Making spaghetti Bolognese, building flat pack furniture and going three nights without sleep: What students REALLY learn at university
- Students reveal 50 most useful skills picked up at university in poll
- Doing laundry, budgeting and getting the bus among other lessons
- Most students said they appreciated parents more after leaving home
They may be there to study, but it seems the most important lessons learned by university students have very little to do with the library.
In fact, mastering the art of power napping, using a microwave and cooking spaghetti Bolognese are considered some of the most vital skills of university life according to students polled for a recent survey.
The list, based on the answers of 1,600 students, touts doing laundry, making scrambled eggs and building flat-pack furniture as some of the most useful things they learned while studying undergraduate degrees.
Skills: Among the most important skills learned by students was going three nights without sleep and managing to power nap. Other skills included turning on the grill and microwaving food
Other lessons include knowing the importance of turning up on time, making basic meals such as spaghetti bolognese and keeping clean and tidy.
Budgeting for food and household staples, managing the weekly shop and making friends also made the list put together from research conducted by Disney to mark the release of Disney Pixar's Monsters University on digital and Blu-ray.
A spokeswoman said: 'No matter which walk of life you come from, it would seem that university is a great leveller.
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'Learning day to day basics such as budgeting, how to book a doctor’s appointment and using a washing machine along with finding out who you are and want to become is integral to the whole university experience.
'There’s definitely a valuable alternative curriculum at Uni with some of it more fun than others.
Learning curve: Knowing how to build flat-pack furniture also made the list of the 50 most vital skills learned by students
'Not only does our research confirm this but it also reveals this is not particular to just today’s generation of university students it also applies to previous generations.'
The research also found that in addition to writing dissertations, managing timetables and learning theories, students learn how to go house hunting and register at the doctor and dentist during their studies.
Understanding the disadvantages of eating mould appeared on the list alongside deciding what dishes can be placed in the microwave.
Four in ten of those who took part were shocked by how little they knew when they left home, with two thirds admitting the whole experience of university was a ‘real eye opener’.
Three quarters said they'd learned much more than what was taught in lectures - though some admitted phoning home up to 20 times a month to ask for domestic advice.
One in four said they found making friends difficult and 23 per cent admitted they struggled mixing with people from different backgrounds.
On average it took students over four months to feel completely settled and five months to know who their real friends were going to be.
Around four out of ten said they found it hard living with strangers while others benefited from having to find themselves part-time jobs.
THE 50 MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS LEARNED BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
1. Budgeting and prioritising 26. Writing footnotes
2. Living with others 27. Looking for a job
3. Doing a weekly food shop 28. Setting up the internet
4. Paying bills 29. Blagging essays
5. Studying independently 30. Being a good team player
6. Managing money 31. Cleaning the fridge
7. Making friends 32. Using fridge space wisely
8. Getting around 33. Locking the house
9. House / flat hunting 34. Playing pool/ pub games
10. Socialising with different types of people 35. Saving energy
11. Registering at the doctor or dentist 36. Blagging 'group discussions'
12. Turning up to lectures on time 37. Finding lecture halls
13. Appreciating home 38. Using top up gas and electric
14. Supermarket shopping 39. DIY skills
15. Coping without mum and dad 40. Getting the bus
16. Skim reading long books 41. Setting up a TV
17. Pulling all-night study sessions 42. Which plates go in the microwave
18. Being considerate towards housemates 43. Fixing the boiler
19. Using a washing machine 44. Organising recycling
20. Going three nights with no sleep 45. Building flat-pack furniture
21. Making spaghetti Bolognese 46. Making scrambled eggs
22. Using the library 47. Fire safety
23. Socialising in big groups 48. Re-using take-away boxes
24. Cleaning 49. Using the cooker and grill
25. Napping 50. Knowing not to eat mould
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