There's a lot to look forward to at uni. Whether you're a fresher taking your first tentative steps into life on campus or a seasoned postgrad, there's a good chance that you're having the time of your life.

But even the most confident and happy of students must admit that there are things about their lives at home that they miss.

Where once there was breakfast on the table as soon as you got out of the shower you know have to dig around the cupboard for the dregs of the cereal, at home you've got 3 cats, a dog, and a rabbit, at uni you've got a family of mice.

Things have changed. Here are 10 things you can wave goodbye to at uni...

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1. Pets

Unfortunately student living tends not to provide the most ideal circumstances for the standard house pet. Even if the property owners were to allow pets, they probably wouldn’t stand much of a chance against the questionable fumes and hazardous collected items scattered around the place. Many people are very attached to their pets and leaving them behind for uni can be difficult, so here are a few ways to overcome the problem:

• Become a part-time dog walker: not only do you get to have regular contact with dogs just like your own, you also get to earn a bit of cash on the side!
• Make sure you take a load of wacky photos of you and your pet with you. It’ll bring a smile to your face whenever you miss them.
• If all else fails, you may just have to grow to love the silverfish and cockroaches as your own...

2. Comfy bed

No more sleeping like a starfish I’m afraid. Be prepared to wake up with your face glued to a wall before falling out of bed and knocking yourself out on the bedside table on the way down. That’s right, the double bed days are over and in comes the skanky mattress which is just as comfortable as sleeping in a giant Yorkshire pudding. But on a more positive note, your alcohol consumption will probably never let it affect you having a good night’s sleep.

3. Family/friends

Probably the most significant thing you’ll leave behind, saying goodbye to family and friends can be emotional. But all is not lost, you’re not moving to another planet or into the dark ages with no form of communication.

• Skpe is a great way to keep in contact with people, arrange skype dates with friends and family so you can look forward to sharing all your crazy experiences with them!
• Travel round a bit and visit people. Just because you;re heading off to university doesn’t mean you’re restricted to that place only. Depending on your course, you could well end up having more hours free than you know what to do with so you might as well travel round and see what everyone else is getting up to.

4. Space

Sharing is not something all of us are OK with, whether it’s in the bedroom or kitchen, it’s likely you’re going to have to sacrifice a little bit of personal space at university. If you just want to chill out and have some me time without some douche clanging around the kitchen attempting to knock up a Michelin star meal and without the surprise gatherings of randomers invading your space all the time, it can be tricky. So...

• If you’re feeling stressed out by the intense living space get out and go for a walk, or into town and relax.
• Try and set a few rules in the flat like if you’re having people round, making sure you let the others know about it or whenever you need a bit of extra kitchen space, telling people in advance.

5. Mum’s home cooking

Gone are the days you could come home sweating from a hard day on the football pitch to a hearty meal ready for you on the table. Now you’re on your own faced with a bucket full of kitchen utensils you didn’t even know existed. But do no fret:

• Get your mum to write down your favourite meals in a simple and student friendly style. Then take a couple of hours at the weekend to make a massive batch and stick it all in the freezer. Now when you come home stressed and tired, unable to lift a chopping board, you can simply reach for the microwave and you’ll never know the difference.

6. Mum’s washing

Life without the magic washing fairy could be quite a shock to the system. Not only are you now going to have to pay to wash your stuff, you also have to go to the effort of sorting whites, darks, wool, non-dryer friendly clothes etc etc. which can be quite a daunting task. And I hate to mention it but yes, you are going to have to strip and wash your bed sheets every now and then. However....

• To save costs and make it a bit easier, team up with pals to sort out different colours and share loads.
• You could also go for the option of taking a million varieties of everything so to minimalise the washing requirements but I wouldn’t recommend this: bedrooms are small enough without having ever present piles of dirty washing.

7. Free lifts

If you’re used to the free taxi service of mum and dad, getting around town may seem a bit harder at first. Waiting hours in the freezing cold for buses and having to regularly trek from one side of the city to the other may come as a shock to you. So you may want to try:

• Taking a bike to uni. Good for you, the environment and saves on transport costs. Don’t forget your helmet!
• Going out of your way to befriend someone who’s brought a car with them.

8. Being informed

No more letters home from school, organised reminders or nagging parents telling you what you have to do. This may sound like something you’re quite happy to let go of but it’s surprising how lost you can feel without any formal guidance telling you where you need to be, when and why. It’s all up to you now. So I would suggest:

• Investing in a good diary/phone app to note down important meetings, classes etc.
• Ensuring you have a map of campus to save the panic attack of realising you’re meant to be on the other side of town in the next 2 minutes.
• Buy a massive timetable/work planner so you know what assignments need to be done for when. This also has the advantage of sparkling up those bare university hall walls.

9. Liver function

Fairly self explanatory, you will undoubtedly be waving goodbye to a healthy(ish) liver as you set off for university. I could put some sort of crazy suggestion about doing shots of water instead of vodka, but is there really any point? This one is just something we’re going to have to accept.

10. Dignity

Wild drunken antics, fancy dress, block parties....it’s all part and parcel of having a great time at uni.

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