Social media for university

I've heard a lot of people saying that apps such as instagram are good to have when starting university as it helps you connect with more people, especially in the first couple of terms for things like societies and events etc. I used to have instagram but deleted a few years ago because I found it a waste of time and addicting etc, so am hesitant to risk that again by making a new account prior to starting university. What do people think?

Reply 1

StriderHort

Yes, they are deffo useful imo, Facebook, Whatsapp, Insta etc, none are mandatory for uni but they will absolutely come in useful. Group/class chats for material, ideas, revision, group work etc were invaluable. (also warnings if something was cancelled or moved at short notice)

Plenty of students make accounts just for their uni stuff and nothing to do with the rest of their life. I did see some students over the years that flat out didn't want to use these thing and yeah they generally suffered/lost out.

Reply 2

nwar

Study Forum Helper

Original post by Jross06

If you're doing A levels, definitely don't download Instagram before exam season ends!

Reply 3

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

Hi @Jross06,

It really depends on personal preference, but I’d recommend having at least one platform where people can easily reach you, especially for group work or staying in the loop with university activities.

In my first year, lots of people did use Instagram or Snapchat for group chats and societies. WhatsApp was also quite popular, so having just one of those platforms would be perfectly fine I think.

To be honest, a lot of the big group chats set up before uni start tend to be freshers' reps trying to sell wristbands — and half of them aren't even actual students! So, not joining those can save you from a lot of spam.

Hope that helps 🙂

Megan (LJMU Postgraduate Student Rep)

Reply 4

Kingston Zhi En

Official Rep

Original post by Jross06

Hey there @Jross06, as an alternative to Instagram there are also fresher facebook groups that you can join before the start of uni to find people in the same course as you 🤗 Some of my peers use other apps like snapchat or whatsapp too! There are also plenty of opportunities to make friends and meet new people at the start of uni during freshers fair, welcome week and social events throughout the semester so don't worry too much over it 😄 Hope this helps!

Zhi En
(Kingson Student Rep.)

Reply 5

Coventry University Student Ambassadors

Official Rep

Hello there!

That is a great question!
Apps like Instagram or even Facebook groups can be super helpful during your first few weeks, especially for meeting coursemates, staying updated on society events, freshers’ week plans, and even finding flatmates before you move in.
A lot of societies post all their events there, and you might miss out on spontaneous meetups or announcements if you're not on those platforms.

However, your concerns about it being time-consuming or addictive are valid. If you’re considering coming back just for uni, you could always try creating a limited, uni-focused account, you can just follow your course, your uni’s official pages, societies you’re interested in, and maybe a few new people.
You don’t have to post or scroll endlessly, use it as a tool rather than a distraction.

Alternatively, check if your uni has official WhatsApp, Discord or Facebook groups, some students stay connected that way without needing to go full-on Instagram again.

At the end of the day, it’s all about what works best for you. Plenty of people build strong connections at uni without Instagram, but if used mindfully, it can be a useful way to ease into the social side of uni life.

I hope this helps!
Good luck!

Kind regards,
Reka - Coventry University student ambassador