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When you go off to uni, you aren’t just about to spend 3 years (minimum) learning everything there is to know about your chosen subject, you are also about to embark upon the most confusing stage of Growing Up yet.

This is the real transition from childhood to adulthood. You will move out and have to figure out all kinds of things on your own. You will even discover that despite everything you have learned so far, the vast majority of adults actually have no idea what they are doing or why – they are just good at pretending they have everything together.

So, with this in mind, here are the 3 things that all students learn during their time at uni. Or, at least, this is what you will probably realise you had no idea about until now.

How to Manage a Home

When you’re living at home with your parents, things like blocked drains magically clear themselves and the dishwasher is somehow always running and ready to deliver fresh clean plates. It’s only when you move out that you realise that the housework fairy is a myth.

Though you might not be great at it to start with, as you go through each term, you will learn how to keep your house cleanish most of the time and make your room feel more like home. There are lots of cleaning tips online but really, it comes down to your common sense. You should try to split the housework between your housemates, even if you don’t go for a rota, to even things up.

The bright side is that most student accommodation is now built for purpose and is designed with students in mind. Rather than living in a run-down terrace as many of your generation’s parents did, it is more likely that you will get a flat in a building full of students. To have a look at the kind of luxury you could achieve, visit mapartments.co.uk.

How to Negotiate with People

Life is full of disagreement and negotiation, but now you don’t have a teacher or a parent to go to for a conclusion or decision. This is the time that you will realise that an apology is a free way to smooth over rough ground and that sometimes you might be able to find a compromise.

Negotiation will inevitably affect all areas of your student (and then adult) life. You will need to negotiate who takes the bins out this week, who does which section of the presentation and which bar you are going to start the night in. Student life is unique in that your social life, education and home life can all intersect at various points but this can also put a strain on your relationships.

Stepping back, thinking for a moment and then continuing with your negotiation is often the best way to reach a resolution. Take time to listen properly and respond as well as get your own point across. If you are really struggling, your university guild or a department staff member will be able to help you.

How to Manage Your Finances

This is the big one. Managing your pocket money is very different to managing your student finances, though it is a good start. Over the first term of uni, you will probably go one of two ways: either spend everything and have to go to your parents for a cash injection or you will spend nothing and be very bored.

The keyword here is balance. Work out what your bills, rent and food will cost and then see how much you have left to play with. You will soon figure out what your priorities are and you would be amazed at how many students still have beer money but have been eating beans on toast for the last fortnight.

Learning to manage your finances as a student is a life skill that everyone should have. When you graduate and get your first job, your ability to manage on the peanuts you get will make living a whole lot easier. Plus, the more ways you can think of to have fun for free, the better your lifestyle will be overall.

Though the end result of uni is a piece of paper with your grade on it, what you actually get from your experience is a whole lot more. House skills, people skills and money management skills are all the foundation of a happy and healthy lifestyle that sets you in good stead.