random uni questions

How many outfits should I bring? I know I can't bring my whole wardrobe so what would be a sensible amount - provided that my uni is like max 3 hours away.

What do you do on the weekends?

What do you do when you're not on class - is it mainly socializing, doing a job or studying?

Is first year rlly important in terms of grades or is it better to focus on the social side of it?

How easy is it to get and maintain a job? How many hours are you able to work a week?

Is it popular to study abroad? Do I need to know the language before going or will I learn whilst I'm there?

What is the worst part about lectures and how did you make it more enjoyable or worthwhile?

Reply 1

WrexhamUniReps

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

How many outfits should I bring? I know I can't bring my whole wardrobe so what would be a sensible amount - provided that my uni is like max 3 hours away.

What do you do on the weekends?

What do you do when you're not on class - is it mainly socializing, doing a job or studying?

Is first year rlly important in terms of grades or is it better to focus on the social side of it?

How easy is it to get and maintain a job? How many hours are you able to work a week?

Is it popular to study abroad? Do I need to know the language before going or will I learn whilst I'm there?

What is the worst part about lectures and how did you make it more enjoyable or worthwhile?

Hi

It's great to hear that you are getting ready for university.

Last year when I was packing for university, I brought a selection of clothes for different events as sometimes there are quite a few different events that you attend at university that have different dress codes.

Weekends are different for everyone, generally, there are lots of different events that are on within either the uni or local area.

When not in lectures I know people that do all the things that you have mentioned so it is really up to you - there is lots of independence.

In terms of getting a job at Uni, it really depends on where you go to university as job availability really depends from area to area.

For me, the only downside to lectures is when you have several different lectures or seminars back to back as that can get quite overwhelming.

I hope this helps,

Matt
Wrexham Uni Reps

(edited 3 months ago)

Reply 2

University of York

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

How many outfits should I bring? I know I can't bring my whole wardrobe so what would be a sensible amount - provided that my uni is like max 3 hours away.

What do you do on the weekends?

What do you do when you're not on class - is it mainly socializing, doing a job or studying?

Is first year rlly important in terms of grades or is it better to focus on the social side of it?

How easy is it to get and maintain a job? How many hours are you able to work a week?

Is it popular to study abroad? Do I need to know the language before going or will I learn whilst I'm there?

What is the worst part about lectures and how did you make it more enjoyable or worthwhile?

Hi there,

I graduated from the University of York in 2022, which is only a couple of years ago so I remember being a student like it was yesterday, so I'll do my best to answer your questions!

1.How many outfits should I bring? I know I can't bring my whole wardrobe so what would be a sensible amount - provided that my uni is like max 3 hours away.

I brought about half my clothes with me to university in my first year. If I remember rightly, that included the following things: a couple of pairs of jeans, some leggings, a couple of dresses, a few skirts, a few jumpers, probably ~10 tops, some sports wear, and 3 or 4 pairs of pyjamas. Then as the seasons changed, and I needed different things, I often brought stuff home at holidays and swapped my clothes. You could take more or less things than I did - I probably overpacked a bit as I had the space in my mum's car to bring quite a lot!

2.What do you do on the weekends?

I tried to view my degree a bit like a job and stick to working in the week and then having a break at the weekends. Though sometimes I broke this rule if I needed to get a piece of work done for Monday!

I usually spent my weekends socialising with friends at uni, maybe going out for some drinks, watching a movie, cooking together - it depended on the weather and if we wanted a cheap weekend or not! I'd also catch up on household chores (washing, buying food etc), go into York city centre, or sometimes visit my parents, or friends from school who went to different universities.

3.What do you do when you're not on class - is it mainly socializing, doing a job or studying?

Truthfully, it's a bit of all of the above!

What I did depended on the length of the gaps I had between classes. I'd often try to meet a friend for lunch if I had a decent gap over lunchtime, or I'd go to the library and do some studying (writing up lecture notes, working on assignments, doing reading for a workshop etc). Sometimes I'd go back to my accommodation to have a nap if I had a long enough break between classes and was feeling sleepy! You'll fall into a pattern which suits you. I found treating my degree like a job worked well for me, but I had friends who would do a lot of their work at night or at the weekends, as they found that worked for them, and have their rest time at another point.

Outside of your scheduled classes, it's really up to you how you spend your time.

4.Is first year rlly important in terms of grades or is it better to focus on the social side of it?

This will depend on the course and the university. In my first year at York, our first year grades didn't count towards the degree, I think you just had to pass (get 40%) in order to go into the second year. They did this to allow everyone a year to adjust to living independently and to adapt to the different teaching styles at university. I valued both the grades and the social side of things to be honest! The concepts we learnt in first year were built on in second year, so I wanted to make sure I understood them and did the best I could in my assessments. I also had plans to apply for internships and placement years, which did look at your first-year grades, so I wanted to perform well so I could secure one of those opportunities. That being said, I definitely worked a bit harder in later years than in first year!

5.How easy is it to get and maintain a job? How many hours are you able to work a week?

I'd say this depends on your course and how many contact hours you have each week.

I studied Biology and I had between ~15 and 25 contact hours per week (depending on the year of study), plus I needed to allocate time for writing up lectures, completing pre- or post-lab work, working on assignments and of course time to eat, sleep and socialise! I personally found that maintaining a permanent part-time job was too much for me, so instead I opted to be an online tutor as I could choose my hours and fit it around my schedule. I was also a student ambassador for my department, so I'd get ad-hoc shifts doing tours, working at open days, that kind of thing.

However, if you're doing a course with fewer contact hours, it might be more feasible to work a part-time job with more regular hours. I had a friend studying Linguistics, she had around 5 to 8 hours contact time per week, and she was able to fit in working at Paperchase part-time (before it closed down of course!).

6.Is it popular to study abroad? Do I need to know the language before going or will I learn whilst I'm there?

This will likely depend on your chosen university, chosen course and where you want to study abroad. If you want to study somewhere where the courses are taught in English, then I expect you won't need to learn the language. But if it's taught in the native language, then I think you'll need a bit more than Duolingo!

At York, we have a lot of study abroad opportunities, you can go for a year (either replace a year or as an additional year) or just for a summer! If it's something you're interested in doing, I'd recommend having a look at what your chosen university/the universities you're interested in, have on offer 🙂

7.What is the worst part about lectures and how did you make it more enjoyable or worthwhile?

At York, most (if not all) courses have lectures recorded for students to re-watch later. I found to get the most out of my lectures I would go to them in-person (as this was also a good way to see my course mates and make friends), make any notes I could, then after the lecture I would re-watch it and make thorough notes. Re-watching the lectures, and being able to pause the lecturer(!), definitely helped me understand difficult concepts which I might not have followed during the lecture itself.

I hope this helps! - Hannah (she/her) 😀

Reply 3

Fai🌞

Original post by Anonymous

How many outfits should I bring? I know I can't bring my whole wardrobe so what would be a sensible amount - provided that my uni is like max 3 hours away.

What do you do on the weekends?

What do you do when you're not on class - is it mainly socializing, doing a job or studying?

Is first year rlly important in terms of grades or is it better to focus on the social side of it?

How easy is it to get and maintain a job? How many hours are you able to work a week?

Is it popular to study abroad? Do I need to know the language before going or will I learn whilst I'm there?

What is the worst part about lectures and how did you make it more enjoyable or worthwhile?

If your uni isn't far bring about 6-7 jumpers, 8 shirts, one heavy jacket for winter, one for rain, 4-6 pants, skirts or other bottoms and one or two dressy outfits for parties, gym clothes if you use them probably one more than the amount of times you train in the week (just so you have extra in case you don't do you laundry at the end of a week). Also bring some cosy outfits to lounge around in, cause your pjs might get dirty in common areas and I personally don't like wearing outside clothes in my room. That's all you need really, especially if your uni is close as you can always pop back home to exchange your clothes.

Depends on what societies you join (some run events that are quite fun to join in ), your uni and where it located, some don't have much other than pubs and clubs and the ocassional market, others have historical landmarks not too far that you can visit. You can also use your railcard to go on a short day trip to the nearest town and just explore that with your friends.

Again that depends, every student has different priorities. Some people exercise, socialise, get jobs, study, others drink in pubs, go on spontaneous cheap flights, university is frighteningly relaxed like that. You have to keep yourself in check but at the same time you have to take advantage of this time in your life wherein you can essentially try anything.

If you're trying for a scholarship, yes. If you want to study abroad yes. If not, just pass and you're guaranteed a spot in the next year, there may be gaps in your knowledge but you can fill those. Although I find consistent effort over time beats cramming. That's not to say that you can't meet people and socialise, but that you are able to prioritise both.

Getting a job at uni can be tough, but some student unions tend to have a list of them and because they are run by the student union (depending on the uni ofc) they may be able to cater to your schedule more readily around exam times. This could help with maintaining a job. There's no cap on the hours for British nationals, for those who are international its written on their visa, I think its abt 20 hrs/wk.

You don't need to know the language to go on a study abroad, it is quite popular and you should note that your grades will be taken into consideration should you request to go on it.

Sometimes the lecture is so boring or they're teaching knowledge you already know. My best advice would just be to multitask if you can, it'll allow for you to tune in enough to understand what the professor is saying and retain it while doing something that keeps you occupied. If you have any DIY projects or hobbies go ahead and bring something along to class with you (knitting project, origami etc). Then revise the notes of the lecture after if you are feeling like you're burnt out in class or that its boring so you need to split the work up.

Reply 4

jonathanemptage

Original post by Anonymous

How many outfits should I bring? I know I can't bring my whole wardrobe so what would be a sensible amount - provided that my uni is like max 3 hours away.

What do you do on the weekends?

What do you do when you're not on class - is it mainly socializing, doing a job or studying?

Is first year rlly important in terms of grades or is it better to focus on the social side of it?

How easy is it to get and maintain a job? How many hours are you able to work a week?

Is it popular to study abroad? Do I need to know the language before going or will I learn whilst I'm there?

What is the worst part about lectures and how did you make it more enjoyable or worthwhile?

1/ Loads of T shirts 10-15, 3, 4 goodies or jumpers,3-4 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs shorts (for the gym and/or hot days and other things like rock climbing😎) a good warm jacket, something smart for events like freshers ball, clubbing gear, a dressing gown and pajamas that's off the top of mt head but I'm sure you'll come up with more

2/ Usually do a little studying or work on assignments watch TV eat maybe go and train (skiing) play video games go shopping you know that type of thing.

3/ A bit of every thing really.

4/ First year grades don't carry over but you still need at least 40% to progress to the next year. it's worth while trying to get good grades though as it forms good habits for the next couple of years but don't forget to socialize. I'd set a time limit like work until 7 then go out and do stuff.

5/ There are loads of places that will hire students even in the university you can work as much as you like but don't go full time 15 hour or so a week is perfectly good alot of students just do seasonal jobs (in their home town or abroad like as a rep) in the holidays.

6/ Don't know

7/ Hopefully you'll be interested in your lectures so I sat and listened while some guys in front of me played Quake

6/ Don't know

Reply 5

UCLan Student

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

How many outfits should I bring? I know I can't bring my whole wardrobe so what would be a sensible amount - provided that my uni is like max 3 hours away.

What do you do on the weekends?

What do you do when you're not on class - is it mainly socializing, doing a job or studying?

Is first year rlly important in terms of grades or is it better to focus on the social side of it?

How easy is it to get and maintain a job? How many hours are you able to work a week?

Is it popular to study abroad? Do I need to know the language before going or will I learn whilst I'm there?

What is the worst part about lectures and how did you make it more enjoyable or worthwhile?

Hey anom,

It's great that you have so many questions! Here is my opinion:

1) Personally I focused on bringing more tops than anything else. I mainly brought clothes that could easily work in various combinations. However don't forget a winter jacket and some sort of formal/smart clothing.

2) You should use your weekend to take a break and let your brain relax. Personally I spend most my weekends going to the gym, playing video games with my friends or going for long walks with my partner. Some of my friends go out clubbing, shopping or doing various fun activities such as bowling! What you do on weekends is entirely up to you, just do anything you enjoy.

3) I do various things while not in class. As stated above I often go to the gym or socialize. However I, and most people I know, have a part-time job. The amount of free time you have away from classes is dependent on your course.

4) Grades are important as you need to pass each year to go into the next. Additionally, just like school, there is a final level/grade you achieve with a degree. Achieving a 'first-class honours' is a top grade. I would recommend googling the various grades you can achieve. The importance is entirely up to you depending on what level you are happy with achieving!

5) This really depends on the course you have taken, as some need more hours dedicated to them than others. Personally I do ad-hoc work as I'm a student ambassador; this allows me lots of flexibility with my schedule. My flatmates both have part time jobs, one in a hotel and one in retail, and it comfortably fits into their schedule. The most important part is taking the time to find the right job for you that allows you to priorities your studies.

6) The popularity depends on the university, however I have heard excellent things from students how choose to study abroad. They experienced new cultures, different ways of learning and made loads of new friends! Learning the essential parts of the native language may be appropriate in order to make your time there easier, however the importance is subject to change depending on where you are travelling to.

7) Personally, I learn better in smaller groups where I can interact with others more, therefore I prefer workshops. Luckily most my lectures are pre-recorded, so I can just watch them online at home and rewind to all the bits I miss! Hopefully you will enjoy the lecture being taught; take it as an opportunity to learn off someone extremely knowledgeable about the topic.

I hope this helps, please feel free to ask me any questions,
-Sophia (Business and Management)

Reply 6

University of Portsmouth Student Rep

Original post by Anonymous

How many outfits should I bring? I know I can't bring my whole wardrobe so what would be a sensible amount - provided that my uni is like max 3 hours away.

What do you do on the weekends?

What do you do when you're not on class - is it mainly socializing, doing a job or studying?

Is first year rlly important in terms of grades or is it better to focus on the social side of it?

How easy is it to get and maintain a job? How many hours are you able to work a week?

Is it popular to study abroad? Do I need to know the language before going or will I learn whilst I'm there?

What is the worst part about lectures and how did you make it more enjoyable or worthwhile?

Hello,

It's exciting to hear that you're beginning your first year at university!

1. As a fashion enthusiast, I recommend bringing essential items such as skirts, trousers, comfortable loungewear, statement pieces like belts and jewellery, and versatile shoes. While it depends on how frequently you plan to go home, rest assured that anything you might forget can easily be purchased upon arrival at the university.

2. Weekends are entirely up to you. If you join a sports club or society, you may make plans with friends through those activities. Alternatively, you can choose to stay in or go out, depending on your interests.

3. When not attending lectures, you will likely spend your time studying, socializing, and participating in club or society meetings. You may also consider part-time work. How you manage your time between these activities will be your responsibility, as you navigate independence.

4. I recommend balancing your time equally between studying and socializing. Although the first year may not count towards your final degree at most universities, developing an effective study routine early on is crucial for future success. Remember that you need the required grades to progress to the next year and you should strive for good grades. Equally important is building a social network; the first year is the ideal time to make friends, as everyone is eager to connect, so take advantage of activities that align with your interests.

5. Whether you work during university will depend on your time management skills and your ability to handle pressure. It is important to remember that you are balancing academics, social activities, and the challenges of living independently. To avoid becoming overwhelmed, consider checking for on-campus job opportunities, such as university ambassador positions, which typically offer manageable hours and fair compensation.

6. Studying abroad is contingent on your course and the availability of programs. While many countries accommodate English speakers, it can be beneficial to learn the local language. I suggest consulting with your university's careers department for guidance on studying abroad.

7. Lectures can sometimes be overwhelming, leading to confusion or loss of focus. If you encounter difficulties, consider taking notes on what you don't understand and seek clarification from your tutor or peers afterward. To regain focus during lectures, brief breaks for relaxation can be helpful. Over time, you'll develop your own strategies for staying engaged and comprehending the material.

I hope you find these tips helpful, and I wish you an incredible first year at university!

-Alexis Portsmouth Student Rep

(edited 3 months ago)

Reply 7

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Hi there!

University is such a fun yet new time so it is natural to have lots of questions. I will try to answer from my personal perspective.

1.How many outfits should I bring? I know I can't bring my whole wardrobe so what would be a sensible amount - provided that my uni is like max 3 hours away.
I would look through your closet and pick out the clothes that you actually wear. I find often times most of my wardrobe tends to go untouched. Make sure if you are joining a sport you have gear for that. Besides that I recommend having some skirts, long trousers, sweaters, jumpers, a rain jacket, and a coat. I would set a list, such as only packing 5 pair of trousers and 10 shirts and then picking your favorites.

2.What do you do on the weekends?
This is gonna be different for everyone and for each university. I like to go out and travel near me, visiting lots of cool parks and nearby small towns. Hanging out with friends, going on hikes, baking, as well as just decompressing from the week and catching up on any work I might have fallen behind on.

3.What do you do when you're not on class - is it mainly socializing, doing a job or studying?
When not in class there is a lot of studying going on. I recommend trying to do studying in a group, it is a lot more fun because you are able to take breaks and chat with some friends, even if they are not doing the same course as you. If not studying, I am participating in different societies and socializing with friends.

4.Is first year rlly important in terms of grades or is it better to focus on the social side of it?
Although your first year does not count towards your final grade it is a really useful year to learn how you best function at university. Therefore, I recommend really trying to balance having fun while also focusing on studies. If you figure out the best study methods and self-disciple for going to classes for yourself during first year, it makes the following years a lot easier.

5.How easy is it to get and maintain a job? How many hours are you able to work a week?
This depends on where you are going to university. However, I recommend to try to get a job via your university as they tend to be very understanding about balancing work and life. But there will always be other options available in the city where you are close to. If you are an international student you are limited to working 20 hours a week during term time. However, even if you are a domestic student I wouldn't do more than 20 just because it might become very stressful to balance everything.

6.Is it popular to study abroad? Do I need to know the language before going or will I learn whilst I'm there?
Many students will chose to study abroad but many also chose to not. It depends on the program for where you might study abroad on any language requirements. If you are interested in going abroad but don't want to go for a full year, I also recommend looking at summer programs which are shorter and tend to be run fully in English. I personally spent this summer in France and Belgium with no knowledge of any languages beside English.

7.What is the worst part about lectures and how did you make it more enjoyable or worthwhile?
For me, I often struggle to pay attention to the full lecture as it can get overwhelming or sometimes a bit boring. I recommend putting your phone full away so you aren't tempted to check it and get distracted during the lecture. I also find that actively taking notes and reacting to the professors helps me stay more engaged, the lectures go faster, and are overall more interesting.

I hope this was helpful and wish you a great year at university!
Aine
Lancaster Student Ambassador

Reply 8

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

How many outfits should I bring? I know I can't bring my whole wardrobe so what would be a sensible amount - provided that my uni is like max 3 hours away.

What do you do on the weekends?

What do you do when you're not on class - is it mainly socializing, doing a job or studying?

Is first year rlly important in terms of grades or is it better to focus on the social side of it?

How easy is it to get and maintain a job? How many hours are you able to work a week?

Is it popular to study abroad? Do I need to know the language before going or will I learn whilst I'm there?

What is the worst part about lectures and how did you make it more enjoyable or worthwhile?

Hi there,

I thought I'd answer these questions too so you can get my opinion on this too!

1- To be honest, I definitely overpacked when I first came to uni! It will be September when you start so I would mostly bring winter clothes as it will be getting colder as you are there and you can always swap some clothes around with the ones you have at home when you need to. Make sure you have a coat and also a jacket for going out if you like going out. If you like going out, I would have a couple of pairs of trousers that go with lots of things and then bring different tops to go with them. You might need more dressed up clothes, but it is unlikely that it would be often so don't worry too much about bringing really dressed up things as most things will be quite casual (or they have been in my experience).

2- Everyone will do different things at the weekend. Some people will work if they have part time jobs or some people might go home. Or, you can go out with your flatmates or other friends that you have at uni, do work, go shopping or if you have a part time job then you might have some shifts at the weekend too. It's a good time to catch up on things that you might not have had time to do during the week so use the time to do odd jobs that you need to do, tidy your room, cleaning etc as well as going out and having fun!

3- When you aren't in class, you might be working if you have a job but it depends when your shifts are really. People will often go to the library and do work or if other people are off too then you might go into town, go for a coffee or lunch etc! If you do have a job and you have a day off uni during the week you can tell them this so they can schedule you to work that day if they need people to work. It's a good time to get work down too as this might free up some time on your weekend when more people will be off and able to go out and socialise.

4- This really depends on your course- sometimes it doesn't count to anything but sometimes it will count towards your final degree grade, or sometimes you will need a certain grade to get onto your second year. I would check this so you know if you need to aim for a certain grade. Sometimes if you want to do a placement year or a year abroad, you will need the grade that you got in first year so I think it is important to do as well as you can do as you may end up needing the grades. It's also a good chance to perfect your writing style and referencing when it doesn't matter as much if you don't do as well so that when it does matter you have practiced lots of times. Socialising in first year is very important too so don't spend all of your time working, but still try and do your best!

5- I think that it depends on the place you are going on how easy it will be to get a job. Some places that have lots of students there will have less jobs as there will be more people there trying to get them, but sometimes there will be plenty of jobs available. It's worth having a look around and applying anyway as the worst they can say is no. Have a look to see if there are any campus jobs available for your university as these are good, flexible jobs too. I would say that in first year try not to work too many hours per week at first while you are finding your new routine and then you can see what works for you. Maybe 10/15 hours a week would be a good idea, but again this depends on your course and how many hours a week you will be in uni so wait until you see your timetable before you commit to certain hours.

6- It is fairly popular to study abroad and lots of people take this opportunity if they can. There will be limited places and it's usually quite competitive so if this is something you want to do, try and do some research into what your uni offers and what you would want to do when you are in first year so that you are prepared for this. In terms of speaking the language, it depends on your course really. If you are planning on studying a language then yes you would need to know it! But if you are doing another course such as maths, you wouldn't need to know the language for university, but it would be handy to know some for just generally living in that country.

7- I quite like lectures as they are a chance to see your friends and you can sit taking notes and sometimes people ask questions which are helpful. Usually, these lectures are recorded and uploaded online, but this depends on your. uni so I wouldn't bank on this in case they aren't. If they are, you can go back and listen to anything you didn't understand which is very helpful and you can also pause it/rewind at any time! The worst bit is probably that they can be a bit long and it's a lot of information at once, but just try and listen as best you can and write down all you can and you should be fine!

I hope some of this helps :smile: