What must I know before going to uni/beginners students who are going to uni
Hi there,
As I am going uni for the first time in my life in Sep. As I need to know as many life skills, tips and advice as possible and it would be great to know your own experiences and the uni lessons you have learnt during uni, and what you have thought about it. Generally anything and everything I must know about. Also what I must bring with me to uni and lessons wise? But anything, please do let me know and help me if you can and give much guidance that would mean a lot. Especially for beginners students who are entering uni for the first time.
As I am going uni for the first time in my life in Sep. As I need to know as many life skills, tips and advice as possible and it would be great to know your own experiences and the uni lessons you have learnt during uni, and what you have thought about it. Generally anything and everything I must know about. Also what I must bring with me to uni and lessons wise? But anything, please do let me know and help me if you can and give much guidance that would mean a lot. Especially for beginners students who are entering uni for the first time.
Original post by Anonymous
Hi there,
As I am going uni for the first time in my life in Sep. As I need to know as many life skills, tips and advice as possible and it would be great to know your own experiences and the uni lessons you have learnt during uni, and what you have thought about it. Generally anything and everything I must know about. Also what I must bring with me to uni and lessons wise? But anything, please do let me know and help me if you can and give much guidance that would mean a lot. Especially for beginners students who are entering uni for the first time.
As I am going uni for the first time in my life in Sep. As I need to know as many life skills, tips and advice as possible and it would be great to know your own experiences and the uni lessons you have learnt during uni, and what you have thought about it. Generally anything and everything I must know about. Also what I must bring with me to uni and lessons wise? But anything, please do let me know and help me if you can and give much guidance that would mean a lot. Especially for beginners students who are entering uni for the first time.
Hi,
I was the first one in my family to go to university so it was quite daunting going into something where no one else had knowledge on it and know this would have been super useful for me if I had this, so I hope this helps.
Tips and Advice
Be aware that a lot of your degree will be you doing independent work (may be a bit different depending on the course you do) so you have to be able to manage your time well if you want to make sure that your life is balanced and that you don't burn out! A good way of doing this is getting a planner or a diary and maybe having some colour co-ordination for stuff so it is broke down. Some things I would include would be when assignments are due, when you plan to see friends or are doing social activities as this can make sure you are splitting your time well. You could also break down what parts of assignments you can get done when however I would recommend doing this after you have been there a bit to figure out the best pacing of stuff for yourself.
Try and join any official Facebook groups before staring as this is a great way of being able to connect to people ahead of time this could be flat mates if you are moving away, course mates or people who are wanting to join the same society or sports team as you.
Remember you are allowed to feel daunted by this chance it can be a big step for people and there is a difference from doing your A-Levels it is something you are going to have to get use to but you will it just takes time.
You won't get along with everyone and that is okay - I feel like this is something you are more aware of if you are living with people and this sometimes can be that people have been brought up differently to you which you have to remember as not everyone thinks the same as you do.
Some tips for settling in your first few weeks would be:
1. Have a walk round your campus (if your university is campus based if its a city more just explore what buildings you will be working in) try to figure out where things are this should hopefully limit how many times you get lost.
2. Bring home comforts (bedding, photos anything that reminds you of home) this is a great way of helping you to settle into your new place.
3. Be brave - talk to people everyone is nervous and your all in the same boat and you never know you might end up talking to a life long friend!
What to Bring
Some examples or key things to bring would be:
Kitchen
1. Basic necessities such as utensils and plates and bowls - I would recommend trying to get some that aren't plain as I find a lot of people have similar which can make it easier to mix up so if you can get a distinctive colour that would be useful.
2. Pans - check with your university if they provide them and if your accommodation has induction hobs - at Edge Hill most if not all accommodation available have induction hobs so if you don't get the correct pans you can't cook using the hob. Mine are from Sainsburys if anyone struggles to find them. I would also recommend if you do have to buy them just buy ones you would actually use for example I just have small one and big one as this can be more expensive otherwise.
Bedroom
1. Many unis usually request for a mattress protector to be used and they can help with if the mattress isn't the most comfortable as it provides a bit of a layer between yourself and the mattress.
2. A couple of duvet sets options would also be recommended so that you put a fresh one on whilst the other is being washed.
3. Organisers - these are great to make the most out of your space.
4. I would recommend getting any decorative pieces once you have moved in as this will then give you an idea of space.
Some General Stuff
1. Extension lead
2. Hangers
3. White tac - as this isn't meant to stain the walls
4.Medicine
5. Batteries
Also another tip I found on helping to get some ideas on stuff to bring would be looking at lists in general you can find online but also watching peoples YouTube videos, there are also some who do a repeat a year later and say what they actually used which I think can be especially useful.
You could always ask flatmates if you can borrow anything if you have forgot something I'm sure they will be happy to let you use them.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions
Rebecca
2nd Year Geoenvironmental Hazards Student
Thanks for that I really appreciate it so many things to absorb!
Original post by EdgeHillStudents
Hi,
I was the first one in my family to go to university so it was quite daunting going into something where no one else had knowledge on it and know this would have been super useful for me if I had this, so I hope this helps.
Tips and Advice
Be aware that a lot of your degree will be you doing independent work (may be a bit different depending on the course you do) so you have to be able to manage your time well if you want to make sure that your life is balanced and that you don't burn out! A good way of doing this is getting a planner or a diary and maybe having some colour co-ordination for stuff so it is broke down. Some things I would include would be when assignments are due, when you plan to see friends or are doing social activities as this can make sure you are splitting your time well. You could also break down what parts of assignments you can get done when however I would recommend doing this after you have been there a bit to figure out the best pacing of stuff for yourself.
Try and join any official Facebook groups before staring as this is a great way of being able to connect to people ahead of time this could be flat mates if you are moving away, course mates or people who are wanting to join the same society or sports team as you.
Remember you are allowed to feel daunted by this chance it can be a big step for people and there is a difference from doing your A-Levels it is something you are going to have to get use to but you will it just takes time.
You won't get along with everyone and that is okay - I feel like this is something you are more aware of if you are living with people and this sometimes can be that people have been brought up differently to you which you have to remember as not everyone thinks the same as you do.
Some tips for settling in your first few weeks would be:
1. Have a walk round your campus (if your university is campus based if its a city more just explore what buildings you will be working in) try to figure out where things are this should hopefully limit how many times you get lost.
2. Bring home comforts (bedding, photos anything that reminds you of home) this is a great way of helping you to settle into your new place.
3. Be brave - talk to people everyone is nervous and your all in the same boat and you never know you might end up talking to a life long friend!
What to Bring
Some examples or key things to bring would be:
Kitchen
1. Basic necessities such as utensils and plates and bowls - I would recommend trying to get some that aren't plain as I find a lot of people have similar which can make it easier to mix up so if you can get a distinctive colour that would be useful.
2. Pans - check with your university if they provide them and if your accommodation has induction hobs - at Edge Hill most if not all accommodation available have induction hobs so if you don't get the correct pans you can't cook using the hob. Mine are from Sainsburys if anyone struggles to find them. I would also recommend if you do have to buy them just buy ones you would actually use for example I just have small one and big one as this can be more expensive otherwise.
Bedroom
1. Many unis usually request for a mattress protector to be used and they can help with if the mattress isn't the most comfortable as it provides a bit of a layer between yourself and the mattress.
2. A couple of duvet sets options would also be recommended so that you put a fresh one on whilst the other is being washed.
3. Organisers - these are great to make the most out of your space.
4. I would recommend getting any decorative pieces once you have moved in as this will then give you an idea of space.
Some General Stuff
1. Extension lead
2. Hangers
3. White tac - as this isn't meant to stain the walls
4.Medicine
5. Batteries
Also another tip I found on helping to get some ideas on stuff to bring would be looking at lists in general you can find online but also watching peoples YouTube videos, there are also some who do a repeat a year later and say what they actually used which I think can be especially useful.
You could always ask flatmates if you can borrow anything if you have forgot something I'm sure they will be happy to let you use them.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions
Rebecca
2nd Year Geoenvironmental Hazards Student
I was the first one in my family to go to university so it was quite daunting going into something where no one else had knowledge on it and know this would have been super useful for me if I had this, so I hope this helps.
Tips and Advice
Be aware that a lot of your degree will be you doing independent work (may be a bit different depending on the course you do) so you have to be able to manage your time well if you want to make sure that your life is balanced and that you don't burn out! A good way of doing this is getting a planner or a diary and maybe having some colour co-ordination for stuff so it is broke down. Some things I would include would be when assignments are due, when you plan to see friends or are doing social activities as this can make sure you are splitting your time well. You could also break down what parts of assignments you can get done when however I would recommend doing this after you have been there a bit to figure out the best pacing of stuff for yourself.
Try and join any official Facebook groups before staring as this is a great way of being able to connect to people ahead of time this could be flat mates if you are moving away, course mates or people who are wanting to join the same society or sports team as you.
Remember you are allowed to feel daunted by this chance it can be a big step for people and there is a difference from doing your A-Levels it is something you are going to have to get use to but you will it just takes time.
You won't get along with everyone and that is okay - I feel like this is something you are more aware of if you are living with people and this sometimes can be that people have been brought up differently to you which you have to remember as not everyone thinks the same as you do.
Some tips for settling in your first few weeks would be:
1. Have a walk round your campus (if your university is campus based if its a city more just explore what buildings you will be working in) try to figure out where things are this should hopefully limit how many times you get lost.
2. Bring home comforts (bedding, photos anything that reminds you of home) this is a great way of helping you to settle into your new place.
3. Be brave - talk to people everyone is nervous and your all in the same boat and you never know you might end up talking to a life long friend!
What to Bring
Some examples or key things to bring would be:
Kitchen
1. Basic necessities such as utensils and plates and bowls - I would recommend trying to get some that aren't plain as I find a lot of people have similar which can make it easier to mix up so if you can get a distinctive colour that would be useful.
2. Pans - check with your university if they provide them and if your accommodation has induction hobs - at Edge Hill most if not all accommodation available have induction hobs so if you don't get the correct pans you can't cook using the hob. Mine are from Sainsburys if anyone struggles to find them. I would also recommend if you do have to buy them just buy ones you would actually use for example I just have small one and big one as this can be more expensive otherwise.
Bedroom
1. Many unis usually request for a mattress protector to be used and they can help with if the mattress isn't the most comfortable as it provides a bit of a layer between yourself and the mattress.
2. A couple of duvet sets options would also be recommended so that you put a fresh one on whilst the other is being washed.
3. Organisers - these are great to make the most out of your space.
4. I would recommend getting any decorative pieces once you have moved in as this will then give you an idea of space.
Some General Stuff
1. Extension lead
2. Hangers
3. White tac - as this isn't meant to stain the walls
4.Medicine
5. Batteries
Also another tip I found on helping to get some ideas on stuff to bring would be looking at lists in general you can find online but also watching peoples YouTube videos, there are also some who do a repeat a year later and say what they actually used which I think can be especially useful.
You could always ask flatmates if you can borrow anything if you have forgot something I'm sure they will be happy to let you use them.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions
Rebecca
2nd Year Geoenvironmental Hazards Student
Original post by Anonymous
Thanks for that I really appreciate it so many things to absorb!
No problem!
Let me know if you have any specific questions on anything and I can try and help answer them.Rebecca
Another question to ask when it comes to lessons and lectures wise. What must I take with me, e.g. a bag to take and add essentials? Please let me know. Also, what skills and experience you must have or at least learn before going to uni? Hope my question makes sense and is easy to answer.
Original post by Anonymous
Another question to ask when it comes to lessons and lectures wise. What must I take with me, e.g. a bag to take and add essentials? Please let me know. Also, what skills and experience you must have or at least learn before going to uni? Hope my question makes sense and is easy to answer.
For bag I would mostly recommend a back pack as dependent on how you like to organise yourself it could be quite heavy so its nicer having the weight across both shoulder's. However, if you wouldn't bring that much then a shoulder bag would work.
I would say a pencil case with some pens (coloured and normal black/blue), highlighters, pencil, ruler, rubber and sharpener would be the main things I would say. As I find following a coloured system no matter my module rather useful e.g. a colour for any definitions, statistics, a main topic for example obviously these things would be different based on your degree. But try and not have too many different colours for this I would say really four colours corresponding with different things and then if you do the same for each module you then know when flicking through what certain things are.
I have a separate notebook for each module however you could do a refill notepad and then have folders however I feel like that takes up a lot of space and a lot of the time in my lectures I will flick back to previous work which you couldn't really do if you had folders as your bag would be rather full.
Skills Before Uni:
I would say for this figure out the best note taking for you whether that is through written notes or digital - as this will save a lot of time as at the beginning I would just use random colours constantly so then I didn't know what was important or not for example.
Time management for sure is a key skill but I feel like you can pick this up easily at uni.
Referencing is something you will likely learn at university (likely will be dependent on the degree you do but I'm pretty sure most if not all degrees at Edge Hill include referencing in your work, so that potentially will be the same for others) however if you have some experience on this it will be useful but don't worry if not you will soon pick it up.
Most universities prefer for you to use journal articles in your work so if you can try and do that from the beginning that would be good, just be aware that some of the language they use you won't understand and will make more sense as you learn. I would maybe recommend doing some reading of journal articles before you start as that will hopefully help you wrap your head around them. This isn't a necessity but would be a bit of a recommendation but only like 1-3 don't do too many as your lecturers should teach you about these. So maybe see if they have a list of anything they would like you to complete prior to starting and if not maybe look at any modules you are doing in first year and find one of interest and have a read of a few. One thing we were taught which may be similar which would come in useful for your degree is usually the most important stuff from a journal article comes from the abstract, introduction and conclusion. But if its a really useful one then I will read it all but usually those three give an overall idea on the information. So maybe if you do wish to have a look just focus on those.
Hope that helps! Let me know there is anything or anything you want me to explain further
Rebecca
2nd Year Geoenvironmental Hazards Student
Buying textbooks is a scam lol
Hi,
Lots of great advice posted here but i just wanted to add a few things for you.
In terms of what to take to lectures, I would suggest taking your laptop/tablet and a notebook and a selection of pens/highlighters for taking notes. I prefer pen to paper but lots of people use their laptops to take notes so its whatever works best for you. Take a bottle that you can refill with water for lectures and snacks
. Having a look at what the lecture is the night before so you can read around it slightly is a good idea too. You shouldnt need to buy any textbooks, you should be able to get hold of everything you need through the unis resources/library. You will defo need to find a way to be organised and schedule your time to fit in the at home study required, maybe get a big wall planner or a diary, alot of your work will be independent. When you arrive and meet all your classmates, if no1 else suggests it, suggest creating a whatsapp group to help with assignments. I didnt have this in my first year and it was hard, second year was so much better having a whatsapp group to help each other out.
A couple of things to take for living away from home:
Ikea do a student essentials kit for kitchen essentials, this might be a good idea.
A couple of sets bedding, towels, hangers, chargers/extension leads, laundry basket/bag, maybe some storage boxes for under your bed (if theres space), some desk related organisers to help with your studies, blankets for winter, some basic cleaning supplies for your room.
Good luck with your first year of uni, its going to be a great experience!
Victoria
-Wrexham Uni Rep
Lots of great advice posted here but i just wanted to add a few things for you.
In terms of what to take to lectures, I would suggest taking your laptop/tablet and a notebook and a selection of pens/highlighters for taking notes. I prefer pen to paper but lots of people use their laptops to take notes so its whatever works best for you. Take a bottle that you can refill with water for lectures and snacks
. Having a look at what the lecture is the night before so you can read around it slightly is a good idea too. You shouldnt need to buy any textbooks, you should be able to get hold of everything you need through the unis resources/library. You will defo need to find a way to be organised and schedule your time to fit in the at home study required, maybe get a big wall planner or a diary, alot of your work will be independent. When you arrive and meet all your classmates, if no1 else suggests it, suggest creating a whatsapp group to help with assignments. I didnt have this in my first year and it was hard, second year was so much better having a whatsapp group to help each other out.A couple of things to take for living away from home:
Ikea do a student essentials kit for kitchen essentials, this might be a good idea.
A couple of sets bedding, towels, hangers, chargers/extension leads, laundry basket/bag, maybe some storage boxes for under your bed (if theres space), some desk related organisers to help with your studies, blankets for winter, some basic cleaning supplies for your room.
Good luck with your first year of uni, its going to be a great experience!
Victoria
-Wrexham Uni Rep
Thanks for your help and advice means a lot to me and I am definitely adding them to my notes!
I really like where I can ask for advice and ask questions. I find it so useful. Thanks again, I appreciate it with ur help.
I really like where I can ask for advice and ask questions. I find it so useful. Thanks again, I appreciate it with ur help.
I think you should just follow the flow and have your unique experience
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