uni life

im going to start uni in sep 2025, im studying politics and initernation relations and have been accepted at soas, ucl, ryal holloway, reading an am waiting for ucl. how is uni life. im commuting, is it easy to find new friends. any one who has experiencd these unis i would love to hear your experiences

Original post by Anonymous

im going to start uni in sep 2025, im studying politics and initernation relations and have been accepted at soas, ucl, ryal holloway, reading an am waiting for ucl. how is uni life. im commuting, is it easy to find new friends. any one who has experiencd these unis i would love to hear your experiences

Hello,

Well done for being accepted into all of the brilliant unis whichever you choose I am sure that you will really enjoy studying course.

Ok, so firstly, don’t worry it’s natural to feel apprehensive and nervous, everyone does and you really won’t be the only one feeling this way. It’s a big step up from A-Levels and sixth form but it’s great fun and an experience i a, sure you will relish and enjoy.

Whilst I haven’t studied at any of the unis that you list, I might be able to suggest a few ideas that can help you. I commute into uni on the days that I am in, but I don’t just go in for teaching, I often pop in to see my friends who live on site, use the uni gym, and to go to the clubs I’m a member of. I don’t feel, and never really have done that I’m missing out on the uni experience by living at home and it does mean I save a lot of money on rent.

When you arrive at uni, go to the freshers fair and join the clubs and societies that interest you, that way you will meet like minded people who share your interests, and you will make lots of friends.
You could also suggest going for coffee after your lectures or se,Omar’s with some of your classmates and that way get to know people better. You will probably find in the first few weeks everyone is a bit nervous and it just takes one person to take the lead and suggest coffee that others feel more comfortable and less nervous and want to join in, but we’re too shy to ask.
At Chester, we have an app that new starting students can use to meet people on their courses before classes start, so that they can get to know people before term begins, this really helps, so it’s something you could look into when you decide which uni to accept.
I’ve seen some threads in the student room asking if anyone is starting a specific course at a specific uni and using this to meet people. Maybe you could try this?
Most importantly though I would say get involved with as much as you can , it will help you meet people. And really don’t worry!

All the best for your new adventure!
Jess
PhD English
University of Chester

It will be more difficult to make friends if you’re commuting. It might be worth looking at how much student loans you will get and finding out if you can live in halls for first year. You can always move back home and commute for later years.

Reply 3

McGinger

20

Original post by Anonymous

im going to start uni in sep 2025, im studying politics and initernation relations and have been accepted at soas, ucl, ryal holloway, reading an am waiting for ucl. how is uni life. im commuting, is it easy to find new friends. any one who has experiencd these unis i would love to hear your experiences

Don't wait for people to approach you - you actually have to make the effort to talk to people and to keep those contacts going. Make sure that you speak to the people you sit next to in classes and lectures - "Hallo I'm ..... and I'm from ...." etc. It will feel a bit cringey to start with but you will be glad you did it. Swap phone numbers and follow this up with texts - meet for a cup of tea, go to the cinema or just for a walk. This is how you cement friendships. And - at the end of a lecture etc ,just say loudly 'Anyone fancy a coffee?' instead of just drifting off - because everyone else was waiting for someone to do this.

Original post by Anonymous

im going to start uni in sep 2025, im studying politics and initernation relations and have been accepted at soas, ucl, ryal holloway, reading an am waiting for ucl. how is uni life. im commuting, is it easy to find new friends. any one who has experiencd these unis i would love to hear your experiences

Hi

Congrats for being accepted into the course that you are interested in studying.

Uni life is very varied and is different for each individual person. I think you can get the most out of uni by joining societies and sports teams and well as any other clubs that might take your fancy. This I believe is the best way to make friends and get the most out of uni life.

I hope this helps,

Matt
Wrexham University Reps

Original post by Anonymous

im going to start uni in sep 2025, im studying politics and initernation relations and have been accepted at soas, ucl, ryal holloway, reading an am waiting for ucl. how is uni life. im commuting, is it easy to find new friends. any one who has experiencd these unis i would love to hear your experiences

Hi! 🙂
Firstly on your offers, you should be proud!
I'm currently a second year and I also commute so I get being nervous about making friends, don't worry you are not the only one!

Finding friends is slightly more difficult as a commuter student, but it's not impossible. Make sure you go to welcome events, specifically ones with activities you're interested in as this means you'll meet people who also enjoy the same hobbies as you so you already have something to talk about. Another thing for this is joining societies/ sports clubs. These ensure you won't only just make friends, but also mean you're making the most of your university life and actually enjoy university.

People who live in university accommodation will meet others in their flats but not necessarily their course. With this in mind, when you start going to lectures/course specific timetabled events make sure you get to know others as you will all mostly not know each other. There will usually be group chats for courses so if you'd like, you can join and start knowing others in your course before it even starts!

I hope this helps, let me know if you have any further questions! I wish you the best with your future university life! 🙂
Fatma
Natural Sciences student.

Hi,

Congrats on getting accepted into those universities - this is a great achievement already!

University life is an exciting time, even if you're commuting. I suggest attending welcome events and freshers fairs in the first 2 weeks of term where you will be able to meet people from different courses who are all in the same boat as you. Societies and clubs are also a great way to engage with people who share the same hobbies and interests as you as it can sometimes be difficult to make friends from your classes. I would advise you to be proactive in your socialising and do not hesitate to reach out to people first and strike up conversations. As a first year student, it helps knowing that everyone is likely feeling the same nerves and worries as you are so I would not let nerves worry you too much.

I previously studied International Relations at SOAS and I would say SOAS is amazing for its diverse and socially active student body. There is a wide range of students from countries all over the world and I have met so many amazing international and UK students. I commuted as well and did not feel that this hindered my ability to socialise and make friends. Although those who are living in halls may have a head start in forming friendships and making connections, your presence at the university will allow you to do the same. I recommend hanging around after classes and not going straight home as this will make it harder to meet people. You will be surprised how easy it is to strike up conversation with people in the library or different study zones. Also, most modules have student-led Whatsapp groupchats where you can engage with those on your course online. This is a great way to establish connections and gives you access to a wider range of people.
Everyone has their own journeys and experiences at university but it is up to you to put yourself out there and actively join different events and social groups.

I hope this helps! Good luck with your choice.

EH,
SOAS Student Rep

Original post by Anonymous

im going to start uni in sep 2025, im studying politics and initernation relations and have been accepted at soas, ucl, ryal holloway, reading an am waiting for ucl. how is uni life. im commuting, is it easy to find new friends. any one who has experiencd these unis i would love to hear your experiences

Hi there!

Congratulations on your university offers so far! I know I am from a different university to the ones you have applied for but I still thought you might like to hear some of my tips that have helped me at university.

These are my best tips on making friends at university:

1.

See if you can meet some people before you start university. There are often groups on Facebook or sometimes other social media for each uni and you can meet some people this way. Even as a commuter, you can still meet people on your course this way or just people who will generally be at your uni or in the same city/town.

1.

Try and make sure you are attending all of your lectures and seminars. I know it sounds obvious but this is the best way of meeting people who are on your course and making friends with them so make sure you do this. Try and make conversation with the people you are sitting next to and if you have any group work this is a great chance to make friends too.

1.

As you are commuting, try to ask people if they want to do things after uni. You could go for a coffee, or go to the library together as this is a good way of making friends. Try not to just rush off after your lectures!

1.

Joining a society is also a great way of making friends as there will be lots of people there and you are bound to get on with some of them! Have a look at the freshers fair in September and join one of these!

1.

See if your SU puts any events on as you can often meet people here, and they are great fun too!

I hope some of this helps and good luck at uni!

Lucy -SHU student ambassador 🙂

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