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Starting at Sheffield hallam

I start uni at Sheffield Hallam Uni in less than a month and I am terrified. I don't know what to do while I wait, what to buy in preparation, what it's going to be like, how to navigate such a massive place when I didn't even walk to my old college by myself. I hate feeling like this- so scared and clueless. I'm going to a totally different course to my friend and I don't know anybody else who's doing my course. I'm not the best at making friends so I'm clueless in that too.
I'm autistic and the one thing I need when I go literally anywhere is a set list of what's going to happen. A step by step plan so I know where I'm going, what's happening, what to expect. I can't find tha anywhere. The uni website and materials are just full of approximates and maybes which does not help much.
If anyone has any advice, I'd be glad to hear it. :smile:

Reply 1

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by miztwizted

Hey there @miztwizted !

Congratulations on your place at Hallam, you'll love it! All you need to buy are the basics for starting university so that includes your pots and pans, your bedding and anything that would be essential for your first day living in your new flat. My advice is even if your accommodation comes with a 3/4 sized bed, still buy a double sized duvet and cover because most second year student houses come with a double bed. Anything you won't need for the first day you arrive, you can always just buy when you get there. It's also a good chance to spend time with your flatmates because you can go out together shopping. There's an IKEA only a tram ride away and a B&M/Wilkos in the city centre which are cheap ways to find good room decoration. The campus itself is easy to work your way around depending on which campus you're studying at. City Campus is in the heart of the city and there's signs literally everywhere telling you where all the different buildings are. There's also Hallam Help staff dotted round campus during the first couple of weeks to help people find their way around which really helped me in my first year.

Have you tried joining any freshers Facebook groups yet? If you type in on Facebook 'Sheffield Hallam freshers 2023' there will be plenty of groups to choose from. I'd recommend joining them all. Once you get accepted you can type in on the search bar your accommodation and your course and there will be some previous posts from people looking for people on that course or in that accommodation. If no one has started a post for either your course or accommodation then it's a great opportunity for you to start one and meet new people. I guarantee there will be people sat at home waiting for someone to post something about their course as everyone is in the same boat and everyone is nervous to start uni. Usually people will have started groupchats that you can join and start meeting people. Really take advantage of this because its so much easier to chat to new people over social media than approach them in person. From these groupchats I found a group of friends to walk into my first lecture with and sit with. These are my close friends to this day so it really helped me. I'd even suggest on your first day just going in and sitting with someone rather than taking a table by yourself because you might end up picking the most extroverted person there that makes it so easy to be friends with them.

Life at Hallam is lovely and I really think you'll enjoy it. Whilst you wait, have a look on social media of some videos of people living in the city to really start to get a feel for the place. You can find great cafe spots to do your work in or look at some attractions to see around the city. It will help to stabilise the anticipation if you live through someone else being there. My favourite thing about Sheffield as a city is that it's quite close-knit in the sense that once you know your way around, it's easy to get where you want to go and you'll never find yourself lost. It has amazing transport links and everything you need is in the city centre. I knew my way around in the first month or so and its a comfortable size in the sense that you'll know where everything is in a small matter of time. Keep your eyes peeled on the Hallam website for the welcome week events which go live at the beginning of September. This will include sports and societies fairs which are a great way to make friends. There's also a freebies fair which is exactly what it says on the tin, you go and get free stuff. It's a great thing to do with your flat to bond.

Hope this helped! If you have any more specific questions let me know!
Lucy - Digital Student Ambassador SHU

Reply 2

Jess_Lomas

Hi,
Have you spoken with the disability support team at Hallam
I know they have a discord for autistic students so you could meet others there that share your worries and second and third years that are also able to provide adive
Also have you been invited to the zoom induction as they have them for the new autistic students starting which explain things like the campus and things to consider and what will happen
Also you would be able to get a support plan which might not help in the first week but gives reasurance that the lectures won't pressure you into doing things that you don't want as well as them probably being able to provide you with more detailed instructions of what was going to happen

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