FYI – third year doesn’t have to be your worst year

You’re still allowed to get lit as long as you pretend to feel guilty after x


Third year is obviously pretty stressful. Your dissertation is hanging over your head and you've got deadlines all over the place. Nothing is fun and you want to cry all the time.

But it's not all negatives. There are some things that come only with being old and wise enough to have reached your third and final year.

You finally know your way around

It's taken the whole two years but you finally have some idea where all the uni buildings are. You're not too stressed about navigating your way around the rooms in your building and you know, down to the minute, what time to leave in order to make it to your lecture on time. Until your lecture randomly changes to a new building you haven't heard of, and you have no idea what the fuck you're doing again.

Lowkey can't remember which building this is.

Lowkey can't remember which building this is.

You know your city pretty well

You know where your closest spoons is, and you know the cheapest supermarket for when you have a snack emergency. You also know where all the clubs are, and which nights are best in which place. You can spot the overrated club night a mile off, and you're well aware Live Lounge is lowkey the best night out, always.

How does the live lounge photographer always take the best pics???? It's a mystery.

How does the live lounge photographer always take the best pics???? It's a mystery.

You know everyone

Everything's finally settled down, no one's on Erasmus exchange anymore, and you know and talk to most of the people on your course. The groups that formed in first year have broken down and everyone is more open to talking to everyone, because you're all equally stressed. And you no longer have to do the 'so, where are you from?' small talk every time you sit down. Blessed.

You're older and wiser and better than everyone else

You know about the course and which ones are the awful modules, and you can shed your knowledge onto the people from lower years in the course. You can also attend welcome back meetings and inform new students about the university, because, by now, you know it all.

Or, you can just look down on the lower years, because you've earned that privilege at this point…

You live in a nice house

You tried and tested student accommodation, and put up with the weird flatmate who never left their room. You tried to do better in second year, but the stress of house hunting got the better of you and you settled. But you're over it now, you know what a good house is like, and you know exactly what you want, which is a obvs good wall for hanging a tapestry.

Tbh the tidiest the kitchen ever looked.

Tbh the tidiest the kitchen ever looked.

You're 100% comfortable with your flatmates at this point

You can tell them pretty much anything without judgement. You can all sit and cry together in the kitchen, but can also tell them to fuck off when you're not feeling, like, human contact. It's not forced or polite anymore, you're like a weird dysfunctional family, that no one else would ever want to be a part of.

You can wear pyjamas all day and not be judged

You can lowkey show up to lectures in your pyjamas because who's gonna judge you? It's third year. Everyone has so much to do that it's a miracle when you manage to leave your bed, let alone get dressed too.

Same with food

You're on your fourth Nandos this week? That's your tenth takeaway in the last 10 days? It's okay because you're under so much, like, pressure.

You're allowed to stockpile snacks now. Shhhh. It's okay.

You're allowed to stockpile snacks now. Shhhh. It's okay.

So, even though the workload seems to be 1000x more, and you've got the pressure of the decisions leading into your adult life, at least you don't have to walk all the way up from Taly South anymore. Pros and cons.