How to prepare for university

5 June 2017

Leaving for university can be daunting, for many of you it may be the first time you’ve lived away from home. If you’re unsure about what to bring with you, what sort of preparation you need to do or even whether or not you should be making friends weeks before you arrive, fear not. Here is an overview of how you can best prepare for your move to university.

Bringing everything you need

Packing for university is unlike packing for any holiday or summer camp. You’re moving out long term and becoming your own person; not only will you be settling into new accommodation, you’ll need equipment for your kitchen and necessities for your bathroom. Here is a definitive list we created last year.

If you would like to save the hassle of having to transport of these items, our friends at UniKitOut will ship your items directly to your room so they’re ready for when you arrive. Check them out here. Be sure to use our discount code ‘DERWENT17’ for 10% off of your order.

 

Finding your flatmates

We have Facebook pages for all of our properties and some of them also have closed groups which you can get involved in. This is a great opportunity to introduce yourself and find your new flatmates. Getting to know them early will help ease your nerves about moving in and you can begin planning activities in your new city together. Be sure to check your universities Facebook page and to see what events they have on offer, find out how you can get involved.

 

Check the events at your property and student union

Fresher’s week usually takes place from the first day students move in and lasts a week. It consists of nights out and daytime activities such as union fairs – where you can find the different sports/societies at your university. Follow your property on social media and log on to your student union page and find out what events are happening and how you can get involved.

 

Work out your finances

This may not be as fun as the other tips, but working out how much income you will receive from student finance, along with help from home and any part time job you might start will help you create a budget. Budgeting is important as a student, you’ll find that even cheap pints at the student union and 2-for-1 student bowling nights can still add up. Look at various discounts you may be entitled to; the National Union of Students have a discount card that is accepted at many different places.

 

Knowing how to cook

If you aren’t used to cooking your own meals and would like to learn how to cook good meals at university, now is the time. Having a healthy, balanced diet will do you good; especially when the pressures of exams pile on later in the year. We have a blog written on how to eat healthily on a student budget; check it out here.

 

So there you have it, a guide to help you prepare for university. Have any tips or experiences of your own? Be sure to tell us on Facebook or on Twitter.