One year removed from my anti-climactic finish at university (thanks Covid), I have had a lot of time to reflect on my overall university experience and look at all the amazing memories that I made, the great people I met, and the hours and hours of studying I did. It’s nearly that time of year where the new wide-eyed students will be flocking to their new halls and experiencing all that uni life has to offer. These 10 points are things that will be very helpful in the transition into student life and help you maximise this new experience.
1. Get involved with some societies
One of the best parts about moving away to university is meeting people that you perhaps wouldn’t have met in other circumstances, making all sorts of memories with these people, and doing some new activities along the way. Whilst I still met some really cool people, I wish I would have gone out of my comfort zone a bit more and tried some new activities. I tried going to a football society in the first few weeks but felt a bit overwhelmed (probably because I’m not actually very good) and didn’t go back when perhaps I should have stuck around. But one thing to remember is that everybody is in the same boat as you, in a new environment trying to meet new people. Even if you just put your name down for a few things, you can see what works for you and what doesn’t.
2. Buy tickets in advance!
Whether you drink alcohol or not this advice still applies, check the events happening in the area (especially during freshers’ week), and get your tickets to avoid disappointment and scrambled plans. However, DO NOT pay for one of those wristbands that flyers will be selling to you, saying they are the only ways to get into some of the most popular events. Nine times out of ten they are for the places that are less popular or desirable and just for much more money, just check which venues and events are the most suitable for you and your friends and just buy the tickets individually. Most places as well operate on an early bird scheme, where the earlier you buy the tickets, the more money you save, meaning you will already have entry sorted and you can save some money at the same time. Win Win.
3. Check what facilities are in your halls
The website for your halls will tell you exactly what facilities are offered in your halls, from the big things like gym, study room or whether your room has a bathroom with it or if they are communal, to the little things like whether you have toasters, kettles, and other appliances. Once you’ve figured out what you do and don’t have at your disposal, the next tip will help you and your flatmates sort out who is bringing what. You don’t want to be turning up all bringing a toaster and kettle when there’s already one there! On top of this, it is a good idea to invest in a good laptop, I bought a cheap laptop, and it became practically unusable towards the end of 2ndyear as it was so slow to load anything, meaning I had to upgrade in my last year. A note for buying a MacBook specifically is that Apple always do offers before university starts in which they offer a free pair of Air pods or Beats with any MacBook or iPad purchase which is a pretty decent offer that’ll have you set throughout uni.
4. Join group chats for your halls and course
Like I said before, everyone is in the same boat as you when they are going to university, not really knowing what is happening and looking to make new friends. That’s why to start off with it’s a good idea to join some group chats for your course and your halls, to see what is going on with the people around you and talk to new people (even though after the first few months these chats will get abandoned). This can help as well with getting help for your course and organise events. I got in touch with my new flatmates through one of these group chats and it made me feel a lot more comfortable being able to talk with them before moving in and like I mentioned before, being able to check what appliances we needed and what events we wanted to go to!
5. Check out the local area
Moving away is a great chance to explore new areas and see different cultures, check out the local shops, restaurants, and cafes for example to try new things. Whilst the high streets are always old reliable, don’t be afraid to push the boat out and look around the area you’re going to be spending an important part of your life in. These places can not only be where you can discover new styles or foods etc. But also in my experience I used these spaces to find places to study and chill, with the university spots normally being quite busy, it can be a great change of scenery and a refreshing place to kick back and read or work on some projects.
6. Get to know the transport times and routes
Some accommodations are located a fair distance away from the universities and from the town centres, a few days before semester starts it would be a great idea to get to know the local bus or tram routes to save yourself the embarrassment of turning up to the first lectures or seminars extremely late. Most transport in city centres offer a student discount as well!
7. Decorate your room!
You are going to be spending quite a bit of time in your room whilst at university. Whether its relaxing, sleeping or studying it is important to make your space as comforting and friendly as possible. One thing that helped me with this was the university fresher’s fair, in which stalls were set up around the university selling things like poster and plants to make your room more unique. Another thing I invested in was a good chair, as the one in my halls wasn’t the best and I had problems with my back, so I bought a new chair which made doing work at my desk a lot more comfortable. Like I mentioned before about checking facilities for the accommodation, my room didn’t have a TV! So, I brought a mini monitor from home and brought a cable that was able to connect to the antenna connection in the corner of my room.
8. Do NOT leave all your work until the last minute
I have sometimes been guilty of this one. The workload from A level to degree level is quite the jump, not necessarily in the quality of the work, but definitely in the quantity. With my English degree requiring an obscene amount of reading and seminar prep per week. Get into a routine early of planning which days you should be doing your work and take advantage of the study spaces in your accommodation (if applicable), or the university library spaces. A great idea is to get a few people from your course and book a study space, that way you are guaranteed space, and you can ask each other questions to help your understanding and make some friends in the process!
9. Get registered to a local doctor
This might not seem obvious at first but there is always a risk of you becoming ill during your time at uni, look at the local doctor practices and get yourself registered so you can get immediate help should you need it. At Leeds there was a student medical practice where I registered, and it certainly helped me a few times during my stay.
10. Be kind!
University can be an overwhelming experience, don’t be so eager to dismiss parents as they help you move in, have chats with your flatmates and the other people in your halls, and make efforts to make everyone feel welcome as you’d hope they would do for yourself! If you need any support or help, have a look at the facilities your university and local area offers, whether that is therapists or helplines where you can talk to people. This can be a very stressful time in your life so it’s always a good idea to take things at your own speed and get some help if you need it.
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