Our guide to Freshers Week and beyond can hopefully give you a few pointers in getting settled in at your university and also the next few weeks where you are finding your feet.
F – Friends
Being away from home, in a new town or city is an exciting time and there are lots of fun times ahead. You will make friends with those on your course, your house or people you meet via clubs and societies. Being sociable is a great way to expand your social network, both in terms of social media and in real life. Friends you make at university may be friends that you make forever.
R – Relax
You may be feeling a little nervous about being around new people but that’s perfectly understandable. Your friends from school or college may have all gone to different parts of the country for their university experience. You have an opportunity to grow your network and still keep in touch with friends that you have had for years. You can use the wonders of Social Media to message people that are 10, 100 or 1000 miles away.
E – Explore
There will be so much to explore about your new town or city. That could be about shopping, bars, restaurants, sports, culture…the list goes on. This area might just be more than just where you will be studying for the next 3 years, it could be the place that you call home for longer than that.
You might discover a great place that none of your fellow students have found and it could be that place is the next big thing in your town or city.
Exploring the hidden delights of your town or city will add to your student experience.
S – Share
Being able to share your student experience with your housemates or fellow students is a great way to enrich. Everyone brings something different to a group. You may have a hidden talent or something that may benefit someone else. Sharing is a great way to bond with other people.
Sharing now is so much easier than it used to be. You can share in so many ways, either in person or via Social Media. You might share something on a social network that interests many people who might just live in the next street or a different halls of residence.
H – Having a balance
Being social is great, but remember that ultimately, you are at university to get the best degree you can. Being at university now is very expensive with tuition fees, maintenance loans and everything else, but ultimately you want to leave after 3 years with a degree that will benefit you for the rest of your life.
There will be times when you will need to just get on with your studies, especially when you get to the dissertation part of your degree. Remember that your housemates and friends will understand that. They might not always like that you are having nights in to get on with your work, but it will be worth it in the end.
E – Enjoy
Hopefully you will enjoy your time at university and the first few weeks are going to be busy. You’ve a new area to get used to, working at different times of the day (and night!), and just generally getting used to being at university.
Try and find a positive in everyday that you spend over the next few weeks and beyond. Even if you’ve had a really tough day and you’re feeling a little overwhelmed with it all, just remember that you’re not alone in this, you have great people around you who understand.
Put on some of your favourite music and just take 5 minutes out to think of why you’re doing this. Hopefully that will give you a good feeling and then you can get on with the rest of the day.
R – Room
There is a lot to be said for just getting on with your work and spending time just concentrating on your studies. But staying in your room from the moment you get back from classes until the time you head to bed isn’t always the most productive of ways of working.
Sometimes you need to go and have human interaction or just to get out of the four walls of your room. Even if it’s just a walk in the fresh air for 20 minutes, walking away from the books for a short period of time might just allow you to think of a different way of writing an essay or whatever you are working on at the time.
S – Studying
Studying is why we are all at university (mostly!). Studying is very important for you to leave university after 3 years with the best degree you can achieve. Studying is more than just reading books, it could be going somewhere that is relevant to your degree. That could be a museum, library, event or talk.
I’m trying not to sound like my parents when I give advice but ultimately you get out of a degree, what you put into it. Hard work together with your own natural ability will give you a great advantage over other people.
So there are a few tips for Freshers – Find a balance between your social life and your study life – The next 3 years will fly by.
If you are looking for student accommodation for the next academic year, take a look at our website and the number-one house finder platform at www.studentpad.co.uk
Jools Oughtibridge
Photo by Levi Guzman on Unsplash
