| The first weeks at university or college are always overwhelming. Adulting is hard. You are trying to settle in, which often requires a lot of organisation and doing things you have never done before or don’t know how to do in general. Meanwhile, you also have to socialise, have hobbies and handle university or college work at the same time. If you are living in student accommodation and aren’t catered, you realise how much time it takes to simply take care of yourself. It can definitely seem too much to handle. If you get out of your head and take a breath, however, you realise that it is not unmanageable. In this short blog, I have some extra tips for you that should prepare you for the chaos of the first few weeks and make them a bit easier to navigate. |
Tip 1 – Arrive early to get settled!
First and foremost: don’t do it the way I always do. I have a terrible knack for always arriving last minute, resulting in me having to do everything at once and feeling completely overwhelmed. So my first tip is to arrive up to one week before the start of term to get the lay of the land, especially if you are not in student accommodations or catered. You will discover a bunch of things you still need to get, places to register, forms to fill out. Giving yourself enough time to do that enables you to be fully present and enjoy freshers week and your first week overall. If you have someone to help you with all the organisation, even better!
Tip 2 – Take advantage of the discounts / apps!
There are a bunch of apps that are useful to download. Some apps they might not tell you about upon your arrival are “Too Good To Go” or “UNiDAYS”. If you are living in student accommodation that isn’t catered, “Too Good To Go” allows you to save a lot of money grocery shopping. You can order mystery packages containing an assortment of things that would go to waste otherwise for a fraction of their normal price. It definitely makes you a more creative cook as well! If you don’t have a club card for Tesco already, absolutely get that one too for discounts! If you love going out for coffee, matcha, or tea, but hate the price tag that comes along with it, “UNiDAYS” has you covered. On Mondays and Tuesdays, you can get drinks for just £2 at Black Sheep or Starbucks (or other participating coffee shops). It also offers discounts for a variety of other stores that are a relief for your student budget.
Tip 3 – Make a checklist to stay organised!
This might be very obvious, but if you feel like your mental load of things you have to do is getting too much, it helps to simply make a list. Jot down all the things you need to do. You will immediately have a better idea and plan on how to accomplish all your tasks. Do one thing at a time and tick one task after another. Even if it seems like a minuscule coping mechanism, you will be surprised on how much it lifts the pressure of your mental load.
Tip 4 – Get Involved!
My last tip is to really enjoy your first few weeks. Feeling all the emotions–positive and negative– are part of the beauty of starting a new life. Try out all the societies, say yes to socials, but also give yourself time to rest. Feeling overwhelmed or lonely surrounded by people is also completely normal. It helps to find someone to talk about it. Remember that you are young, and you do have the time to figure things out, even if it seems hard. Relish your free time, because the deadlines are coming up fast enough!
These are just a few useful tips on how to survive your first few weeks of College or University! If you have any questions or want some more helpful tips from our student volunteers, send us an email at lift.off@abertay.ac.uk or send us a message via our social media platforms!
Thank you again to Sara Rossmann for taking the time to contribute to the blog this month!