5 helpful and handy tips for freshers

1. Do your research and put the work in before you arrive at university

When moving to your new university it's in your best interest to get ahead of the game before you arrive and being prepared will make your first few weeks at university so much easier. Learning the local area around your accommodation and campus is a really good way of helping yourself to settle in and you’ll feel like you know your new surroundings a little before you have even arrived, which can only be a positive. Knowing the university and surroundings will also help you to find your building on your first days of term which can be a daunting task for any student starting their course. Alongside this, understanding what you need for university can be important too; it happens too often that a person gets to university and doesn’t have what they need be that for cooking or their studies and this can add to your stress levels.

2. Don’t neglect your studies

Although fresher’s week is a time for celebration and a time to make friends not only on your course but across the university as a whole, it’s important to keep an eye on your studies. You will find plenty of time to socialise with your peers and find your footing around the university. However, fresher’s week doesn’t last forever, as quickly as it comes it’s gone again. With this in mind, it’s important to make sure you do all the work that is given to you especially any pre-reading for the weeks ahead. If you can get an upper hand on your reading and work in the first few weeks, it will help you so much more when it comes to assessment times. Learning to read legal text early will also support the work you do in seminars and lectures making you a more well-rounded student. Also the sooner you get the work done the sooner you can get back out there with new friends!

3. When arriving at university don’t be afraid to try new things and be open to change

Moving to university for most people is one of if not the biggest changes in their life to date. Moving to a new city on your own is a very big decision to take. This fear may lead to many people feeling nervous and this is completely understandable and relatable to the masses of students in the same position. With that said it’s so important to be open to new experiences and be willing to try new things. I guarantee that everybody around you is in the same boat and university is such a great experience that you get to share, ultimately allowing you to make friends for life. Having these friends and taking part in sports and societies will allow you to blow off some much-needed steam during the term that otherwise may lead to pent up feelings and emotions that aren’t healthy for you physical and mental wellbeing.

4. Bring keep sakes from home to help you with home sickness

When arriving at university you can make your stay a little bit easier with a few simple things. You have the ability to make/ change your room and living quarters to suit you (within reason). Bringing keepsakes and mementoes from home can make your stay at university that little easier. Whether it be some photos or lucky charms you have collected over the years. I know from personal experience that having such items around your room can really make it feel like home and can battle homesickness that you may face being away from your home. I found that seeing items around your room can trigger memories and make you remember the good times you have had in the past whilst stepping forward and making new and equally as memorable ones at university.

5. Don’t pack everything you have

Having keepsakes as I mentioned above can be crucial to the settling in process at university. However, this doesn’t mean bring everything you have including the kitchen sink and the goldfish, you may laugh but I know somebody who tried it at my accommodation. You don’t need to bring every possession you have. I know its difficult to decide what to take and what to leave and leaving somethings behind can seem just too hard. However, you don’t have the space for everything you own in your student room. A lot of the stuff you have at home you can get whilst at university like soap, utensils etc. In most cases it’s more expensive to bring these items then it is to buy them whilst your there. There are certain items that you will need but most universities help with kit lists and you can find lots of shops that have tick lists of everything you can take with you and what’s best to buy whilst studying.

We hope these tips help make your move to university easier and the transition doesn’t take too much of a toll. If you’re not a fresher and have any tips that we haven’t mentioned here, we would love to know them so comment below or tweet us @almostlawyers!