September has quickly come upon us, so many of you will be moving away to university, and some of you for the first time! Since I'm going into my 4th year of uni, I reckon I am pretty experienced enough now to give some advice. So here's my top 5 tips on how to deal with those first few nerve-racking weeks:
Tip #1: Be yourself
I know this is probably super obvious, but it'll really help you out in the long run. When you move away you are suddenly surrounded by all these different types of people and it can be hard fitting in. Don't try and change yourself so that you'll fit in with a certain group of people. Be yourself and you'll find the people that you click with. If you pretend to be someone you're not it'll start to show after a few weeks and people will be able to see through it.
Tip #2: Get out of your comfort zone
I cannot stress this tip enough. A mistake I made in my first couple of weeks was I only made friends with the people that I lived with and didn't venture out to make other friendships elsewhere. Because I was so shy I didn't speak to anyone on my course, so everyone else formed friendship groups and I didn't. Just remember, everyone is in the same boat as you, and it really isn't embarrassing to introduce yourself to a few people and get a conversation going. The earlier you do this the better. Also, if there are open flat parties going on in your halls GO! This is the best way to meet people and make friendships.
Tip #3: Make sure you like your course
This is so important. You're about to spend the next 3-4 years studying this subject so you need to be 100% sure it's for you. Even before I moved away I was having doubts about the course I had chosen. But instead of going with my gut I listened to other people and enrolled on. You are not actually fully registered onto the course until a few weeks after you start (I believe it is once you pay your first round of student fee's). So use the first few weeks to test out the course, because you can switch course within the uni if you realise it's not quite right. Because I didn't turn up to a lot of my first few inductions and lectures, by the time I realised I didn't like the course it was too late for me to change. I know the last thing you'll want to do with a stinking hangover is turn up to an induction, but make sure you do!
Tip #4: BUDGET!
You probably hear this all the time, and like me, roll your eyes. I worked all summer to save up to go to uni. I spent almost all those savings in the first 2 months. It's so exciting moving away and having all of this independence and it can be easy getting carried away. The key to not getting deep into your overdraft is monthly budget. Firstly look at how much money you have for the whole year, then try and equally split into a monthly budget. Set aside that monthly allowance in your current account and then put the rest into savings. That way it'll be easier to keep track of how much your spending rather than having a big sum of money in one account.
Tip #5: Feeling home sick is normal
I personally didn't get home sick, but there were plenty of times when I wished I had my mum around me. After the first week of freshers fun and the flu kicks in everything can suddenly become overwhelming when you realise this isn't a holiday. If you begin to feel home sick try and hold off from going home for the first few weeks as you're still settling in. Going home from early on can create a pattern and make settling in even harder. Don't hold in how you feel. Speak to your family over the phone and Skype them. Make sure you tell your uni friends how you feel so that they can help. The more you talk about it the easier it will be, because remember everyone is in the same boat. Try and get yourself into a routine as quickly as possible.
