Varsity is simultaneously about the beginning of a story and how you presume it will end. I mean, it is about education too, of course – don’t get me wrong. So, you’ve gone through the whole strenuous process of looking for and finding the perfect college. You’ve registered for your desired course and you’ve been accepted, well, hopefully (or this will be kind of awkward). Now you are off to varsity and you start thinking about the necessaries and things that you need.

Survival essentials:

If you are planning on staying alive the first month (and that would be a good idea) here are a couple of things to think about:

Where you’ll be staying is a great place to start because needs differ accordingly. This is basically to establish if you’ll be buying your own groceries or not. If you’ll be needing bedding or appliances and pots amongst other things. Because ain’t nobody like moochers. Food is absolutely vital unless being constantly hangry is the plan, and that’s a bad plan, just so you know.

Think quick, easy and practical because something as minuscule as noodles, muesli with yogurt (if you’re going for the whole health with convenience thing) and bread can be the fine line between you and starvation.

• • A comfortable pair of shoes: (even if you must brand it out) my guy – just know that they’ll be worn the hell out by end of the first semester. Fair warning: nobody ever tells you how much students actually walk.
  • A watch: you want to be on time for important things like exams and interviews or risk murder at the hands of those responsible for you. Friendly reminder: staying alive is the plan.
  • An alarm clock: be part of the good fight against oversleeping and tardiness. They are also great for reminders; student life tends to go from zero to a hundred seconds. You don’t want to be buried in assignments – funeral plans don’t cover that.

Keeping sane essentials:

Honestly, at the top of the list are earphones, like YEEEESS! TRUST me if its last thing you do. It’s to avoid all those unwanted or awkward conversations. I’m sparing you from a couple of “Hey MaBebeza” a.k.a. ‘catcalls’. You WILL thank me later. Also, perfect for public transport and ignoring the movie your roommate conveniently decided to watch out loud during your mini study session, (insert eye roll here).

Wi-Fi is absolutely essential for survival, as well. Pray to the Wi-Fi deities that your institution is not lacking in this department or you can kiss sanity and an obscene amount of data goodbye. These are real-life struggles, I’m telling you.

Think about investing in a laptop: nothing beats the convenience and portability of a laptop catering specifically to your needs. You don’t want to get caught watching your R rated movies in the lab. AWK-WARD is what that spells.

Underrated Essentials:

• • Coffee: any caffeinated or energy-related supplement for all the future all-nighters – there’ll be a lot; just take my word for it. This is not an over exaggeration. Great for procrastinated assignments and plus coffee works wonders for hangovers, too.
  • Piggy Bank: for all the loose change you accumulate, which is great towards month end when the struggle has become beyond real and you’re down to your last slice of bread. Those coins really do come in handy.
  • Friends: it’s great to be surrounded by people who understand your life and student struggles. In any case, everyone needs someone to vent to and to help you avoid nervous breakdowns. It’s also great having someone to dissuade you from quitting the whole education thing and becoming a stripper – you’ll consider it at least once during your varsity experience. You can’t afford to be all work and no play.

Now that you have an idea of what is necessary for a good varsity experience, you’re prepared to weather relevant storms.

Written by: Palesa Mosala