AU Expectations v. AU Reality

Expectation: I’ll learn valuable life skills, such as budgeting and spending my money wisely.

Reality: Will buy endless amounts of jumpers to survive the freezing temperatures of Aberdeen but refuse to put the heating on because energy is expensive.

Expectation: I may be skint, but everyone will be in the same boat. We’ll eat pasta sandwiches together and hunt through the 50p basket at the charity shop.

Reality: Loads of students are actually really rich. How do people drive a BMW to uni despite living round the corner and somehow still manage to go on holiday to Asia for an entire summer? Discovering you’re the only person in your friend group who is 2 grand in to your overdraft, or that even has an overdraft.

Expectation: Everything will become easy; writing essays will be second nature, and my vocabulary will extend to the entire contents of the Oxford World Dictionary. I’ll probably be smarter than all of my teachers from school by the time I graduate.

Reality: I’ll thesaurus every other word in my assignments in an attempt to sound clever and academic. Sparknotes will become your bible. Panic at the prospect of getting a job related to your degree as you actually know nothing about said degree subject. Won’t have learned any new skills since 5^th year at high school. Probably studied harder then too.

Expectation: I’ll have a well rounded life; gym at 7am and then be in the library by 9am. I’ll pack my lunch now so I don’t have to spend extra money on my lunch at uni (once again attempting Expectation #1).

Reality: Wake up at 12. Eat packed lunch at home. Watch twelve episodes of Breaking Bad.

Expectation: Politics is something all students know and care about so naturally I’ll be able to form opinions and explain myself to others.

Reality: Turns out you don’t just learn through osmosis. Find out one political fact/event and let that decide which party I support. Refer to it for the next four years to back up your argument if ever challenged.

Expectation: I’ll make so many new friends for life.

Reality: I don’t like anyone; I have nothing in common with these people; Everyone is weird; I walk different routes home so I don’t have to speak to people.