{"id":154847,"date":"2024-02-16T11:15:32","date_gmt":"2024-02-16T11:15:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/?p=154847"},"modified":"2024-02-21T13:55:35","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T13:55:35","slug":"little-luxuries-uni-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/2024\/02\/16\/little-luxuries-uni-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Little luxuries that make uni life more bearable"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s be honest, life at university isn\u2019t all it\u2019s cracked up to be. With deadline after deadline, dodgy landlords, and the dreaded ‘Sorry, Bus Full’ at the end of a long day at uni, there\u2019s reason to be annoyed.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s only so much reminding yourself that sunnier days are coming when the academic tumble dryer of semester 2 is now in full swing. Whilst these little luxuries can\u2019t fix all of life\u2019s problems, they certainly can make it a little brighter.<\/p>\n

A good Spotify playlist<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Whether it\u2019s commuting to campus, intensely studying or chilling in the evening, there\u2019s plenty of opportunities where music can soundtrack your day. I am a big fan of the Spotify ‘daylist’ \u2013 a playlist which automatically updates throughout the day and reflects the types of music you usually listen to.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t always entirely accurate so do keep those other playlists too, whether it’s that classical-heavy study soundtrack or a collection of super upbeat tracks to kickstart your morning. Be that main character you\u2019ve always dreamed of.<\/p>\n

Milk frother<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The number of times this year I\u2019ve already said \u201can oat milk latte\u201d to the staff in the various coffee shops around campus should be criminal \u2013 and it certainly isn\u2019t helping my bank balance either. Yes, a coffee out is a nice treat occasionally, but it definitely adds up if it becomes a regular routine.<\/p>\n

Investing a cheap handheld milk frother can help replicate that coffee shop experience, even if you\u2019re working with Nescaf\u00e9 Instant Coffee. I\u2019ve had one from Flying Tiger from before I started university, and it has lasted me well. Whilst it will never fully replicate the joys of an intricate flower on the top of that overpriced coffee, you can at least pretend.<\/p>\n

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Credit: Chevanon Photography @ Pixels<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sweet treats<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Second year is a rite of passage for turning those late club nights to early cosy evenings on the sofa. And the perfect accompaniment to fuel a rom-com marathon? A sweet treat.<\/p>\n

Where this phrase originated from, considering it\u2019s been on the tips of everyone\u2019s tongues for the last six months, who knows? But what I do know is that I\u2019ve now sampled every pastry from Sainsbury’s and could probably tell you which individual slices of cake from Morrisons are the best too.<\/p>\n

Hot food for lunch<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I am terrible for eating the same thing for lunch five times in a row and frankly, it does get boring. Not sure what we did before the microwaves on campus, but it\u2019s a perfect excuse to bring whatever leftovers you cooked up the night before and show off to your friends that their meal deal really doesn\u2019t stand up to your Michelin-star dinner.<\/p>\n

And if you didn\u2019t have the time to make leftovers, the soup from any of the Food on Campus outlets is a shout \u2013 thank me later.<\/p>\n

Electric blanket or dressing gown<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Whilst hopefully the coldest of the winter months are behind us, it\u2019s Manchester and therefore impossible to tell what the weather will do next. I really don\u2019t want to have to layer up and then proceed to sweat to death when the sun decides to rear it’s head for five minutes.<\/p>\n

In your house on the other hand, it\u2019s a perfect excuse to keep warm and investing in an electric blanket or a good dressing gown is a nice way to treat yourself.<\/p>\n

Fairy lights<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I can\u2019t help but think of the 2015 Tumblr days, but fairy lights (or anything that isn\u2019t the main overhead light) are little luxuries. I am a chronic \u2018no overhead light\u2019 user and having a desk lamp or some fairy lights above your bed can make a room, especially one in halls, less dingy and instead a more welcoming and warm space.<\/p>\n

Nice crockery<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You might not be the greatest cook, but you can pretend by spicing up your crockery collection. The crockery that my parents bought me in first year will, hopefully, last until my graduation. However, if anything breaks, you best believe it will be replaced by something I\u2019ll want to treasure. Primark, Flying Tiger, and B&M all do great sets which won\u2019t cost your whole student loan.<\/p>\n

One named brand item in your food shop<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It’s hard to admit, but the luxuries of Heinz Beans, Walker Crisps or PG Tips (other branded tea bags are available) aren\u2019t always the most financially sustainable decision in a weekly food shop. Although every now again it\u2019s nice to treat yourself and pick something that you know you\u2019ll appreciate over the supermarket-own items.<\/p>\n

Flowers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Many people often perceive flowers as something reserved for special occasions or as a gift you must receive. But purchasing flowers for yourself can be empowering and boost your self-esteem, particularly during times of low mood. A vibrant bouquet adds colour to your room or kitchen and will probably leave your housemates thanking you for being such an interior design genius.<\/p>\n

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Credit: Nadine Wuchenauer @ Pexels<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sunrise alarm<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is the priciest investment out of this list, but a worthy one. Sunrise alarms simulate natural daylight, give you a similar effect to sunlight in the morning and, in turn, stirs up that morning serotonin boost.<\/p>\n

Even using an alarm clock instead of the one on your phone can help your sleep patterns, particularly as there isn\u2019t that immediate temptation to go on your phone as soon as you wake up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Treat yourself! Life as a university student isn’t always easy, but some things can make it that little bit more enjoyable<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2709,"featured_media":155021,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[35496,10501,35951,2502,8846,4222],"coauthors":[32776],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154847"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2709"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154847"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":156039,"href":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154847\/revisions\/156039"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/155021"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154847"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=154847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}