Emma Watson regards being able to use a washing machine as a ''success''.

The 21-year-old actress shot to fame playing Hermione Granger in the 'Harry Potter' movie series and admits it has been a ''challenge'' learning how to function away from the ''bubble'' of the franchise.

She said: ''Doing the 'Potters' was such a bubble and then having to figure out how to function in The Real World has been a challenge.

''But it's been the small successes for me. I know how to use a washing machine. I can cook. It's worth it for me not to feel disconnected from everything, feeling like I'm in touch with people who do other things than acting or being in the entertainment industry.

Emma - who is in her final year studying at Oxford University in the UK after transferring from Brown in the US - credits her solid group of friends with helping her cope with normal life and showbiz events.

She added in an interview with the Independent newspaper: ''I think humour has been a help. I have schoolfriends, a group of people around me, who have carried me through this whole experience and aren't fazed if I ask, 'Oh what are you doing tomorrow?' and I say, 'I'm going up to see Mario Testino in Notting Hill, he's shooting me for the new Lancome campaign.'

''I don't know - it is mad, and some days I feel a bit mad, but it's the balance that keeps me sane.''