uni life routine

Around the first 2 weeks of uni, what things should i be doing, watching out for or getting ahead of?

Reply 1

Around the first 2 weeks of uni, what things should i be doing, watching out for or getting ahead of?

if you move out for uni get to know the area your main concern in the first 2 weeks is getting comfortable with everything.

Reply 2

Kingston Reps

Official Rep

Hi!

For most students, the first two weeks is all about settling in to your accommodation and getting used to your surroundings, whether that's finding out where your nearest supermarket is or trying to locate all of your lecture halls. Try and have a conversation with all of your flatmates, and chat to a few of your coursemates, but don't worry about not doing anything major. A lot of time in those first few days will probably be spent making sure you're fully enrolled, have access to your university's online learning platforms, can register with a local GP, etc.

I would also recommend attending some of the freshers/icebreaker events put on by your university or student union. You don't have to attend them all, but they're a great way to meet new people and gain a better idea of what services and societies your uni has to offer. You never know - you might find a new hobby for life!

Best of luck! 🙃
Eve (Kingston Rep).

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 3

Heriot-Watt Uni

Official Rep

Hello!

The first two weeks of university can be very daunting, so it is natural that you might be feeling overwhelmed or worried.

As someone else said above, the first two weeks are really focused on settling in to uni living. For many people it is their first time living alone, so learning to plan your schedule, look after yourself and socialise without knowing anyone else is very important.

For me, the most helpful thing I did to settle in was to visit the city by myself. This helped me become settled in my surroundings and I felt more confident in my ability to go to new places by myself. I also remember trying as many societies and sports clubs as I could- this was helpful to meet new people and try new things! I recommend getting stuck into to everything that is offered, even if you feel it might not be for you. It is a great opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and meet new people, who are also in the same boat as you. Do not do anything that makes you uncomfy though- do what is best for you.

The main thing is to look after yourself and do what you feel is right for you. Everyone will be looking to make friends and your uni will have lots of events to go to which can be a nice way to break the ice with course/flat mates. You've got this!!

All the best!

Lucy :smile:

2nd year languages student

Reply 4

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Around the first 2 weeks of uni, what things should i be doing, watching out for or getting ahead of?

Hi there!

The first two weeks at uni are mostly going to be you settling in and finding your way around the city! I would say that in the first few days, you will be settling in to your new room and I would reccomned to unpack all of your stuff as soon as you can and make your room nice and homely as this will help you if you feel homesick at all and it's also just nice to have everything sorted and not in boxes.

Usually it will be freshers week when you first get to uni and there will be different events on during the day that you can go to as well as events at night. I would reccomned going to as many of the events in the day as you can as they are great opportunities to get to know your way around the city and the campus etc. Usually there is a freshers fair and a societies and sports fair so its worth going to these as I would say joining a society is a great opportunity.

Your course might also have welcome events on which I would say are a good idea to go to. I went to mine and it was a good opportunity to see where some of the rooms you might be in are and get to know your way around the uni buildings a bit. It's also good to meet people who might be in your classes and I met a few of my friends by doing this which was good as when uni started I already knew a few people!

It's also a good time to just look around the new city you will be living in and familiarising yourself with everything as this ca take a while but it's a good thing to do.

if you like going out there will also be lots of nights out which can be fun and good ways to meet people too!

I hope some of this helps!

Lucy -SHU student ambassador :smile:

Reply 5

UCLan Student

Official Rep

Hello,

Congratulations on starting university !!! It is a very exciting time but can also be nerve wrecking.

I would like to share my experience when I first moved into the UK, the first two weeks were filled with trying to discover the area I’m in, the nearest supermarket, the best routes to university, and where is the best coffee.

At that time, I would also open a bank account and get my finances and budgeting sorted for the year.

If you live in student accommodation, try to join and socialize with your flat mates.

Finally, I would say try to find out what your study style is by doing a study quiz and have a look at the learning outcomes in preparation for your first study week.

Best of luck,
Haya - MBBS V

Reply 6

University of Huddersfield

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Around the first 2 weeks of uni, what things should i be doing, watching out for or getting ahead of?

Anon,

Get familiar with the library. It's worthwhile to get to know where you can find the books for your subject, the best floor to work, opening and closing times and different services the library provides.

Be thinking about how to work round your timetable e.g. what societies can you realistically join? Which day or days could you do a part-time job (if you chose to)? When is the best time in the week to do laundry, go shopping, cook etc?

Watch out for any discounts or freebies as a new student. Make the most of them.

Get ahead by reading lectures beforehand so you can better understand the material. By knowing in advance what you find clear or confusing, you can ask the right questions to help you understand better and grow your knowledge quicker during the lecture or seminar.

Finally, enjoy the different uni events being held for freshers, talk to people ( as a minimum: ask them for their name, degree (and why they chose it) and where they moved to uni from), make the effort to get to know housemates, and make time to call home.

All the best,

Oluwatosin – 3rd year student – University of Huddersfield