From my first day to now

Hello my cuties,

It is time to be a bit sentimental. As I wrap up my third year of uni, I can’t help but feel super nostalgic about everything I’ve experienced so far - especially all the moments in halls and with the people who made this place feel like home. 

I’ve been incredibly lucky to meet friends who’ve stuck by me since day one - my flatmate and my coursemates - this sounds SO dry. They’re my pookies okay? These people have been my comfort crew, my chaos buddies, and my second family in every way that counts.

From Spicy Noodles to Pookies for Life

Moving into halls was... a lot. As an international student, my first day in the UK was slightly traumatic - I had a terrible day, was anxious, exhausted, and overwhelmed. So meeting my flatmate? Yeah, I was nervous.

But then I arrived at my accommodation to find a handwritten note from her with her number, inviting me to message her so we could meet properly. I texted her immediately because honestly, I needed someone (literally anyone) to walk around the city centre with me. She responded with a yes and we had our first wander around the city that day.

That night, I wanted to have dinner with her because coming from a family that always eats together, the thought of eating alone was just... not it. I texted her again, but she was busy and didn’t get back to me. So there I was, in the kitchen, eating spicy instant noodles alone, crying quietly because homesickness hit me like a truck. I didn’t tell my family - I didn’t want to worry them.

The next day over dinner, I told her about my little kitchen meltdown, while laughing about it because at that point, it was just so funny to me, you know. The way she got SO worried, you guys. Since then, it’s been three years and she has pretty much never once missed dinner with me. Ever. It’s one of my favourite stories to tell because it perfectly shows how kind and thoughtful she is. Our late-night kitchen chats about everything and nothing have become my safe space, and honestly, some of my best university memories.

🥔 The Potato Banquet

Next up, my coursemate (my babes) - aka my potato queen. I met her in first year in a sea of hundreds of Business Management students, but somehow she stood out. I felt this weird sense of familiarity with her, so I approached her, and ever since then, we’ve been stuck together like glue, or should I say I stuck to her?

She has this passion for potatoes that I’ve never quite understood (but totally admire). One evening, she invited me over and served a full-on potato banquet: hashbrowns, stir-fried potatoes, and mashed potatoes. She seriously wanted to add fries and potato cubes too, but I had to put my foot down. “This is too much potato, no..?” is still a running joke between us.

We’ve had our fair share of ups and downs, disagreements, and silent treatments but through it all, she’s always been there. She knows exactly how to push my buttons, but I love her endlessly. I wouldn’t trade our friendship for anything, not even for a lifetime supply of fries lol.

The clumsy accident

And then there’s my pookie. My emotional support. My partner in chaotic crime. My go-to for Pepes runs, library hangs (where absolutely no studying gets done), unhinged 3AM conversations, and all things nonsense.

This girl doesn’t even know how much she means to me, and if she’s reading this - surprise! You’re in my blog ...

One of my first memories of her still makes me laugh. When I first met her, I found her a bit intimidating (don’t judge me, I swear she’d agree). But that illusion shattered the day I properly spent time with her and she dropped her drink. Twice. Within 30 minutes.

We were walking together when she spilled her brand new drink on the stairs. Heartbreaking. She went and bought another one, and as soon as we sat down in class *boom*, she dropped it again. At that point, I was like, “Yeah okay, she’s not scary. She’s just clumsy.” And honestly, that was the moment I let my guard down completely. She’s been my walking disaster of a bestie ever since.

She listens to all my hypothetical nonsense without blinking, answers FaceTime calls without making it weird, and has this bubbly energy she refuses to admit she has. I’ve hung out with her ever since, and honestly? 3 years and I’ve never been bored. 

I know I was meant to choose just a few favourite memories, but do you know how hard it is to pick one when you’ve had years full of friendship, laughter, and potato buffets? These people and the moments we’ve shared, made university for me.

From my first lonely bowl of spicy noodles to deep kitchen talks, to chaotic library sessions, and every dinner, laugh, and heart-to-heart in between, I’ll carry these memories with me forever.

So if you’re in first year, or just starting out in halls, here’s my advice: let yourself be vulnerable. Message that flatmate. Say hi to that girl in class. Laugh when the drink spills. Because these little things? They turn into stories you’ll never forget.