General university advice

Any general advice on starting life at university?
This could be:

How to make friends when you struggle socially?
Ways to be involved if you live at home?
How to take notes?
Any study or life hacks?
Your university must have?
Things you regret not doing/things that you would do differently?

Reply 1

UCLan Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by Megamusic325143

Any general advice on starting life at university?
This could be:
How to make friends when you struggle socially?
Ways to be involved if you live at home?
How to take notes?
Any study or life hacks?
Your university must have?
Things you regret not doing/things that you would do differently?

Hi @Megamusic325143,

This is a great topic! Something I wish I knew when coming to university is to have patience when it comes to making friends. Everyone is different, has different hobbies and personalities so making friends isn't the same for everyone and can take longer than expected. University course groups helped me kickstart making friends and get to know my flat mates/ course mates before moving out. I would definitely recommend joining some groups and connecting with people from an early stage. This often makes it easier to then meet your flat or course mates in person. It did for me! There is also useful information posted in the groups. Don't forget most students are in the same boat as you. Moving out to university can be a big change so you are not alone.

Something else that ties in with patience, is finding the right way of revising/making notes that work for you. This can take some time and exploration, but is so beneficial when you find the best way to revise for yourself. I also learnt to say yes to as much as I could at university and push myself out of my comfort zones to get experience and get the most out of my degree.

Lastly, I would say to make the most of the facilities on campus. Students can sometimes forget about the amount of support available to students including career support, wellbeing support and much more. Make the most of it!

Hope this helps,
^Zac

Reply 2

ageshallnot

Say yes to (almost) every social offer.

Reply 3

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by Megamusic325143

Any general advice on starting life at university?
This could be:
How to make friends when you struggle socially?
Ways to be involved if you live at home?
How to take notes?
Any study or life hacks?
Your university must have?
Things you regret not doing/things that you would do differently?

Hi @Megamusic325143 ,

Starting Uni can be tricky as it is so different to anything you will have done before. I thought I would add my tips too as I would have liked this when I started Uni!

Firstly, try and put yourself out there as much as you can in first year and especially freshers week. Of course don't feel like you have to attend everything or if there is something you don't want to do, don't do it but try and get yourself involved as much as you can. There will be lots of events in freshers week and you will be meeting your new friends so try and say yes to going to some events at least and talk to people as they will then reciprocate this.

Making friends:

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Societies are really great and a great chance to do something fun while meeting lots of new people. There will be so many people who join these societies so you will have lots of chances to meet new people and also do something you enjoy! The socials are great too so definitely check this out in freshers week.

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Have a look online and see if you can meet anyone this way. There will often be groups on social media where you can meet lots of people who will be on your course and at your uni, so have a look as you may meet some people there and it can feel less daunting than talking to people face to face sometimes.

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See if your SU puts any events on. Often the student union at Uni will put lots of events on for their students which are great fun and a way to meet other students too. It is worth a look as they are fun and you can meet new people and make friends!

Ways to be involved while living at home:

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Make sure you take advantage of coming in and seeing your course mates while you have lectures and seminars! These are great ways to meet all of the people on your course and then you can ask them if they want to do anything with you - this could be going for lunch, a coffee or just the library!

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Try not to always rush off after your lessons. If you can, try and stick around a little bit and see if you can go and do something fun with some of your course mates!

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Just keep talking to people and asking if they want to meet up. You may not have the 'advantage' of meeting people in halls, but you can still make just as many friends, you might just need to make a bit of effort at first as you won't be living with anyone, but once you have made friends they will include you in their plans and you can be just as involved!

How to take notes:

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I like to do this on my laptop, but some people will do this with a pen and paper. If you can, it is a good idea to have a look though the lecture slides before the lecture (sometimes they are uploaded before the day) and see what you do and don't understand. This way you know what to look out for when the lecturer is talking as it will be very tricky to take notes on everything. Just try and note down as much as you can and then you can always ask questions in seminars on parts you do not understand. Sometimes they will be recorded too so you can go back through them in your own time.

Study hacks:

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Try not to cram too much into one day and instead try and do manageable chunks every day that you can. This will be so much easier and you will find it a lot more manageable.

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Try to do the reading as you go along and also write your assignments if you can as you go along too. This will save you a lot of time when it comes to the deadline so it will be worth it.

Must haves:

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A good laptop which will last without needing to be charged. It does not matter what the laptop is, just make sure it does what you need it to and has a good battery!

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Headphones! It can get loud in the library if you want to study in there and if you are commuting this is a great idea too.

Regrets:

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Not joining societies sooner! I met so many people when I did this and I always recommend this.

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Not taking advantage of all of the resources available. Talk to your employability advisor, make use of the facilities around uni and all of the support teams they have.

I hope some of this helps,

Lucy -SHU student ambassador 🙂

Reply 4

University of Strathclyde

Official Rep

Would echo the other advice you've had here - try to put yourself out there socially as best as you can 🙂 Don't be afraid to try new things - that's part of the uni experience and it's unlikely you'll ever have the chance to try *so* many new things like this again.

A tip I'd say around practicalities - don't overpack if you're moving away! Lots of students bring tons of stuff they don't need to halls. If there's things you don't have then you can usually buy it somewhere nearby, and students moving out of halls will leave stuff they didn't use/don't want to take with them behind too. Do pack your essentials and home comforts though - nice new bedsheets and things for your room to make it feel like yours.

Another thing I'd recommend is don't rush to buying lots of expensive course materials (textbooks for example). Most unis will have digital access to them or you'll be able to rent them out of the library. I bought loads of expensive textbooks I only opened a couple of times - so spend more wisely than I did! 📚️ And ask for student discount everywhere you go!

Caitlin 🎓️
Official University of Strathclyde Rep

(edited 3 weeks ago)

Reply 5

University of Salford

Official Rep

Original post by Megamusic325143

Any general advice on starting life at university?
This could be:
How to make friends when you struggle socially?
Ways to be involved if you live at home?
How to take notes?
Any study or life hacks?
Your university must have?
Things you regret not doing/things that you would do differently?

Hello @Megamusic325143,

Firstly I am going to assume you have a place at an institution and are looking forward to starting university so I want to say congratulations for that. It is great to see that you are now doing some research into other areas of university life and I will happily answer some of your questions for you.

How to make friends when you struggle socially?
With this, I would say the best bit of advice I can give is to step outside your comfort zone socially but be yourself while doing so. Socially stepping out your comfort zone can be as big as joining a society or as simple as just saying hi to another person during an induction talk/ lecture. This could be a great way to get the ball rolling on making friends.

You will already have things in common with people and more then you realise. For example if it is talking to someone on your course then you already have the fact that you both wanted to study the same thing as a similarity. If it is joining a debate society then there will be loads of people around you with the same passion to debate. Stuff like this can be great building blocks to starting friendships.

Ways to be involved if you live at home?
Again similar advice to my previous answer will arise here, joining societies or agreeing to extra curricular activities would be a great way to stay involved with university even if you live at home.

Another way is to be social, again in the early days of university this can be as simple as staying on campus for lunch or going to the library or student union with a course mate after a lecture. Putting yourself in more social spaces will help you stay involved with university life.

How to take notes?
There is no right or wrong answer to this, it is all to do with what is the best way for you. Whether you prefer pen and paper, laptop typing or any other way you can think of.

There will be times where lectures are recorded and often lecturers will provide the presentation slides as well so if you miss something you can go back over what you might of missed.

Any study or life hacks?
For study hacks I would say to stay on top of your work, do not let it pile up. Keep yourself organised with the work you get and plan specific time for specific modules.

Life hacks - enjoy yourself. University is such an enjoyable time and it is as much the degree you get as it is the lifelong memories, experience and extracurricular opportunities you participate in. So soak up as much of it as possible.

Your university must have?
A lot of my answers may not relate depending on what course you study but bare with...

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A good quality bag/ rucksack - you may have a lot of reading on your course and therefor a lot of books to take out.

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Water - Always bring a drink to a lecture or seminar, some can be a long time and it is always good to be prepared with a drink.

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Earphones/ Headphones - For independent study or times you need to concentrate I would say this is an essential and a great way to let the world around you know you are focused. Also for a commute on the bus or train this is essential.

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Social media - I won't be specific for which social media but whatever is preferable to you, even if it's just Whatsapp. Getting peers social media or details is a great way to stay in contact and can link back to making friends and sustaining friendships.

Things you regret not doing/things that you would do differently?
My biggest one for this is I regret not saying yes to more. I like to think that I filled my time as much as I could at university, whether that be with work, extracurricular, societies, social life or my part-time job but I still wish I said yes to more random opportunities and one off moments. Genuinely try and say yes to as much as possible and step yourself out of your comfort zone. You do not need to throw yourself in the deep end but I would say start in the shallow and slowly swim into the deep end yourself.

I do hope this helps and sorry if I have bombarded you with information. All the best with your university journey.

Matt ~ Uni of Salford rep

Reply 6

University of Bath

Official Rep

Original post by Megamusic325143

Any general advice on starting life at university?
This could be:
How to make friends when you struggle socially?
Ways to be involved if you live at home?
How to take notes?
Any study or life hacks?
Your university must have?
Things you regret not doing/things that you would do differently?

Hi there,

Thanks for your question! I'll see if I can answer your points...

Tip for making friends: Become a student ambassador. Its a part-time job on campus so you can earn money on flexible shifts, and it opens up a whole network of new people from other courses and year groups. Plus the work is well paid and a lot of fun.

Ways to be involved if you live at home: I was a commuter from second year, and I made a point of coming to campus regularly to work in the library, went to SU nights and joined a society I would go to socials and meet ups with. It really heled me stay feeling connected to the uni!

Notes: My note taking involved me writing in the notes pages of the lecturer's powerpoints if they send them around first, and making revision posters/notes by hand.

Study hack 101: the Pomodoro Method. Revise for forty five minutes, then have a break for ten minutes, then repeat. It helps your brain stay refreshed and protects against burnout.

Uni must have: a keepy cup. Many cafes will give you a discount if you have one!

Something I would do differently: I regret putting so much pressure on myself in my first year. Whilst you should use first year to get into good study habits, its important to get involved with other aspects of student life as well. So yes, work hard. But don't set excessively high standards because nobody's perfect, go to SU nights, join a society, go out, explore town, and meet up with friends. Give yourself a break alongside your studies 🙂

I hope this helps - best of luck!

Holly
University of Bath

Reply 7

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

Hi @Megamusic325143 👋

Here’s a bit of advice based on my own experience – hope it helps!

How to make friends when you struggle socially: Start by going to your course induction during Freshers Week – it might seem obvious, but these are the people you’ll spend a lot of time with over the next few years. Try to invite a few coursemates for a coffee or lunch afterwards – something casual. If that feels too much, just ask what events they’re going to and see if you can tag along. The more effort you put into initiating small conversations or occasional meet-ups, the easier it becomes to build those friendships over time.

Ways to be involved if you live at home: Join societies – I didn’t, and looking back, I definitely missed out on some fun and connections. At the Freshers Fair, ask about how much commitment each society requires. Some are more relaxed and 'drop-in' than others, like sports teams. If you’re into nightlife and don’t want to miss out, check if your uni offers any short-term or overnight commuter accommodation during key events.

How to take notes: This is down to personal preference, but I like downloading lecture slides before class and typing my own thoughts in the notes section – that way I’m not copying everything from the screen. Some people prefer handwriting or using tablets with a stylus. Find what works for you and helps you stay engaged.

Any study or life hacks? For readings, start with the abstract, intro, and conclusion – it helps you decide if the full article is worth your time. Something I do (especially useful for essays) is organise key readings into a table with these headings:

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Author

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Topic

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Key Idea/Theme

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Evaluation (research gaps or method limitations)

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How to Use It (e.g. how it connects to other readings or supports a point) This turns your reading into a critical conversation and can really boost your grades.

Your university must-have? On-campus jobs! I’ve worked as a Student Ambassador and a Research Assistant – they’ve been flexible, paid well, and helped me build confidence and experience alongside my studies.

Things you regret not doing / what you’d do differently: I never took up the chance to study abroad – full year placements, semester exchanges, or summer schools. I’m finally doing one now in Canada, but I wish I’d done it sooner. I also skipped more lectures and field trips than I should’ve, which made assignments tougher later. Even if you feel behind, still go – you never know when there’ll be a guest speaker, a great opportunity, or something that suddenly clicks.

Hope that helps, and best of luck! 🙂

Megan (LJMU Postgraduate Student Rep)