Seven random Bournemouth University moments that make you feel like an actual grown-up

Experiences every third-year or very organised second-years student should relate to


One day you’ll catch yourself choosing to watch University Challenge in bed with a brew over a night at Toast Tuesday, and you’ll start to question whether you are old.

Student life is hectic, often alcohol-oriented, and full of events and opportunities, but sometimes the little things can remind you that you’re becoming a real-life adult. Maybe it’s time to phase out athleisure from your lecture wardrobe and start investing in workwear *shiver*. These are all the moments you’ll experience at Bournemouth University that will make you feel like an actual grown-up.

Using the freebies from Fresher’s week

If you went to the Fresher’s fair to become a freebie parasite, as you absolutely should with how much you are paying in fees, you probably would’ve banished the bag to the corner of your room to gather dust. Inside there are some actually very useful discounts on glasses, job listings, and even free samples of washing and beauty products. Legend has it that if you manage to use anything more than the free pizza slices and beer cans, an apparition of Martin Lewis will appear in your mirror to congratulate you.

Taking a beach walk to clear your head

Feeling like you’re in an ITV drama is the primary motivator for having a solo beach walk. As the wind artfully tousels your hair and you look over to the sky above Sandbanks, contemplating dissertation topics and what to have for tea, you imagine everyone is wondering what mysterious business you’re caught up in. In reality, they’re also wondering what to have for tea or whether the dead rat on the side of the pavement is worth reporting to the council.

Putting jeans on for a lecture

This is the epitome of becoming a real-life adult. One day you’ll look over at your tea-stained joggers and slightly cringe, and that will be the day you decide you need to sort yourself out. The jeans will reappear from the back of the drawer, and you’ll feel smug walking towards Fusion, knowing that you’re wearing an outfit that can’t double up as pyjamas. This will wear off five minutes into the lecture when you’re enviously looking at someone wearing joggers as you try to get comfortable in the stiff denim prison you’ve locked yourself into.

Being too tired with work/sport/study to socialise

Life at BU is busy. If you’re anything like me, 9am-5pm with uni work, 5pm-9pm training, and 9pm-3am, you’ll be lucky to sleep, let alone socialise. Hurrah for planners and outlook calendars! At least you’ll have multiple groups of friends to orbit around.

Learning how to use the library system – and actually studying there

When you first visit the library as a first year, as is the right of passage, you learn it’s a fantastic place to eat lunch with your friends and put on a productive front. As the avalanche of work hurtles towards you in your final year and you have to start reading your subject, the library becomes your best friend, partner, and your entire world. The automated system to loan books is magic, and the soft spinny chairs make studying a delight. The overhead office lighting and lack of windows do become slightly overbearing. If you don’t keep an eye on the time, the lack of indicators of sunrise and sunset resembles the casino scene in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.

Having dinner with your friends

Everyone free on the same day, at the same time, all bringing a plate? Peak adulthood, especially with the appeal being able to get into bed by 9pm.

Meal prepping rather than buying a meal deal on campus everyday

The effort of organising and planning meals may be a lot, but it’s still less effort than having to pick up extra hours at your job to cover your financial mistake of forgetting lunch. Meal prepping may be an effort but it is still better than having to question whether you’ll ever be able to buy a house because you’ve spent so much money on meal deals. Plus, you’ll really start to live out your fantasy of being a teacher with noisy Tupperware salads.

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