see next~

hey! :D
every university is so different and experiences vary widely, but as they say - it's all about what you make of it! it is probably the best way to start out on your own, as you're among hundreds of other people doing the same - most of whom are also suddenly hours apart from their families and relationships that were part of their daily lives before. it can seem really daunting to leave that behind and step out by yourself, but (in my experience, anyway) it is a real opportunity to grow as a person and find your talents, lifelong friends and greater confidence in yourself! my family and boyfriend are equally as important to me as my course, and i couldn't give either up: if you feel like you're the same, you just have to find that balance between being able to pursue what you're passionate about while staying in touch with those you love.
my university is a little closer to home for me - only about an hour long journey. but there is always opportunity to make time for those visits, even if the journey's longer: everybody wants to see their family/friends once in a while, so a weekend or so a month is usually used for that (or they could come up and see you occasionally)! it's honestly surprising how quickly you adjust to the new level of contact - and there's always skype or phonecalls for the gaps between visits, or times when you just need some comfort.
one thing i'll say is that to begin with, it's important to stay in the new uni environment and not seek home comforts too much, because it can inhibit the settling-in process - everybody gets homesick, but if you go home on the first weekend or have your boyfriend/home friends visit you a lot, it can make it harder to form new bonds with people and grow comfortable with your new environment. it's a big step: but as i've always said, sometimes you have to jump in at the deep end to realise you can swim! you do have to really throw yourself into uni, but it's so rewarding if you do, and you'll soon settle into a comfortable routine where you can still make plenty of time for your family and boyfriend alongside your studies. like most things, it seems a lot harder and more problematic in foresight when you're thinking/worrying about it, than it does when you're actually there!
the best thing about uni is that pretty much everybody is in the same boat, and you are never the only one with a certain worry. people just come together to support each other, have a great time, and follow their academic dreams! i'm sure your family and boyfriend will be really proud and supportive of you for taking the opportunity, and your relationships with them shouldn't have to change because of it. c: best wishes! <3

Nature :') a girl can dream!

"ay gurl, do you like dragons?

'cause i'll be dragon my balls across your face later"

it's actually pretty neat, ordered and clean 24/7! even when i come in at stupid-o'clock after a night out, i'll tidy up my stuff before i go to sleep. i just like knowing where everything is, having a pretty room and being organised - i work and sleep so much more easily when it's neat :D

i've personally never had to save up a large sum of money like that, so i'm not sure i can give much more advice than to just keep saving whatever you can, and really fight for that summer job - look absolutely everywhere! if you have time during the weekends or evenings, you could try to get a flexible part-time job so your income lasts longer than those few weeks of summer. offering your services as a babysitter is ideal for that, and a lot of restaurants/cafés employ on quite a flexible basis.

best wishes with your savings - in the UK we get everything (tuition and living costs) covered by a student loan, which we then have to start paying back as soon as we start earning over £15k a year, so it's pretty different~

love 'em equally. GET IN MAH BELLEH

you don't have to actually print the label at all - i just write their address on the package (i always have a load of jiffy bags hanging around, otherwise you can buy them at the post office itself), and take it to the post office. it's weighed, you fill out a quick label to say what's in it, pay the cost, and off it goes! :D

massive snow-leopard dressing gown over the top of a jumper and jeans. it's chilly!

so much! right now i'm a student mentor (being promoted to senior mentor next year), helping pass on good advice to younger students and help them out with any issues - and when it comes to uni work, i'm often asked for help with concepts or methods by friends and others. i love being able to do that, i feel i'm pretty good at conveying ideas and information :D

your english is great! :D
i do sometimes - it depends how messy they are. some lecturers give us the presentation slides on paper, so we can write extra notes around them - in that case, i like to write it all up neat afterwards, with the slide information plus my extra notes!

our overgrown student garden, a car park and the back of other houses

incense, head massager, and a favourite tv show

hot chocolate fudge cake sundae. oh my

i live in cardiff most of the year for university, but my home is in the forest of dean :D

QI!

probably khaki. i'd make an awful squaddie

avenged sevenfold, when i was fifteen! jumped straight into the heavy stuff, no tame practice runs for me

ohay! crikey, i haven't been here in ages. how're you? :D

YES i'm allergic >: