Almost two thirds of students learn to cook at university

61% of students admitted to cooking their very first meal at university, according to research from Endsleigh, the student content insurance provider. The survey also found that over half of students did the washing up for the first time too.

Endsleigh's 2012 Student Survey, carried out with the National Union of Students, quizzed over two thousand students across England. But despite their lack of basic skills, like cooking and cleaning, students took full advantage of trying things out for the first time, such as volunteering and sport.

Endsleigh's research found that students are taking part in regular extracurricular activities to improve their employability and make friends. A third of students took up a new sport for the very first time at uni, with 69% of respondents doing so to improve their fitness. Half also took up a sport that hadn't been available to them before.

Students aren't afraid of trying new things either. Nearly one in every three students have volunteered in the local community for the first time while at uni, and one in five ran in an election, such as Programme Representative or for the Students' Union. One in every ten students has taken part in some form of student activism or challenged themselves to an extreme sport for the first time, like sky diving. 

Despite 61% of students not having cooked a meal before attending university, over half did organise a regular weekly shop. However, despite planning meals in advance, barely 5% of students eat their recommended intake of fruit and vegetables a week.

Students are money conscious too, with over half of all students having a job during their studies to help ease financial pressures, and 29% gaining employment for the very first time.

Sara Newell, Manager Student Markets at Endsleigh, said: "The majority of first-year students will be living away from home for the first time. It's vital that they learn the basics, such as paying bills, cooking and taking responsibility for their household and gadgets. However, it is great to see so many students also taking advantage of the once in a lifetime opportunities that university provides on their doorstep."