arrange plans. If you are at different Uni’s or live far apart it might be a nice idea to visit each other and go on a night out or just have a night in and a catch up. Just make that effort and if you want to stay in touch you both will.


SET STUFF IN STONE
When I finished high school and moved to college I was the only one inn my friendship group to move on to another college whilst the rest stayed at our high school sixth form. It’s so easy to say, ‘Aw we’ll do stuff all the time’. And it really is possible to keep doing things together but try pencil things in and set stuff in stone. That way it won’t just be an empty promise, you will have actual plans, whether it’s a night out or a shopping trip make sure you arrange to do do stuff properly and you will.


CALL THEM
If you know me well, you will know I am the world’s slowest and worst replier. I’ve fallen into a weird and inescapable habit of opening a message, processing the information and then forgetting to reply. So for me the best way for me to have a long and good catch up is to call or face time someone. It’s old school, but by far the best way to have a proper conversation. Make sure to call your mates every now and again just to check up on them or tell them some news, just genuinely show you care about staying in touch.


BE HONEST
If you feel you’re putting in all the effort and not getting the same in return. Be open and honest with your friend instead of just calling it a day and giving up. There might be a good reason they haven’t been in touch. Sometimes life really does just get in the way and that’s totally normal. Just be honest and talk it through and accept that not all friendships will last forever and if they’re a true friend it will work itself out, if not a natural drift is normal and okay.

HOW TO ACTUALLY, LIKE ACTUALLY SAVE MONEY

OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND 

So the thing that really has worked for me was having the money I wanted to save completely out of the way. That way I couldn’t dip into it over and over again. So I was actually saving it! My Grandad looked after my main saving account until I was 18 so if I ever wanted anything I had to go through him to ask and I was bound to get plenty of questions which deterred me from taking money out of the account, allowing me to actually save money. If you trust someone you could ask them to kind of ‘look after your’ account so you have to go through them before withdrawing from your savings. It will stop you dipping in there too consistently, so the money can actually mount up. If not you could always get one of those money boxes that you literally have to hammer open, if you withdrew your notes and put it in there, it would definitely pile up without you being able to chip away at it. My old boss told me she’d saved thousands doing that. Just obviously keep it somewhere VERY discreet.

BE CONSISTENT 

Another way to actually save your money is to be consistent. What I do is on pay day, straight away I put a fraction of my wage into my savings. It will obviously be different for everyone. If you can manage 1/4 then believe me you will save SO MUCH. If that sounds like way too much, I get it some of us have bills to pay, then even twenty quid or even a tenner is still something. You could even set this up as a direct debit maybe for the day after payday so an arranged amount automatically goes straight into the saving account. 

TRY AVOID UNECESSARY SPENDING 

This is a lot easier said than done but sometimes you have to make some sacrifices. If you’re someone who spends £100’s of pounds on each night out or on monthly PLT orders, just ask yourself: Do I really need to spend this much? How can I cut down on my spending habits? Ultimately it comes to your priorities, if you’re saving money for a holiday or deposit on a house, that is a greater priority them 10 new outfits you’ll probably never wear so get your prioritise right and I guarantee you will start saving money without even realising. 

DON’T SPEND TOO MUCH ON YOUR CAR

If you own a car like myself you will know how frigging expensive it is. Honestly I wish someone had told me this before I passed my test, but no. I naively went out and bought a Mini Hatch and expected it to drive on air alone. Basically car’s are expensive. Simple as that. But if you are paying to finance your own car like I am. Firstly use comparison sites before you get your car insurance so you are getting the cheapest deal. Don’t just settle for the first one you find or the same one as your parents, shop around to make sure you get the best deal. If you’re paying for petrol I would also recommend shopping around for the best rate don’t just settle for your local petrol station. Honestly doing this has saved me £50 some months so doing this has saved me around £600 a year. Depending on how much you use your car obviously this will vary but buying petrol at the cheapest price will no doubt ave you money. 

USE DISCOUNTS AND FIND BARGAINS 

I am and always have been a proud bargain queen. I LOVE a bargain! Just knowing that I’m paying less for than full price for something that is faultless just excites me. I’ll tell you a little story... a couple of years ago I bought a £46 Topshop skirt and about 2 weeks later I saw THE SAME SKIRT in the sale at £28!!! I don’t think I’ve ever really let it go. So a huge tip to actually save money is to pay less for things you’re gonna buy anyway. If you want a new TV take full advantage of seasonal sales, Black Friday deals or price drops. Also if you’re entitled to additional discounts e.g student discount, NHS blue light discount (Or you could be cheeky and ask tomorrow someone’s code if you’re shopping online) don’t forget to check if they might cut the costs down too.