Fresher’s week is the week where you really get the impression of what your university life is going to be like. However, it’s not just a long 3 year party that some people make it out to be. Once your time table is shown, the thought of university work, lectures and study can become a bit daunting all at once! Having been through University and being a newly graduate, I would like to share with you some of my favourite top tips that’s I have learnt on my university journey that I hope will help you fresher’s too!

My first main piece of advice is to look after yourself physically. To have a great mind set, it’s important to look after yourself on the outside as well as the inside. University is a massive step and new chapter in your life and you want to enter it with the ability to have some common sense and get to understand your routines. Eating, sleeping and exercising are all important and vital things your body needs on those long nights and days, especially if your university schedule looks pretty busy. Don’t burn yourself out in the first term. Fresher’s flu is a common symptom among students in the first week, typically due to the late nights, parties and staying up late to meet new people and get to know your surroundings. It can be physically and mentally exhausting and I know it’s exciting but try and balance it during the week. Try and get that 20 minute power nap in if you know you’re going to be out all night partying with your new friends and eat regularly to keep your energy levels up.

For some students, moving away from home can be quite daunting and seeing lots of new faces and new places at once can make you feel a little bit home sick at first. To help overcome this, I found taking loads of photos from home and placing them around my room reminded me that my friends or family weren’t far away and a phone call or a visit every now and again would make me feel better. Being able to contact friends or family back home regularly makes you realise that they haven’t gone forever but you are about to embark on a new chapter in your life and make some more life-long friends along the way. Before you know it, the homesickness has gone and you are excited for new beginnings and ways of life!

Remember to join social events and clubs at university, as this helps you to meet new people and get stuck into to university life. It does not have to be an anxious situation but a more uplifting and exciting experience instead! Another way of getting to know your housemates is encouraging flat meals together or little outings which gives everyone the chance to get to know each other. If you live in halls, keep your bedroom door open when you want that time to socialise, you’ll soon realise just how many people just come in and sit on your bed for a chat with a cuppa at random hours of the day! It also helps to give you regular breaks if you’re studying hard. When your door is open, it’s more welcoming for others to attempt to reach out to you and you will become a more open person.

Focusing on University studies can be really stressful when you have a lot of deadlines to reach. I found during times when I had a lot of work to sit down and do, I would make a checklist of everything I needed to do that week. It kept my mind clear and free of stressful and worrying situations where I would leave everything till the last minute. There are a lot of students at university that DO leave everything till the last minute, but this is not a good idea. Making sure you have everything completed nice and early gives you the chance to proof read back over your work in case you’ve made any serious mistakes or small grammatical errors. Once I had achieved my checklist I would reward myself with social time with my friends such as a night out or a trip somewhere. Even though it may seem hard to do at university, it’s important to keep a balance of study, work, socialising, exercising, eating and sleeping. Remember, if you do feel under too much pressure at any time, there are always people to talk too who work for your university such as a welfare officer or even a close friend. Don’t sit and dwell on your own, there are many of students that undergo stressful situations every day! First year does not count but it’s a good way of practicing good habits and maintaining a routine that is best for you. Get those late lecture turn up’s and mistakes out the way and when the work really does count you are all set to get those top marks.

Remember – going to University is a massive step for anyone but it is an exciting 3 or even 4 years that you will love to look back on. Most people only go through the journey once so it’s best to make it a good one and to the best you possibly can in all aspects. I found going to university built my confidence in many ways, and even though I dreaded them at first those presentations to a big group of people seem like a breeze at the end.

On that note, I wish all of you fresher’s every success and make sure you feel proud of all your achievements on graduation day!

Good luck!

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