5 Tips To Survive Your First Year In University

First days at a university has proved to be tough as most students are not used to live an independent life away from parents. Here are a few tips that you can use to survive your first year at university, and enjoy it!

1. Take care of yourself

You’re at university – of course you are going to want to go out! But don’t let it consume you. Becoming nocturnal with the added burden of being hungover is not great when you are sitting in an 11am lecture focusing more on not throwing up on the person next to you than what is actually being taught!

Burning the candle at both ends can be fun to start with but believe me, it will catch up with you and it won’t be fun trying to meet deadlines when you’re so ill because your immune system has given up! I’m not saying don’t go out – just do it in moderation, you didn’t come to university to graduate with a first in ‘drinking games 101’!

2.Don’t leave work to the last minute

Most students don’t want to be thinking about assignments but you should have the information on what your essay topic is, or if you don’t have it yet, you will have by the end of the week. Although you might not have the knowledge or capacity to start writing the assignment now, you could do some background reading and make notes in preparation for it.

Schedule your time wisely – if you do leave all your essays to the last minute, the last few weeks of term will not be very fun. Plus, if you start it early, you will still have time to make minor edits recommended by your tutor.

3.Get involved in non-academic activities

This is a great way to meet new people and build lasting friendships. Not only will you have lots of fun, getting involved in non-academic activities can boost your employability and help you stand out from the rest. You will hear of opportunities you might not learn about inside the four walls of a lecture theatre.

4.Learn life-skills and bond with flatmates

Mum isn’t there anymore at your back and call when you need you washing done, or your food cooking – you’ve got to figure it out for yourself now! It’s tempting to get a cheeky Dominoes or greasy Chinese but it’ll soon wear your budget thin, and quite frankly – they’re so ridiculously fattening – it may make your budget thin but it definitely won’t you! There are lots of apps out there that have simple recipes for a quick and easy dinner!

Bond with your flatmates – like it or not, you are stuck with these people for the next year at least. You may not be the best of friends but you are going to see a LOT of these people – it will make life a lot easier and a lot happier if you try to get along.

5.Make sure your support is right

Last but certainly not least – make sure that you are happy with the support that has been put in place for you. Whether you have been awarded communication support, note takers, Teacher of the Deaf, 1:1 mentor (you get the gist), make sure that person is right for you.