Things you wish you had known before starting university
Discussion for current and prospective students about social life at university, societies, what stationery and bedroom items to buy and anything else relating to life as a university student.
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Things you wish you had known before starting universityI'm sure that lots of people who will be starting uni in a few months will have no idea what to do, with no older siblings to guide them etc etc.
So, this thread is for non-freshers to post any experiences/advice they might have to people starting in September/October!
(I'm starting at Lancaster, so people already at Lancaster particularly welcome to post in this thread!)
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Re: Things you wished you knew before starting universitySpend more time than anything else in the company of those you live with. They'll be your friends for at least a year. The people that didn't make the big effort in the first few days and weeks seemed to get less from the overall experience of university.
Last edited by Joel4fun4u; 19-08-2011 at 13:10. -
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Re: Things you wished you knew before starting universityFirstly, when moving in, take lots of alcohol - preferably stuff that is easily shared, i.e. probably not a bottle of vodka as you'll want that to yourself, but small 300ml bottles of beer, cider, alcopops and maybe something cheap like apple sourz works well. Snacks that you can also share work well too.
Go out every night, too. Don't be sat in your room. Just don't.
However, when you are in your room, always have your door open unless you are masturbating or getting changed.
Also, take things like Xboxes and Wiis as they are great for breaking the ice with your flatmates.
Go along to all of the Freshers activities, too. And don't consign yourself to your flatmates as you will be seeing them plenty over the next year anyway. Try and make friends with people who are neither your flatmates nor your coursemates - and not people you know from home either. You'll have many years to get to know your coursemates. Try and take up a sport, too. Sports socials are great and playing a sport will help keep you fit and healthy, too. This is a regret of mine.
Don't try and sort out the living stuff like washing up liquid, soap, toilet paper etc. until after freshers week. Make freshers week a week to remember (or one that you should in theory have remembered but drank too much to).
Don't be afraid of "getting with" other people either. Even if it's just a freshers fling. People aren't judgemental at university and the only people who will care about your sex life are the people without their own. This goes to virgins too - no-one will care or make fun of you.
So really, just be as sociable as possible. -
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Re: Things you wished you knew before starting universityI'll definitely be following this(Original post by Smack)
Firstly, when moving in, take lots of alcohol - preferably stuff that is easily shared, i.e. probably not a bottle of vodka as you'll want that to yourself, but small 300ml bottles of beer, cider, alcopops and maybe something cheap like apple sourz works well. Snacks that you can also share work well too.
Go out every night, too. Don't be sat in your room. Just don't.
However, when you are in your room, always have your door open unless you are masturbating or getting changed.
Also, take things like Xboxes and Wiis as they are great for breaking the ice with your flatmates.
Go along to all of the Freshers activities, too. And don't consign yourself to your flatmates as you will be seeing them plenty over the next year anyway. Try and make friends with people who are neither your flatmates nor your coursemates - and not people you know from home either. You'll have many years to get to know your coursemates. Try and take up a sport, too. Sports socials are great and playing a sport will help keep you fit and healthy, too. This is a regret of mine.
Don't try and sort out the living stuff like washing up liquid, soap, toilet paper etc. until after freshers week. Make freshers week a week to remember (or one that you should in theory have remembered but drank too much to).
Don't be afraid of "getting with" other people either. Even if it's just a freshers fling. People aren't judgemental at university and the only people who will care about your sex life are the people without their own. This goes to virgins too - no-one will care or make fun of you.
So really, just be as sociable as possible. -
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Re: Things you wished you knew before starting university(Original post by Smack)
Firstly, when moving in, take lots of alcohol - preferably stuff that is easily shared, i.e. probably not a bottle of vodka as you'll want that to yourself, but small 300ml bottles of beer, cider, alcopops and maybe something cheap like apple sourz works well. Snacks that you can also share work well too.
Go out every night, too. Don't be sat in your room. Just don't.
However, when you are in your room, always have your door open unless you are masturbating or getting changed.
Also, take things like Xboxes and Wiis as they are great for breaking the ice with your flatmates.
Go along to all of the Freshers activities, too. And don't consign yourself to your flatmates as you will be seeing them plenty over the next year anyway. Try and make friends with people who are neither your flatmates nor your coursemates - and not people you know from home either. You'll have many years to get to know your coursemates. Try and take up a sport, too. Sports socials are great and playing a sport will help keep you fit and healthy, too. This is a regret of mine.
Don't try and sort out the living stuff like washing up liquid, soap, toilet paper etc. until after freshers week. Make freshers week a week to remember (or one that you should in theory have remembered but drank too much to).
Don't be afraid of "getting with" other people either. Even if it's just a freshers fling. People aren't judgemental at university and the only people who will care about your sex life are the people without their own. This goes to virgins too - no-one will care or make fun of you.
So really, just be as sociable as possible.(Original post by tnajamie)
I'll definitely be following this
for me
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Re: Things you wished you knew before starting universitySwear you've posted the same thing in nearly every "Things you wish you knew before uni" threads I see every now and then :P Good advice though(Original post by Smack)
Firstly, when moving in, take lots of alcohol - preferably stuff that is easily shared, i.e. probably not a bottle of vodka as you'll want that to yourself, but small 300ml bottles of beer, cider, alcopops and maybe something cheap like apple sourz works well. Snacks that you can also share work well too.
Go out every night, too. Don't be sat in your room. Just don't.
However, when you are in your room, always have your door open unless you are masturbating or getting changed.
Also, take things like Xboxes and Wiis as they are great for breaking the ice with your flatmates.
Go along to all of the Freshers activities, too. And don't consign yourself to your flatmates as you will be seeing them plenty over the next year anyway. Try and make friends with people who are neither your flatmates nor your coursemates - and not people you know from home either. You'll have many years to get to know your coursemates. Try and take up a sport, too. Sports socials are great and playing a sport will help keep you fit and healthy, too. This is a regret of mine.
Don't try and sort out the living stuff like washing up liquid, soap, toilet paper etc. until after freshers week. Make freshers week a week to remember (or one that you should in theory have remembered but drank too much to).
Don't be afraid of "getting with" other people either. Even if it's just a freshers fling. People aren't judgemental at university and the only people who will care about your sex life are the people without their own. This goes to virgins too - no-one will care or make fun of you.
So really, just be as sociable as possible.
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Re: Things you wished you knew before starting universityliking this thread already....
Anyone have advice for people not living in the uni's accommodation, but rather private renting. I feel as though i might be missing out socially, especially with london being so big. -
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Re: Things you wished you knew before starting universityI think that you will be missing out; sorry, no way to sugar coat it. A lot of freshers activities will be organised from halls, and the freshers team (I'd imagine every uni has one) target halls and not private accomodation for obvious reasons.(Original post by Craydot)
liking this thread already....
Anyone have advice for people not living in the uni's accommodation, but rather private renting. I feel as though i might be missing out socially, especially with london being so big.
But beyond the halls stuff, there isn't really anything else that you'll miss out on. Perhaps you should try and befriend someone who lives in halls? -
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Re: Things you wished you knew before starting universitylol, thats what i was planning..(Original post by Smack)
I think that you will be missing out; sorry, no way to sugar coat it. A lot of freshers activities will be organised from halls, and the freshers team (I'd imagine every uni has one) target halls and not private accomodation for obvious reasons.
But beyond the halls stuff, there isn't really anything else that you'll miss out on. Perhaps you should try and befriend someone who lives in halls? -
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Re: Things you wished you knew before starting universityis that why i have so few friends(Original post by Smack)
However, when you are in your room, always have your door open unless you are masturbating or getting changed. -
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Re: Things you wished you knew before starting universitySeriously, don't spend your weekends away too often especially if you want to stay close to flatmates, it's usually one of the main times when everyone's got a free schedule and can go out and do things together (not always of course) as a flat.
Just be sociable and don't try too hard, as much as you'd like to be friends with everyone, you don't always get along with everyone and that's only natural. You'll probably find you have the most in common with your coursemates really! -
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Re: Things you wished you knew before starting universityyou're screwed...(Original post by Craydot)
lol, thats what i was planning..
I'll never understand why people are so determined to go out of their way ruin their university social experience and generally with money saving ideas such as private renting and living at home with parents.Last edited by Pindar; 19-08-2011 at 15:27.
