16 Tips to Help Prepare Yourself for University – Part 2

We're back with another blog containing some useful tips and ideas that are worth considering before your university experience begins in September. If you’re well prepared, you’ve probably already thought of the last 8 tips. However, these 8 should be a little more out the box and hopefully inspire you to make some more headway in your preparations towards university.

1. Build a Film Library

During your time at university you will find that you have periods of the day and week where there isn’t much going on; you’ve completed all of your university work, none of your friends are available, or you have some time to spare. After all you can’t be out socialising every minute of the day, and it can sometimes help to spend a little time on your own recharging. Therefore, we it can help to have a film library which you can dive into during your free time. While accumulating a load of DVDs or Blu-Rays is one way of doing this, spending some money on Netflix, Amazon prime or other streaming services can give you a lot of choice. If you’re sharing accommodation, it might be worth sharing a family account with your housemates.

2. Get to Know the Washing Machine

It’s unlikely that the washing machine you use at university is going to be an exact copy of the one you have at home, so getting some tips from mum and dad will come in very handy. Things such as knowing all the different materials and how to wash them, what all the washing symbols mean on your clothes, or how to remove certain stains can all come in handy. The more familiar you are with your washing machine, the more likely you are to adopt regular washing routines, which is especially important for your towels and bedding. If you do find that you don’t know how to wash something or how to use a certain washing machine, don’t be afraid to search online. This is a great tip to help you ease into living independently.

3. Work out the Local Transport Routes

Most students won’t be lucky enough to have a car at university as they are expensive to run. This means that you will be left with walking, cycling and public transport. Getting to know the public transport routes in the area will help you to travel the city with ease. You could also find you save yourself a little money by doing this. In addition to this, buying a rail/bus card can save you loads of money if you use public transport frequently.

4. Find Ways to Save Money

Saving money is much easier then you may first realise; cutting back on simple luxuries will help you save money for the more important things in life. Making use of loyalty cards can help you get some money back, as can getting a student discount card. Not sure if somewhere is offering a student discount? Just ask! Being savvy and making the most of any discounts or deals when they come about can really help you save money in the long run, just be careful about falling into the trap of buying something because it’s on sale, even though you don’t need it. Make sure you get your student discount card over the summer, so you have it when you need it.

5. Look for a Good Gym Membership, or Join a Sports Team

While films are a great way to fill your time, they are not the only way you can use your free time constructively at university. Being active and partaking in sports, or visiting the gym, is great for releasing stress and tension. Exercise can help your mental health and can even help with studying [1]. Start looking for ways to get exercising; the sooner you get into the routine of looking after yourself physically, the easier it’ll be.

6. Look at Your Study Modules

It’s always worth checking your course before you start in September. This will help you to get a bit more knowledge about your subject and get you excited for starting. There can also be work given over the summer, and it’s good to get this done so you’re prepared for the next year. A common one is reading specific books, but it is often course specific.

7. Learn How to Make New Friends

For students about to tackle the first year of university, making new friends is important. Your experience at university will be much more enjoyable if you can enjoy it with the people that you are living and working with. The best method for doing this is to join societies, sport teams and getting to know the people in your student accommodation. Everyone will be in the same boat of looking for new friends so don’t be worried.

8. Don’t Panic

Thinking about University may fill you with fear, and that not a bad thing. Spending time away from your family and friends, having to live and fend for yourself can be a difficult task but don’t forget, you’re not alone. Students from across the country will be experiencing the exact same thing, so relax and trust in your ability to succeed.

That wraps up our 16 tips to help prepare yourself for university. Hopefully these tips have helped to motivate and intrigue you enough to make an impact on what is for most students, the most memorable time of their lives. Good luck to all students starting University in September and thank you for reading. Don’t forget, if you haven’t sorted your student accommodation yet, we still have some available studios. Call today to book a viewing.

[1] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-benefits-of-exercise/

16 Tips to Help Prepare Yourself for University – Part 1

Doing all you can to prepare yourself for university can help make student life much less stressful and busy. There are quite a few things to consider before September rolls around, so it’s best to start early and get everything sorted. In part 1 of this 2-part blog series, we take a look at 8 tips that can help you get prepared for university:

1. Get into a Routine

It’s good to hit the ground running when you get to university, so it can help to adopt regular routines to help you get the most out of your days ahead. You can try more regular sleeping patterns in the week, normal eating hours and even exercise to keep you refreshed and feeling on top of your life. This will also give you lots of energy to study well, be social and enjoy the craziness of weekend fun. Having healthy routines can enable you to get all your most important jobs and responsibilities done and out of the way, leaving you with plenty of time for friends, flatmates, going out and enjoying your independence.

2. Stay Organised and Keep on Top of Your Days

The best way to have the least amount of anxiety and stress about your weekly schedule is to plan and stay organised throughout the week. You can use daily/weekly planners to help you remember your lectures, one-on-one meetings with tutors and staff, crucial deadlines coming up, utilities and rent due dates, and even fun nights out to look forward to! By knowing your schedule, you can also plan the mundane yet necessary jobs like weekly shopping and other errands and chores. Planning and getting these done can free you up to spend more time with your friends.

3. Get Ahead

Even though it’s extremely important to have a well-deserved break throughout the summer, getting started on any work and learning what you can over the summer can really help your first weeks and months of settling back into university. Getting your freedom back and studying what you love can be brilliant, but it can also be very tiring and difficult to get back into the regular swing of things. While everyone else is cramming and stressing last minute about reading lists and assignments, you could be having a relaxed start to the year with plenty of time to adjust into your routines with little stress about outstanding work or study.

4. Keep on a Budget

Living on a budget can really help you to feel that you are on top of your life, instead of drowning in financial stress. Studies have found that half of UK adults in debt are also living with mental ill-health [1]. While sometimes it is fun and good to let loose, doing it too often with money you don’t have can begin to create large amounts of stress and burden in your life. Don’t be scared to check your bank balance frequently and know what you can spend, in order to avoid any extra mental strain that can affect the whole of your student life. You can still have fun weekends without over spending and ending up without money at the end of the month for food and other necessities. Be in control of your money, instead of letting your money control you!

5. Try out Meal Prepping

Weekly meal organisation can do wonders for freeing up your busy schedule. Try planning 3-5 main meals in advance, therefore saving yourself the brain power needed to plan your meals EVERYDAY. By shopping for a few different recipes in your weekly shop, you are free to cook whenever you want in the evening depending on what activities you have planned. There’s no need to keep on popping in and out of the shops after the long, busy days ahead and meal prepping can additionally help you create meals that are healthier, get you excited and give you something to look forward to. Another brilliant way to plan ahead and save money is meal sharing. Dinner with flatmates and friends can be a fun way to hang out while also sharing the cooking responsibilities in the house and saving money all around. You could also go to the shops and plan meals together as a way of keeping the process exciting. There are plenty of exciting meals you can have on a student budget [2].

6. Choosing your Accommodation and Flatmates

In order to have as little stress and worry as possible, it is good to get on top of finding your accommodation sooner rather than later. The earlier you look, the more choice you’ll have, and you’ll have plenty of time to find good and dependable flatmates to rent with you. Nonetheless, sometimes life gets in the way and/or plans fall through, but don’t let this stop you. Unihousing is here with plenty of options and properties for you and your friends. To ensure the best experience, try to team-up with people who will be good and reliable flatmates; who will help you take care of the house, share responsibilities, respect your privacy and will make the year a fun and exciting one without drama and complications.

Check out Unihousing today and see some of our available studios in September 2019 or subscribe to our newsletter to be among the first to see our student accommodation for the academic year in 2020/21.

7. Don’t Forget your Supplies

By this, we don’t just mean university supplies! Make sure you and your flatmates have all the necessities for your shared home including pots, pans, dishes, cutlery, cooking utensils, bedding, towels, cleaning products, and anything else you might need. It’s great to move into a space that already has all the things you need, without the stress of running around last minute and attempting to find needed home supplies. That being said, make sure you don’t forget about your university supplies either. Start your academic year feeling relaxed knowing that you have all your books, pens, notebooks, art supplies and anything else you will need to give you the best head start. Try picking the best supplies for you, things that get you inspired but will be practical for your needs. Having a fun trip to IKEA with your flatmates to pick out needed household items and supplies together is a great way of letting everyone contribute and can create a fun kickstart to the new university year.

8. Learn the Support Channels

University life can sometimes feel a little overwhelming, so it’s important to learn about all of the necessary support channels, just in case. In particular, the University of Birmingham has a wellbeing service [3] in place to help support your physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing. Doing the necessary research now means you know where to go when you need help.

Making use of these 8 tips is a great way to make your university experience a great one. You’ll not only get the most of your education, but also make some great memories along the way. We’re not finished here though, keep an eye out for part two, where you can find even more helpful tips and tricks for getting prepared for university.

[1] https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/d/debt-and-mental-health

[2] https://www.amazon.co.uk/NOSH-Students-Student-Cookbook-Colour/

[3] https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/support/health/index.aspx