So, you’re about to start university – largely regarded as the best years of your life! Despite your university years being a brilliant period in your life, it can also be daunting when you are first starting out your life as a student.
In this article, we’ve provided some essential tips that will help you through your first year.
Learn to budget….quickly!
The chances are you’re going to be skint for the majority of your university life. This is why it’s essential to make the little money you do have stretch as much as possible. In essence, this means you need to learn how to budget when at university and manage your finances effectively.
Be sociable
Some people can feel isolated when first going to university, however, it’s important to remember that almost everyone is in the same boat – so most people are also looking to be sociable! Whether it’s spending time with your flatmates, course mates or joining a team or society, there are plenty of opportunities to get to know new people at university.
Get used to your surroundings
When you move to a new place for university, it’s a good idea to get a feeling for the surrounding areas and know where everything is. It can be a bit overwhelming when you move to an unknown city, so learning where different things are located can prevent you from getting lost!
Getting a better feeling for your surroundings can also help to make you feel more settled. Understandably, you may get homesick at times but being more comfortable in your new area will likely reduce the homesick feeling.
Stay on top of your work
It’s important to not let your workload pile up by putting off assignments and missing deadlines. Having too much to do at once can be overwhelming and bad for your mental health. Whilst it’s true that 1st year isn’t usually as important in terms of your final grade for your degree, it’s still important to pass the year and get into the routine of regularly doing coursework and exams.
Get used to strict deadlines and try to meet them
Uni is all about meeting deadlines, so it’s important that you get into the habit of sticking to them. Planning ahead and setting a routine so that you’re able to dedicate appropriate time to your work is a crucial skill you’ll need to learn in order to keep on top of things. Meeting deadlines will allow you to live more stress-free and ensure you are on track with tasks.
Stay in touch with friends from home
You should always try and keep in touch with your friends from back home as this can help combat feelings of loneliness and homesickness. If your friends from home are also away at university, they may be feeling isolated as well, so it’s a good idea to keep in touch and support each other.
Make use of your student discount whenever possible
One of the perks of being a student is having access to a student card which can be used for discounts with many different services! Whether you are clothes shopping or looking for a restaurant to eat at, many stores and chains offer student discount so it’s worth checking with businesses to see whether they have any student offers. Some bars will also offer student-only drink deals which is always a bonus if you are looking for somewhere to go on a night out!
Keep on top of cleaning your room/house
Students have a bad reputation for being untidy, so you should challenge that stereotype by keeping your house and room as clean as possible! On a more serious note, it’s only fair that communal areas are kept clean and hygienic and that everyone is contributing to the cleaning. Drawing names out of a hat or a cleaning rota is a good way of deciding how the domestic work will be delegated! Keeping a clean bedroom is also a good shout, as this will leave you less decluttered and give you more peace of mind.
It’s important to enjoy your time at university and make the most of your experience, but it’s equally important to look after yourself. Taking time to prepare for university life and the challenges that may arise is certainly advised and hopefully this article will help.
