HOW TO: Be prepared for University!
So maybe you're thinking about heading off to uni after you've finished your A Levels, or you've taken a gap year or maybe you're just interested in what it's like in the beginning... I'm currently half way through my first year and wanted to give those of you who are unsure of how to stop stressing about starting or just where to start with it and hopefully make you more aware of what it is like and, hopefully, make you more aware of steps you can take to help you feel ready for the life change. I must say before I carry on, everything I say is due to my own experiences and aren't subject to everyone who attends university!
The first thing I could recommend is making sure that you are 100% sure on what you want to study. Currently, I study English Language and Linguistics at a local University. It's really important to make sure that you will both enjoy the course and learn about something you are interested in or passionate about; if you are neither interested or passionate, spending 3 years of your life, paying around £9250 per year will seem rather pointless and particularly an expensive boredom. Id suggest researching different courses, and finding different courses that are available for that one subject. For example, for English Language, you can also study creative writing, modern languages or film studies along side your main course. This allows a wider field of focus, as well as allowing you to either exercise your passion or develop a new love for something else. From deciding your course, assuming you know which university you want to go to (if you don't, do NOT worry! You have many to choose from, and the courses don't tend to vary much depending on which university you actually attend) I'd suggest looking at the modules that you can study. It was the modules on my second year that made me really want to do my course. If there is a certain area of your subject that you're interested in, maybe there is a module that covers it! It could be something that really makes you want to do that one particular course. The one thing I would really advise when preparing is making sure the course is right for you. Make sure you go to open days, read the prospectus and research! There are many videos on university pages that talk you through different areas of the year and modules and these can really help settle your nerves about what you study and where.
The next step, in my opinion, would be to be social. For me, I'm generally a nervous person as it is and I was petrified that I wouldn't make any friends because of my nervous nature and anxiety that stops me from doing almost everything social. What I found to help is searching the name of my university on Facebook, and joining the freshers pages as well a the 2017-2018 university pages. On here, there were posts advertising events, accommodation and towards the middle of August, people started asking about who was on which course. For me, I saw a girl saying 'Is anyone studying English Language' so I commented on it saying I was, and I got added into a group chat that had loads of lovely girls in it and one boy. We all got chatting about where we were all from, and what we got at A Level, and what we were most excited for and it made the whole experience feel so much easier. For the first time, I no longer felt scared to go to Uni. Now, I have met some of the best people I have ever come across and feel so lucky to have them in my life.
To be more social, I joined a group chat from everyone in the University Page. Over time, people didn't get on or started 'banter' so the group got smaller and smaller; once all the drama had gone from the chat, the remaining people decided to make a snapchat group chat, and to this day we still have this chat and every time there is an event or someone is on a free in uni, we put it in the chat and meet up. The one thing I want to stress is you will never be alone in University, unless you want to be!
Another way to be prepared is to buy stationary. To me, this was the best bit of starting another path in education. I love going into WHSmiths or Wilkos and picking pens and colours, and a bit of everything up. This is a way to make sure you're prepared for your lectures, but it also helps you feel a bit more prepared for University itself as you start to feel as though you're progressing into a new chapter of your life. I posted in my English groupchat and asked everyone what I should buy for my bag, and everyone offered advice and shared what they had bought and it made everything feel a bit more comfortable and allowed me to feel less panicky about the start of University.
Finally... Relax. Although you have so much to plan and prepare for, having a stable mind and a relaxed self will help you excel in what ever you want to do well in. Being stressed and having an absent mind makes many people feel like they cant do anything, so if you take time out for yourself and make sure that you put yourself first - you will be completely fine!
I wish all you new starters the best start into your next chapter of life and education!!
L x
The first thing I could recommend is making sure that you are 100% sure on what you want to study. Currently, I study English Language and Linguistics at a local University. It's really important to make sure that you will both enjoy the course and learn about something you are interested in or passionate about; if you are neither interested or passionate, spending 3 years of your life, paying around £9250 per year will seem rather pointless and particularly an expensive boredom. Id suggest researching different courses, and finding different courses that are available for that one subject. For example, for English Language, you can also study creative writing, modern languages or film studies along side your main course. This allows a wider field of focus, as well as allowing you to either exercise your passion or develop a new love for something else. From deciding your course, assuming you know which university you want to go to (if you don't, do NOT worry! You have many to choose from, and the courses don't tend to vary much depending on which university you actually attend) I'd suggest looking at the modules that you can study. It was the modules on my second year that made me really want to do my course. If there is a certain area of your subject that you're interested in, maybe there is a module that covers it! It could be something that really makes you want to do that one particular course. The one thing I would really advise when preparing is making sure the course is right for you. Make sure you go to open days, read the prospectus and research! There are many videos on university pages that talk you through different areas of the year and modules and these can really help settle your nerves about what you study and where.
The next step, in my opinion, would be to be social. For me, I'm generally a nervous person as it is and I was petrified that I wouldn't make any friends because of my nervous nature and anxiety that stops me from doing almost everything social. What I found to help is searching the name of my university on Facebook, and joining the freshers pages as well a the 2017-2018 university pages. On here, there were posts advertising events, accommodation and towards the middle of August, people started asking about who was on which course. For me, I saw a girl saying 'Is anyone studying English Language' so I commented on it saying I was, and I got added into a group chat that had loads of lovely girls in it and one boy. We all got chatting about where we were all from, and what we got at A Level, and what we were most excited for and it made the whole experience feel so much easier. For the first time, I no longer felt scared to go to Uni. Now, I have met some of the best people I have ever come across and feel so lucky to have them in my life.
To be more social, I joined a group chat from everyone in the University Page. Over time, people didn't get on or started 'banter' so the group got smaller and smaller; once all the drama had gone from the chat, the remaining people decided to make a snapchat group chat, and to this day we still have this chat and every time there is an event or someone is on a free in uni, we put it in the chat and meet up. The one thing I want to stress is you will never be alone in University, unless you want to be!
Another way to be prepared is to buy stationary. To me, this was the best bit of starting another path in education. I love going into WHSmiths or Wilkos and picking pens and colours, and a bit of everything up. This is a way to make sure you're prepared for your lectures, but it also helps you feel a bit more prepared for University itself as you start to feel as though you're progressing into a new chapter of your life. I posted in my English groupchat and asked everyone what I should buy for my bag, and everyone offered advice and shared what they had bought and it made everything feel a bit more comfortable and allowed me to feel less panicky about the start of University.
Finally... Relax. Although you have so much to plan and prepare for, having a stable mind and a relaxed self will help you excel in what ever you want to do well in. Being stressed and having an absent mind makes many people feel like they cant do anything, so if you take time out for yourself and make sure that you put yourself first - you will be completely fine!
I wish all you new starters the best start into your next chapter of life and education!!
L x
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