My University Tips

As someone who has been to University twice to study a Bachelor and Master degree, I think I know a thing or two about university. It's coming up to the time of year where university is beginning and there's probably many freshers nervous about going or things they may need to bring. Well, I got you covered because I'm going to share my top ten tips for university as a bit of reassurance. This also may be useful to any returning students as I found some useful tips from posts and YouTube videos whenever I returned to university every year. Either way I hope this is helpful to any students out there looking for a bit of guidance as they prepare to go to University this year.

1. Get all your student finance sorted before you go

The one crucial element is making sure you get your student finance sorted. In the UK, I know with undergraduates there's two elements of the finances. One is for the tuition fees that automatically gets paid in three parts at the start of each term and this money you don't see as it never enters your account. You just know it's there from your student finance account page and it's just a way to get your tuition fees paid. The second element is money for maintenance which gets spent on things like accommodation fees, groceries and spending money for the term. These finances get paid at the start of the three terms and it's really important to get your student finances in order before you go to university as iit makes your university life so much easier. 

2. Organise all your important documents

University is the time to learn how to be an adult and it means having to keep track of important documents like your national insurance number, medical history, bank details, student finance documents and university documents. I would highly recommend either getting a box file or one of those folders which is sectioned with dividers so you can keep things organised. Another really important thing is having an ID as you're a student, you're most likely going to get an ID when you go to clubs and things so either have your passport or your driving licence. Even if you haven't passed your test then get a provisional licence as that's another form of ID that will help you. Also keeping all your important documents in one place really helps you to keep track of it and know where to find it in case you need it. 

3. Try not to take everything but the kitchen sink

After going to university twice, one thing that I struggled with was overpacking. I'm talking about filling the car to the brim with stuff. A lot of stuff I didn't even use that often. For example, kitchen supplies. All you really need is one frying pan, one saucepan, baking tray, wooden spoon, spatula, chopping board, sharp knife and a tin opener as well as a few cutlery and dishes. That's it because you think you're going to be a great chef and learn recipes but chances are you're not. I brought way more utensils than I needed. I brought many notebooks and stationery. I brought things just in case I got bored in my room. Granted you can bring things that have meaning to you. I brought my television and playstation because it was something I knew I was going to use a lot of. Even with stationary, just fill a pencil case and if you run out then go out and buy more. That's one thing some people forget that university is not in the middle of nowhere there are shops nearby that probably stock everything you need. It doesn't matter if you forget something at home because you can always wait until you visit home again or just purchase it in the shop while you're away at university. Just try to bring the essentials with you first then if you have room bring the sentimental things and just in case but try not to go mad with the overpacking. When I did my master's, I was on the fourth floor and there was no lift in my section of the accommodation so I had to lug everything with my mum up four flights of stairs and it was not fun. This is why I highly recommend that you don't overpack for university because you might be on the top floor and there might not be a lift. 

4. On your first day, leave your door open

This is something I really recommend, especially if you're a fresher. I feel like with student accommodation they try to put freshers together in one block which is really handy because it means you're sharing with people who probably have the exact same feelings as you. Keeping your door open while you're unpacking allows you a chance to meet people who are arriving at your block but also lets people know that they can come in and introduce themselves to you. Plus it just means you have people to go with the fresher events with. In my first year, I did this and not only did I meet people I was sharing a block with but I met a second year who asked if we wanted to meet the people on the second floor and in the end we ended up meeting nearly everyone in the hall on the first day which honestly was a relief because it meant I got to hang out with people during freshers week so I would highly recommend propping your door open on the first day with a box while you unpack as it really gives you a chance to meet people in your flat and make friends.

5. Try to go to as many Fresher events as you can

I would highly recommend this as it is another chance to meet new people and make some friends. Whether it's going to the Freshers fair and signing up to a society or just going to the fresher event at the union during the night. Either way it's just a great chance to meet people plus there's lots of things to do whether you drink or don't drink. Try to make the most of it as it's a whole week of not worrying about lectures and assignments yet plus you can just have fun with other people. Another thing my university did was hold a little introduction to the course which I recommend you go to as it's a chance to get a feel of what you'll be doing and a chance to meet people who are taking the same course as you are. Although I remember during my introduction to the course, it made me feel like I made a big mistake coming to university because I felt like I didn't know anything and would be rubbish at my course. Although it turns out that was just the nerves talking and I thoroughly enjoyed my course for all it's worth and getting a 2:1 grade was honestly an amazing feeling. 

6. Freshers flu is real

This is definitely not a myth and it will hit you like a tonne of bricks. People expect it to happen during Freshers week and in some cases it does but it often tends to happen during the couple of weeks after Freshers. It will be the sore throats, the colds, the headaches and just feeling very rough. I would highly recommend you kit yourself out with a first aid kit that has everything you need such as pain killers, lemsip, boxes of tissues, soup, orange juice, and water. Another good tip is get yourself registered with a local GP. A lot of GPs can be registered online. I didn't do this with my bachelor's degree but during my master's it was the COVID Pandemic and it was highly recommended to register with a GP so that you had more of a chance of getting the vaccine. Plus things can often happen. Symptoms could get worse or you may need to get yourself on some contraception so I strongly suggest registering to a GP as it's one of those things you may not need during the time at University but it's there if you do need it. 

7. Attend all your lectures

Honestly, it's not worth skipping lectures because it can turn into a bit of a habit. I was guilty of this and one of the reasons why I came to skip lectures particularly in my first year was because of an assignment and I didn't attend my lecture because I struggled with the assignment and felt like it wasn't good enough. Turns out I was wrong and I think I just got into the habit of not attending the lectures instead of facing what I feared. This was a big mistake as had I gone to that lecture, I could have shown my progress and gained some crucial tips on how to improve which probably would have helped my assignments. I skipped this particular lecture so much that I got an email and you know it's bad when you get an email from your lecturer about your attendance. Turns out I had nothing to fear as I had a one on one meeting with my lecturer, I showed her my work. She said that it wasn't bad and that I had nothing to worry about. Of course there were improvements that needed to be made but that was normal. It made me realise that lecturers are not as scary as you may think. They do actually care about you as long as you show them you're willing to put in the effort. I knew when I got that attendance email that something needed to be done and so I faced my fears and dealt with it. Definitely attend your lectures as you are at university to get a degree and it is just easier on everyone involved. Plus you get to know your lecturers better and they'll be able to spend one on one time with you when it comes to doing your assignments too so it can really help in the long run. 

8. Make use of the university library

One thing I would highly recommend is making as much use of the university library as you possibly can. Honestly, it's a huge advantage to have the library there because it's a place to do your assignments and I found it a productive place as there were no distractions but also it's a place to find references for your assignments. A lot of lecturers have a list of references at the end of their powerpoints and I highly recommend taking out those books from the library because your lecturers have put those references in there for a reason. I know these days there are a lot of ebooks which makes it so much easier but actually putting in the effort to get the book and find the reference is a must. Plus books are references that many lecturers regard highly so the more books you have in your bibliography at the end of the essay then the better chance you'll get at a good mark. I took out a lot of books one time and some had only one reference I could use but you can guarantee I used it in my assignment just so I had another reference. It's also just a great place to do your assignments because there's very limited distractions. Also the computers have all the programmes you need as when I was in university doing my advertising degree, I often needed Photoshop for my assignments so I definitely took advantage of the library computers so I can use photoshop on there without having to purchase it myself. I would highly recommend making as much use of the university library and all the services it has on offer. It will definitely make your university life so much easier. 

9. Be open minded

This is a really important tip when going to university is to be open minded because the majority of the time, you don't know who your new flatmates and coursemates are going to be. Everyone has grown up in lots of different backgrounds that may be very different to yours. The best thing you can do is be open minded about everyone you meet as you can't really judge somebody until you get to know them. It's always good to just be friendly and open with people you meet. Afterall, you're all in the same boat as this is the first time many of you have lived on your own and you also have to live with these people for an entire year, the less awkward then the better it will be for all of you. Just get to know people and see how it goes. You don't have to become the best of friends but it doesn't take much effort to be nice. Just think you have to most likely share the communal areas with one another too. Just remember not everyone has had the same life as you so just be open minded about everyone you meet and you will be fine. 

10. Be Yourself

This is my biggest tip of university and that is to just be yourself. A lot of people use university as a way to start again and reinvent themselves and that's okay. However, don't completely change and pretend to be someone you're not as all that will slowly unravel. Just be your normal self and you should be fine. Of course if you're someone who prefers to be locked in your room, playing video games then maybe save that for a couple of weeks after you've settled in because the first couple of weeks are crucial to making new friends at university. There's plenty of times you'll have where you can be as unsociable as you like and university is so much easier if you manage to make a couple of friends. Plus you may find your lifelong best friends at university and they're gonna love you even more if you're 100% real with them.

There we have it! Those are my top ten university tips. I hope they were useful to anyone heading off to university in September. Let me know if you have any other tips for university, I'd love to hear them.

That's all I have to say for now. Thank you for reading my blog and I'll be back again soon with another post. 

See you then. 

Megan x 

*This is not a sponsored post* 

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