TOP TIPS FOR STARTING UNIVERSITY

Saturday

It's almost time for university to start again, and a lot of you may be starting for the first time. I am going into my final year this month and I wanted to share with you some of my the things you should know before starting university. Everyone has different experiences with uni, but I will be basing my advice off of the experiences I've had.

Graduates throwing caps

Tip 1: Before moving into your new place, see if there are any groups or group chats you can join beforehand for your halls or course or just uni in general. You might be able to get to know some people before meeting them and this can take so much pressure off if you have already kind of spoken to them online.

I joined chats when I was about to be a fresher and I actually met up with some of the people from the chat before starting uni. I wasn't going to live with them but this was so helpful because if I didn't make friends with my flatmates, I knew I had other friends to do stuff with. Ultimately, I got on so well with the majority of my flat.

Tip 2: Don't panic buy - Before starting uni, I did the classic Ikea trip and bought all sorts of stuff that I have never used, like a potato peeler. Have I ever peeled potatoes? No. That's just an example, you may well use a potato peeler but just think carefully about what you will actually use so you don't waste money. 

If you don't have something, you can always go and buy it. If you do have the opportunity to talk to your flatmates before moving in, it might be worth seeing what people can bring so you can share stuff. You will need to save all the money you can!

Tip 3: Buy some sliders! I tweet this one a lot because I wish I knew it before uni. Your kitchen floor probably will get messy quite quickly due to the amount of people living in your flat if you're in halls. The last thing you want to do is go into the kitchen barefoot or in socks and get something gross stuck to your foot. 

Also, fire alarms tend to go off pretty regularly so it's easier to just slip a pair of sliders on instead of spending ages putting shoes on. You will not regret investing in a pair for uni, and they have plenty in Primark to choose from if you're on a budget.

Tip 4: Forget about college - College is a pretty stressful time and uni can be stressful too, but it's so different to college so try not to compare the two. Use uni as a fresh start for yourself and just try to have the best time while you're there.

Tip 5: Try and be as organised as possible - There is a lot of stuff to do at uni and if you're moving away from home, there may be lots of things you want to get out of your new city. Just make sure you plan out your time for everything so you can work hard and play hard. Yes, you are there to get a degree but you may as well make the most out of where you're living and make the most out of uni life. Read more here about staying organised at university.

Are you starting university this year, or do you have any more tips for uni students? As I said, I am going into third year so if you have any tips for that, I will need all the help I can get.

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15 comments

  1. I just graduated this month but I agree with all of your points. Especially about group chats. Great post :)

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  2. I am loving the group chats for my floor and for my course as well as the freshers chat for all the event timetables and our course have stuff planned together during welcome week after our course induction!!! These tips are great although I've definitely already bought useless things😂 love how well laid out and easy to use this list was too xx

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  3. Girl this is such a brilliant lost!! Wish I'd had you in writing for Student September over on my blog now.....

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  4. Super helpful - I'm actually going into my first year of uni at Bournemouth! Really excited but also so nervous, I think I may have overbought :/ x

    www.envirolineblog.wordpress.com

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  5. Hi Lauren. Some great tips for the next batch of freshers. It's been a few years since I went to uni but I would add:
    * Take a padlock! (the single biggest source of friction in shared accommodation when I was at uni was the 'borrowing' (stealing!) of food and cutlery)
    * There will be students from all over the country (and, indeed, internationally) and you may initially struggle to understand some accents. Don't worry about this - its the same for everybody and after a few weeks together everybody understands each other!
    * Learn to budget! Minimise that student loan!

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  6. Tip number one is really important!! �� I found myself clueless when I entered my university but I didn't question it because you know it was all a first time for me. But then I was like, "how come everyone knows something I dont?" ���� And it was because of the fb groups and grp chats.���� Thanks for this post!

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  7. Hahahaaa love 'buy some sliders' - so true! x

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  8. Thanks for sharing your tips, I always wore slippers when it came to it plus my feet were always warm in the winter! I always did use my veg peeler as I seemed to eat more veg than my flat mates :)

    Nic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes

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  9. Super helpful tips for those making that move to University this year! I really wish I'd have gone! x

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  10. i'm starting uni in a few weeks and i'm so excited! i've been in group chats for like 7 months and made some ace mates and i'm just starting to prep and get organised :)) great post, thank you for the tips xxx
    mills | www.bymills.wordpress.com

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  11. This brings back the memories of university! Another tip that I would give is to bring along some sort of cake when you move in (helps you meet flat mates and break the ice) - my mum made brownies and kicked me out of the room to hand them out while she unpacked for me!

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  12. Some great tips here, I definitely made a few similar mistakes when I went to university too! It was surprising how little stuff I actually needed - thanks for sharing x

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  13. Great advice! I'm going into third year too. Can't believe how quickly uni life is going

    Chelle: wwww.chellebelle2016.blogspot.com

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  14. Omg yes to the sliders! They're one of those items that no one realises they need until they're at uni. Luckily I usually wear flip flops around the house so I brought them with me back when I was at uni - thank god I did haha

    https://www.femaleoriginal.com

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  15. I finished University back in 2016 now 🙈 but these are some useful tips for those going to Uni! I definitely agree with the sliders it can get so dirty and so quickly! And I don’t miss the fire alarms going off all the time 😂 x

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