The Uni Diaries: Freshers Guide

 The Uni Diaries: Freshers Guide

Top tips and advice for freshers from second year students

Starting uni can be scary, exciting and nerve-wrecking. Starting uni during a global pandemic is so much more. No Freshers week, less face-to-face time with lecturers and restrictions as to how many new people you meet; it's safe to say that the situation is less than ideal. However, that's not to say that you can't still have the time of your life and get to experience uni life and independence. Here are some tips and pieces of advice that might be helpful for those of you starting your university journey...

1. Don't shy away from your flatmates 

Not everyone will be your cup of tea, but the more you get to know others, the more you'll find that you have various things in common and bonds can be made.

2. Get involved with activities

This can range from Nights Out to Shopping together to exploring your new city - the more time you spend doing things, the more you'll feel at ease. 

3. Make friends with people on your course too

You already take the same course, so likelihood is that you're going to have more in common than just that. Everyone I've met on my course has been so lovely. Remember you're all going through the same thing. 

4. Not everything is as big as it seems

Sometimes we can feel more emotional or alone during the first few weeks of uni and this makes every little thing that goes wrong feel like the end of the world - it's not! The first day I moved in this year I had already broken my new lamp and almost broken a freezer draw - it happens to us all

5. Make sure you eat and drink enough

If you don't, by the time your course properly begins, you're going to hit a wall, especially with the extra alcohol you've likely consumed 

6. Get work done together

If lectures are all online, doing the work with others on your course can be a good way to make sure all the information is understood and completed. I know that this is what my friends and myself are planning on doing

7. Don't fall behind

It can be so hard to catch back up so try and set yourself mini deadlines for everything so that you're on top of anything you need to do 

8. Enjoy it!

Second year is when work, essays and participation start to count towards your actual degree so enjoy first year and a make the most of the experience! This is the beginning of the rest of your life!

Love always, Annabelle 

xox