There are various things we must conquer when we first arrive at university; skills we have to learn without the guiding hand of someone more experienced.
British students have shared some of their curious creations and desperate dishes from their time at university on the CasualUK subreddit, and they certainly are… interesting:
“I had no pots or pans so I tried to cook pasta in hot water in the bath. It took ages and It tasted awful!”
“We’d make toasted sandwiches out of Tesco value bread (9p a loaf) and mint sauce from the pub. A week of that and we were… unwell.”
–[deleted]
“A couple of frozen yorkshires with cream of mushroom soup poured on them as gravy. It was disappointing.”
“I boiled a chicken breast (didn’t have an oven) and mixed together cheap grated parmesan and Italian seasoning to kind of pack on it before eating.”
“My first meal on my first night at uni was baked beans and peas. Nothing else. Just peas and beans. I still ask myself, why?”
“Pasta and baked beans. End of term, running down the cupboard; 40 minute round trip to the shops wasn’t worth it for the sake of one meal…”
“Cornflake sandwiches with dry bread and pretty dodgy margarine. Also, sandwiches with a half-eaten and discarded tin of spam that had been on top of the counter for a few days.”
“I experimented by boiling pasta in water with squash. It was horrific. The orange was better than the blackcurrant, but barely.”
“All I had left in my flat on a student Sunday was Weetabix (no milk left in fridge), and a jar of chunky Branston pickle. So, dry Weetabix with Branston on top it was.”
Of course, the newfound independence also brings with it the freedom to order a takeaway at our heart’s (and bank account’s) content. But, as money can be tight, students will often find every way thinkable to extend their spending power, particularly when it comes to takeaway deals.
Well, Nationwide has done half the job for them; by offering students £120 pounds in Just Eat vouchers, £100 cash, and more when they open up a Student Flex account and deposit £500 in it by the 12th of December 2025.
Not only are they offering all this extra takeaway credit; they’re also travelling to Cardiff, Manchester, and Glasgow universities in their NationFried food truck. On campus, they’ll be dishing out free breakfast, merch, and the opportunity to win more vouchers. Check out the information here.