university

[paper_wings]

hello all
H have just been to an university open day and this
occurred to me. How do I cope with eating? Obviously I
don't want to go to catered halls (and being a vegetarian,
my choices would also be scarce) and in self catered, I am
not too keen on sharing a kitchen (everybody else with
possibly bad hygiene touching utensils, cooking food etc...
Just wondering if anybody is at university and how they
cope with it or if anyone has any suggestions, I want to go
to university but this worry is making me think twice...
thanks.

[xxglitterxx]

Well I guess on the university front, I am doing it one year before you if you're going to open days now?

Well I haven't actually been yet, I'm meant to start in september 2009. But I have done a lot of research, and put a lot of thought into it.

Catered halls are something I ruled out as well, I am also a vegetarian.
Living in self catered should be fine. You're cooking your own food, some places require you to bring utensils like saucepans etc. anyway, so you'd be using your own stuff. And you can always wash things before you use them.
My mum said that her and a friend teamed up to cook together, or you could cook alone. And then you have total control over what you cook and eat.
And remember, it's only a year.

Personally I might be putting it off for a year, till 2010, to get a job, and save enough money to get a flat rather than live on campus. That's not because of emet, but because of a lot of other anxiety I have.
If it's really severly affecting you, that might be an option you could look into.


But try not to let this phobia control you too much, there are many people on here who've gotten through uni, (and several people who've advised me) you can do it too.
Where are you thinking about going?

[ejb199]

i was at uni from 1999 to 2003 and honetly, im really being honest! i had the BEST time of my life! it was so great.

i was in self catering halls for my first year and then shared a house in the 2nd and 4th. my 3rd spent abroad and had to share a room - was very tough but i got thro it obviously!

one thing that helped me loads and was more of a concern than cooking and food was having my own bathroom.

honestly, im the pickiest eater and my time at uni was never an issue re food. i cooked and made my own meals - when i shared a house we did cook things together but by then i trusted my house mates. my only worry or advice for u would be the cleanliness - so for example keep all ur own utensils and cloths in ur room or cupboard - many people did this as some students would come back drunk at night and use say other peoples then leave dirty all round the kitchen. its funny when i look back lol. honestly, i had the best time. and despite being with drunken students, i never ONCE came across drunk people being sick or tummy bugs or noro. really, i was so happy emet wise at uni.

felicity, i didnt realise u were considering deferring for a year. honestly, living in halls was so much fun. my emet wasnt great when i went to uni and i had lots of worries but i really had such a great time and so busy and occupied with fun things that i just didnt have time to worry!

honestly, i wish so bad i was your age - lol 10 years younger! id give anything to go back to uni. working sucks [img]smileys/smilies_06.gif[/img] although it helps with getting a pay packet each month!!

[paper_wings]

Cheers for both your advice guys. Your right xxglitterxx, I
will finish my A levels in 2010 so i could start then but i
dont think I will. Most likely I will take a year out and
do a 'year in industry' to get a some cash and possibly get
a room in a slightly newer (hopefully cleaner!) room. I'm
looking at Exeter, Swansea, Cardiff right now to do maths
and computing, how about you??

[xxglitterxx]

Ah ok cool, sounds good!
I'm doing History, which is something I love, so hopefully that'll make things easier for me!

It's a good plan you've got!
One piece of advice- apply for the 2010 entry, it's very easy to call up your uni's and defer later, but much harder to un-defer (if that's a word)

Good luck with it

[Babydoll]

I am in my 5th full year of university. I graduated last year with a Science degree, and now I am doing education to become a teacher.

I lived in residence for 3 years... you have to learn how to eat. I gained about 30 lbs the first year eating french fries and chocolate bars all year... then I realized what was happening, changed my eating habits (All 3 years I relied on caffeteria food), started at the gym and lost 35 lbs.

It is very possible to eat healthy, and vegetarian. I'm not a vegetarian, but I know they did offer veggie soups, pizza, wraps, fish, fruit, etc. I never got sick once, from anything.

I miss residence SOOOO much, and wish I could go back. I actually ate better there since they offered alot of healthy choices, where at my house, may family eats a lot of fast food.