Could have been better, could have been worse...

I expected moving to university to be life-changing, but luck was not on my side at first.

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I was super excited to move to university. I was moving to the coast, into brand new Halls, and my course sounded awesome.

My Halls WERE lush. My room was brand new, I had an en-suite, we were near the beach and town centre, and I had a double bed. The only problem was that I didn't have anything in common with my flatmates, and they had everything in common with each other. This triggered my depression. I felt really alone, my confidence went downhill rapidly, and I was staying in my room for days on end. Seriously. I lived on leftover biscuits and cereal bars so I wouldn't have to leave my room and face anyone. My quality of life was terrible. I had such a fear of going outside my room.

In hindsight, I wish I sought help and reached out, but thankfully I stuck it out for the year and couldn't wait to move out into a house with friends for my final two years. Although it was slightly stressful trying to navigate finding housemates, new accommodation, and finances, the relief that I felt more in control was brilliant.

Living in a house with friends was fun, but sometimes could be awkward when dealing with bills, food, and cleaning. Compared to stories I heard from other friends' experiences, though, it was plain sailing for us! Our landlord was a bit useless - it took weeks for him to come round and sort any problems - but this laid back attitude was great when it came to getting our deposit back at the end of the tenancy. He clearly wasn't bothered so we had no trouble getting it all back.

My first attempt at living away from home definitely wasn't how I expected it to be, but I definitely feel like those unexpected challenges made me a better person. Life would be boring if everything was fine and easy, after all!

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