We all want to look back with fondness at our years pursing an undergraduate degree – even when those happy memories are from things you actually dreaded at the time! Here are 8 nostalgic moments everyone likely has from their university days:

1. All-nighters 

We all did it – the dreaded all-nighter prepping for an exam you may have been anxious about, or because perhaps you forgot to study entirely. This experience managed to get most undergrads at one point or another. Was it coffee or another form of caffeine that kept you going? Some might have used pure will to survive when the eyelids started to droop at 3 AM. It was a necessary evil of university life, and you were either someone who learned from these mistakes or thrived in the owl-like experience of reading poetry in the early hours of the morning. Either way, you survived it, and you can be proud because it certainly isn’t you today.

2. Partying

If you looked back on one thing from university and smiled, it was likely the social events. The parties, the pubs, the fun – it was all frivolous and charming. Responsibilities were for the daytime during class, but at night, the town you called home for those undergrad years was calling your name. Whether it was heading to the local watering hole or hitting up a movie, it was with pure liberty you could experience both academic enlightenment and then also enjoy a full social calendar.

3. Roommates 

Whether you loved them or hated them, you likely had roommates with you throughout the journey that was undergrad. You likely lived with a variety of personalities: the late-night studier, the loud music listener, or even the ‘I just want one more cat’ friend – and you love-hated them all for it. It was a special time, and while you’re probably grateful for the experience, the desire to live with a random person has long since passed.

4. Going back home for the weekend

Laundry! The bane of any university student’s life and, whether you lived in a big city or a small town, it was not always easy to keep your personal effects clean, let alone your sheets. It felt common to miss your own bed back at home, and you enjoying coming home to clean sheets in a space that was safe (and likely more tidy than your dorm). Returning home after exams or spending a week with family over the holiday break was always an experience, and you relished in telling stories of your campus adventures, seeing your hometown friends, and ultimately sleeping and eating better than you did on or off campus.

5. Cafeteria food

Why cook when someone can do it for you, right? Was there anything better than a premade sandwich or a tub of chocolate milk when you were absolutely starving? Probably not. The simple yet important step closer to adulthood of having to pay for your own food was a big deal for a burgeoning academic. While most likely experienced some sort of food aversion coming out of school because of ‘caf food,’ it is something most adults look back on fondly, especially since they’re now responsible for cooking and making their own meals.

6. Halloween parties

Halloween was a particularly epic event in university. Groups of costumed friends would descend on downtown bars and pubs, or cause stampede-like events in neighbouring homes and residence buildings. It was the biggest event of the year, and everyone would partake. The effort was maximum while the input was minimum, because who had money back then, right? You did what you could, and it always turned out a winner. 

7. Dating 

No apps, no problem. Dating was different back then, and while it was still filled with anxiety like it is today, there wasn’t anywhere to connect but campus or the pub. While the odd study group may have produced a dating result, you likely palled around with a group of friends, who knew another group of friends, and from there you’d find your next potential partner.

8. Sleeping

What alarm clock? In university you likely slept, a lot. It was the best possible activity aside from, well, the parties. Studying, while a requirement, was likely not your be-all end-all, and when the day was done or the night was too long, you quickly went to bed, covered up, and slept through a whole slew of classes over time. That kind of sleep is probably a luxury you miss these days!