Settling in as a first year is a pretty daunting yet exciting experience. You’re coming to a new city, having to meet new people and move into a new home where you’ll be living with a bunch of random people whom you have never met before. Everyone is in the same boat which means you’ll be just as excited and nervous as the next person, if you be yourself and make the effort to get involved you will settle in in no time.

Moving In

What now seems like a lifetime ago, I was moving into my new accommodation where I was about to meet my flat-mates for the first time. Before you do anything else when you get to your flat, introduce yourself. Get to know them early on and let them get to know you. It will settle you down and make socialising easier. Before you know it, you’ll find out you have so much in common with them and be glad you have a group of people you are already beginning to get close with.

Getting Involved

So you’ve made friends with your flat mates, but you want to see what else is out there and what you can get involved with, after all, university offers so much you can do. Freshers week is a great opportunity to try some new activities and meet new people. There are plenty of events to take part in such as bubble football, paintballing and archery, and if there’s something you would like to continue for the year, sign up at the clubs and societies fair, a great way to meet new people and try new things you’ve never before had the chance to do.

Adapting to Studies

At first, being in a lecture hall with loads of people is a bit of a shock. Especially if you come from a college or 6th form where there the class sizes are small. But after a while you get used to the pace of going through the content. Making a plan early on how you’re going to use your independent study time will really help you keep on top of your workload. Designating a certain time of the day, going to the library after your last lecture or meeting up with a friend on your course to go through the notes are good ways to stay on top of things.

Just remember, whether it’s moving into your new accommodation, joining a new society or getting used to the way of studying, by being yourself, getting involved and staying organised early, you’ll settle into uni life in no time.