The life skills of independent living

Finding your feet at university

Moving away from home and starting university is a big change. From living alone to having to create new relationships, there can be a lot to learn.

Here's a guide to basic life skills you'll learn and develop throughout university:

1. Budgeting and money management 💰

University life often involves your first time managing large sums of money (e.g, student loans and bursaries). Create a weekly or monthly budget to track your income against your fixed costs like rent and utilities. Consider using student-friendly tools to divide bills and track expenses.

2. Meal planning and cooking 🍳

Relying on takeout is expensive and unsustainable. Learn to make 3 to 5 simple, budget-friendly meals from scratch. Plan your food shopping, cook in batches to save time and understand basic food safety and storage. To help get you started, here are five meals with only 15 ingredients!

Looking for more helpful tips in the kitchen? 

• Use by vs. best before dates
• Understanding food labels
• How to store food like a pro

3. Home maintenance and laundry 🧺

Keeping a clean living environment is essential for your mental health and focus. You'll start to realise that 'tidy space = tidy mind' is actually true, no matter how annoying it might sound. Create a weekly cleaning rota for wiping surfaces, doing dishes, and taking out the trash. Master doing your own laundry, including separating colours, reading care labels, and using the right amount of detergent.

4. Time management ⏱️

At university, you'll be responsible for managing your own schedule. Using digital or paper planners to balance lectures, study time and part-time work can be very handy. Set alarms and personal deadlines too to avoid last-minute essay panics.

5. Personal health and wellbeing 🧠

Independent living means looking after your body and mind. Make sure to register with the on-campus Medical and Dental Centre or a local GP, build a basic first-aid kit, and understand how to book doctor appointments. Listen to your body too. If you've had a long week of lectures and your friends are going out at the weekend, don't feel pressured to join them. Sometimes you need a day to recharge at home, spend some extra time in bed or even video call your friends or family. If your body is tired, listen to it!

6. Independent admin 📝

Learn basic admin tasks such as understanding how to report maintenance issues, sorting out your waste and recycling and knowing how to safely navigate your new city.

You don't need to be fully experienced in every area to live independently at university. If you're struggling with anything, you can always reach out for support or take a look at our Be Well content for tips and resources.