So any advice on how I should go about learning how to cook? I'm not really sure where to start!
There's a million student cookbooks. A good one is probably a decent investment.
Right, student cooking. It depends on where you're staying. I assume you'll be a first-time student and that you'll be living in uni halls. That means a fair few of you sharing a kitchen. It would be cheaper if the lot of you (or at least one or two of you) pooled together for a Big Weekly Shop. That way you could buy en masse stuff that the lot of you will eat - meat, veg, fruit, juice, booze - and then the specialised stuff - weird breakfast cereals, dietary requirements, sunflower seeds - you buy yourselves. This saves you money overall!
Student cooking part two. Frozen meals are the enemy! Yes, they are quick and easy. But I promise you you can make similar dishes that taste better for less, fresh. Plus frozen ready meals tend to be full of chemicals. Fresh beats frozen. One example - I bought bags of frozen chips when I first came here. I learnt since that I can make homemade chips that taste better and cost less, and are better for me.
Student cooking 2.5. There are some basics that you should always keep in reserve. Salt and pepper, for example, and some butter. A few spices, some cooking oil. These could be bought (and shared) by everyone there.
Student cooking part three. If you can, and if you're really short for cash, go home for lunch. Big bag of salad and some dressing will do several lunches and is perfectly adequate. Or make a cheese toastie or soup. Doesn't matter what, it'll be cheaper than fast food or the uni restaurants. However it is nice to socialise with friends, so budget for eating at the uni refectory if you can.
Student cooking four. Experiment with things. The worst that can happen is you don't like it and don't make it again. Get an idea of something you like and then depending on what veg and meat you like change the recipe.
Cooking is a skill that will do you for life, anyone can learn the basics and most people learn it as students (well, I did). So give it a go - try different recipes, be it from a student cookbook or here, or just from googling a recipe name.
Think of it as "avoiding eating Tesco value pasta for life"*.
*Actually, being honest, as a student you do eat a lot of pasta, especially at the end of months when the money runs out. The trick is making it vary - with stirfry, with cheese, with sauce etc.