Ways To Survive At First Year University

Congratulation in gaining admission into a University. Your time at university will be one of the most exciting times of your life. Full of opportunities, friends from different parts of the world, social life, an opportunity to obtain essential skills that will help you in life and an opportunity for self-development. However to really enjoy your time at University and survive your first year, here are some advice that will help you cope:

Travel cheaply: The national rail services gives individuals aged between 16 and 25 a rail card that gets you a third off your train fare. Some banks give these card out for free with the incentive to open a bank account with them and have certain amount of money in your account every term. If you need to travel, book your fare in advance. Splitting your journey and getting separate tickets can also save you a few bucks. If you are over 25 years old and have a disability you can apply for a disabled person railcard.

Learn to socialise: Engage with people, learn how to communicate and ask questions. If you are interested in people, people will be interested in you. Freshers week is a good place to start, because it is most likely everyone is new and experiencing the same anxiety you are experiencing. Gain the confidence to look for people to be friends with.

Develop strong friendships: if you are staying on campus or sharing with other people, develop a connection with your flatmates. Try to always be on good terms with each other, because you have to share the flat together. Even if you don t like them, be civil to them. Invite them to various activities, even if you know they will decline. For example, going shopping, going to the movies, going jogging etc. Remember, it is most likely that you will come from a different family lifestyle and cultural background from them, so try to adjust to their ways. Being on good terms with them will be beneficial to you and help maintain a positive dynamic around the flat.

Budget your money: Don t get carried away with the freedom and independency you now have. Remember your finances will quickly deplete if you do not pay attention to how much you are spending. Protect your belongings: Lock your room, and food cupboard. Most Universities already provide locks on doors and cupboards. Take advantage of this and protect your belongings. This will save you time, money, and stress. Homesick: Whatever your reasons are for choosing to study away from home. There will come a time when you will get home sick. Develop good coping strategies. Your parents or friends are only a phone call away. And with the advancement of technology, you can video chat with them any time you wish. Develop a strategy that works for you to help you remain happy, positive and focused on your studies. Ask for help: If you need help, be assertive enough to ask for help. If you are struggling in class, speak to your lecturer. We all learn in different ways, but your lecturer will not hold your hand and help you learn. You are in charge of your own learning. Your lecturer knows that University life is hard and you will need some time to adjust. So, speak to them if you need help.

Pass mark: You might be led to believe you only need 40% to pass the first year. However, this should not be an excuse to slack. If you want to get a good grade at University, you will need to start off well. Which means getting a good grade in your first year and maintaining it. Don t leave your projects or assignments to the last minute i.e. few hours before the deadline or the night before. Some lecturers can you give deadlines as long as 1 month. Procrastination can easily set in. However, if you want to earn good grades at university, you will not leave your assignments to the last minute. Do your assignment on time, preferably as soon as you get it. Not only will the information be fresh in your mind, you will be able to enjoy yourself better knowing it is out of the way. You will also have enough time to review your work, and make any corrections it might need.

Be disciplined with your sleep: Just because your parents are not around to nag you to get out of bed at a reasonable hour doesn t mean you will start slacking. University is the time to put to test what you have learnt from your parents while living at home. Set your alarm clock and train your body to rest well (on time) and wake up at a reasonable time.

These points are just a few advices that will help you during your first year at University. Also giving you an idea of what you might go through. Embrace and cherish every moment, make friends and develop close friendship. Develop a good balance for friends and study because in a blink of an eye it will all be over.