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Good question! I'll also watch this thread 
Original post by fluffycloud101
leave any suggestions please
take a gap year, travel and work and travel. you will come back knowing yourself better, having better financial awarness and also a bit more insight on what course you want to do if any at all.
allows you to be an adult and independent before going to uni
Original post by fluffycloud101
leave any suggestions please
1. You won't always necessarily meet your friends for life - and that's okay and normal!
2. The first term especially might be difficult. Again this is normal. It can be easy to look around and think everyone has it all figured out, but this is not the case
3. It takes time to build friendships and they might not look like the ones you have at home
4. It definitely empowers you and helps to build your own structure. There is a lot less hours of teaching time than in school and therefore a lot of free time, it's good to plan your week ahead wisely with a good balance of study time/socialising/time for yourself/general chores
5. Your flatmates might not be your close friends or even friends at all, they might just stay flatmates. This is okay and also more common than one might think - it's okay to meet and make friends elsewhere, as long as you can find some comfort in your flat environment
Original post by fluffycloud101
leave any suggestions please
That's a great question. Mine would be:
1.
The first year is meant to help you settle into uni life and studies. Don't stress about it too much but also don't ignore it completely. Striking the right balance is important.
2.
Scoring low on your first few formatives is okay. Learning how to write essays and referencing is a learning curve. As long as you identify and learn from your mistakes, you'll get better.
3.
Nobody is going to tell you what to do- you have to figure out everything for yourself. So make it easier for yourself and learn basic life skills like cooking, washing the dishes, doing laundry, buying groceries, and cleaning up the kitchen/bathroom before you move to uni.
-Himieka
Original post by fluffycloud101
leave any suggestions please
Hi!
A very basic one but start any coursework early - get ahead of the game and stay ahead.
In my first year I left things a little last minute and the stress got insane at some points. Now in my second year I've stayed ahead of it all and it's been SO much nicer.
Another one for moving to university that I didn't know is that not everyone moves in on the same day so bring something to keep yourself entertained. In my first year only myself and one other person moved in on the first day and they moved in much later so having all my decorations to put up and PC to plug in ect. really helped to keep me busy. For that first week you really want to keep moving and doing lots so the feeling of living by yourself for the first time doesn't catch up with you too much. However, if it does that's completely normal - it can be scary moving out but it's also a great and fun experience too!
- Jessica
2nd year, Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence)
bring / get a bike if the area or campus is good for cycling. You can get to places quicker 
1. Take advantage of all facilities on campus and don’t be afraid to ask lecturers for help.
2. Keep half your cutlery and/or crockery in your room and don’t leave it in your kitchen. In my final year of my BSc, I lost all my cutlery and half my crockery, plus a couple saucepans… (housemates took them to placement and I never saw them again, and this stuff wasn’t cheap… the one year I choose to share…)
3. Join a society, far easier to make friends.
4. Just because you make “friends” at uni in your first year doesn’t mean they need to stay “friends”. Mistake I made in first year and done what I could but wasn’t successful, nor worth it. Gladly take from me despite not talking to me (Christmas) but not much else…
2. Keep half your cutlery and/or crockery in your room and don’t leave it in your kitchen. In my final year of my BSc, I lost all my cutlery and half my crockery, plus a couple saucepans… (housemates took them to placement and I never saw them again, and this stuff wasn’t cheap… the one year I choose to share…)
3. Join a society, far easier to make friends.
4. Just because you make “friends” at uni in your first year doesn’t mean they need to stay “friends”. Mistake I made in first year and done what I could but wasn’t successful, nor worth it. Gladly take from me despite not talking to me (Christmas) but not much else…
wow this is so useful - definitely watching this thread !
!Original post by Scienceisgood
2. Keep half your cutlery and/or crockery in your room and don’t leave it in your kitchen. In my final year of my BSc, I lost all my cutlery and half my crockery, plus a couple saucepans… (housemates took them to placement and I never saw them again, and this stuff wasn’t cheap… the one year I choose to share…)
That sounds so frustrating!
Original post by Chronoscope
bring / get a bike if the area or campus is good for cycling. You can get to places quicker
I have heard this tip a lot but I wouldn't bring my own as I don't want it to get stolen...
Original post by Anonymous
1. You won't always necessarily meet your friends for life - and that's okay and normal!
This is interesting as I have actually heard a lot of people say that at university you have much more of a chance to meet people who will become lifelong friends
Original post by iL1L
I have heard this tip a lot but I wouldn't bring my own as I don't want it to get stolen...
You usually just need a decent bike lock(s). I have two for instance: one lock for the front wheel and frame, and one for the back wheel and frame.
Idk about other uni's but mine seems to be quite knowledgable about bike theft and have secure bike sheds you can only access with a swipe card and CCTV
my accommodation is the same (but some uni accomms might be more lax).
I would strongly advise to anyone feeling uncertain about going to university - take a year out and avoid getting into unnecessary debt. All too often is university sold as something of a necessity by schools - many Y13s are too quick in making an application which some may regret later in life. A productive gap year can make a world of difference and you will develop many skillsets necessary to adulthood. Should you then develop a more concrete idea of what you could see yourself doing, perhaps university is the the way foreword. And if you choose that route, do your upmost to push yourself outside of your comfort zone - don't let geography or lack of familiar faces put you off from broadening your world view! As someone who was very lucky to secure a place at university abroad, the experiences gained from taking a step into the unknown will forever benefit your moral courage. Try new things, embrace a love for learning and choose a subject that you will be able to commit to.
Original post by Chronoscope
You usually just need a decent bike lock(s). I have two for instance: one lock for the front wheel and frame, and one for the back wheel and frame.
Idk about other uni's but mine seems to be quite knowledgable about bike theft and have secure bike sheds you can only access with a swipe card and CCTV my accommodation is the same (but some uni accomms might be more lax).
Idk about other uni's but mine seems to be quite knowledgable about bike theft and have secure bike sheds you can only access with a swipe card and CCTV
my accommodation is the same (but some uni accomms might be more lax).That's good!
Original post by fluffycloud101
leave any suggestions please
Hi, I'm a final year undergraduate at SOAS University of London. I'd suggest go into university with an open-mind and say yes towards a range of opportunities like joining university societies to make new friends, taking on part-time jobs to gain experience etc. University is a time that can feel unstructured and become lonely as a result, which is why it's useful to create a routine to study/socialise/do your hobbies/adulting. It's also really useful to attend all your lectures and seminars and stay on top of your work and get essays and submissions done as early as possible to avoid last minute stress. Hope this helps!
Original post by iL1L
This is interesting as I have actually heard a lot of people say that at university you have much more of a chance to meet people who will become lifelong friends
This is interesting as I have actually heard a lot of people say that at university you have much more of a chance to meet people who will become lifelong friends
I think this is definitely true, my point was that it won't happen for everyone and it's okay if it doesn't - it's more common than one might think.
Original post by fluffycloud101
leave any suggestions please
Initially, I wish I knew Magazine Journalism wasn't right for me. I should've known that Film And English was the right path, so it'd have saved me from taking a year out. I also think I could've worked closer with teachers to improve my grades, and I would've liked to be more sociable instead of resting in introversion.
Original post by iL1L
This is interesting as I have actually heard a lot of people say that at university you have much more of a chance to meet people who will become lifelong friends
I'm in touch with two people I met during my first degree, and not that regularly.
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