Top tips for starting uni

Starting university is such a fun an exciting time. You’re going to love it. A time, for most new students, to experience living independently as adults for the first time. A time to really study and work on the subjects that you love and are passionate for. And a time to make some lifelong friends too. But it can be daunting. It can make you feel nervous or lonely, or even scared. These bad times, however, do pass and you’ll barely remember them by the end.

I studied for my BSc from 2016-2019, and then for my MSc from 2019-2021. It was tough at times, and there was one point where I was ready to just quit. But, having the experience of going to university was the best decision I made, and it made me who I am today (that’s cliché, sorry – but it’s true). When I look back at my times there, I barely even think of the negative stuff, and just remember everything that I loved!

For this blog, I wracked my brain to find the nuggets of wisdom that I wish I knew before starting my studies. So, if you are feeling a little nervous about this exciting new time, have a look at my top tips below…

Make sure to attend your lectures:

Listen, I understand. After spending your whole life being woken up every morning by your parents to make sure you get to school on time, it can be tempting to just turn off your alarm and have a lie in. Especially now that there’s no one to nag you to get up and get dressed. But once you start skipping a couple of lectures here and there, you will lose the motivation to start going back to them again. Also, most importantly, it puts you behind on your learning! Remember, you are primarily at university to study and get your degree, so don’t jeopardise this by staying in bed an extra hour (or three).

It is also important to stay on top of your studies, because those deadlines hit you quickly. Try to start revision early so that there is no last-minute rush. Maybe try mixing up your revision techniques, you could do practice exams or get creative with mind maps and flash cards – there are so many ways to make studying fun (well, as fun as possible).

Learn how to cook:

When I first got my offer to the uni of my choice, I only had two staple meals that I could make without a cookbook helping me – egg banjo (fried egg sandwich), and tinned ravioli on toast. So, my mum took me by the hand and led me to the kitchen where she showed me how to make all sorts, casseroles, tray bakes, shepherd's pie, stir fry's, roast dinners; everything in her arsenal (and she is an amazing cook). Grab your household cook and ask them for some lessons, go pick up a cookbook or print some online recipes and test them out on your friends or family. As someone who went crazy with the takeaways during my first year (costing a lot of money and making me so unhealthy!), take it from me – learn to cook good and tasty food.

One of my favourite memories from uni is when my whole house and I (nine of us in total) all cooked a Christmas Dinner together. Everyone had a part of the meal to focus on, mine being spuds – mashed and roasted, and we all just whipped up an amazing meal and an amazing evening together.

I think it’s also a good idea to try and get into the habit of planning out your meals weekly, so then when you do your food shop, you know exactly what you need. This helps your pocket because you’re not buying things you don’t need, and cuts down on food waste – it’s a win-win!

Learn how to budget:

If you’re anything like I was, you’ll be skint for a fair chunk of uni. But, if you’re anything like me now, then you’ll create yourself a budget and stick to it. Write out how much money you need for rent, how much you need for food and essential shops, and then how much spending money you want – then everything else can go into your savings for a rainy day!

Clean your room:

Sadly, household chores need to be done. If you don’t then you’ll probably be embarrassed if your friends or family come to visit you, and you’ll maybe grow to resent your living space. Try and clean as you go! Rather than leaving your dirty pots and pans on the side over night to fester, stick ‘em in the sink to soak whilst you’re eating, and then just wash and put away when you’re done. You can create a rota for your communal areas for the jobs like dusting and hoovering with your flatmates.

The best piece of advice I ever received from a friend was to make my bed every day. Doing it every morning as soon as I’m up and awake always makes me feel good about myself. Even if I have an unproductive day and don’t achieve anything else – at least I made the bed! It’s a sense of accomplishment and reduces my stress because one of my jobs is now already done and I’ve only just got out of bed! It may sound silly, but it genuinely works.

Ask for help if you need it:

It’s not really a case of if you need help, because you will. We all do from time to time, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Speak to your tutors or your mentor if you are struggling with the coursework. If you keep sweeping it under the rug it will only get harder, especially as deadlines and exam season approach you.

Or if you struggle with your finances, ask for some advice from your parents. It’s always tough to ask parents for help, I hate to do it, but they always knew how to get me out of a pickle. You could also speak to the university’s finance team, or there are dedicated student finance websites that offer advice too.

Struggling with feeling lonely or low self-esteem? Speak to your flatmates, join a society, or if it is affecting you badly reach out to a professional – its daunting but speaking about things will make it easier.

It is scary when we get anxious, everything feels so overwhelming and like there’s no way past it, no matter the scale of the problems you are facing. Again, if this is getting too much to handle, try and reach out to a professional. Otherwise, have a read through some self-help books, or speak to your friends and family. There will be someone to turn to if you have struggles with mental health, finances, education, anything you can think of. So don’t be afraid to ask.

So, there you have it, my top tips for new students. Have a look at some of the books below to see if any of them look like they might be helpful for you during this time. This is about to be the most nerve-wracking and daunting experience for you, but it is so exciting, and fun, and you will love every second of it!

Kat, Customer Care Team