At University, Now What?

Where To Live?

If attending a university that takes the student away from home there are a number things the student will need to consider with regard to accommodation. Need to answer the following:

Do you want to be somewhere quiet?
Do you want to be where all the action is?
Do you want to stay in Halls of Residence? (part of the university accommodation)
Do you want to find a shared house, possibly with friends if they are attending the same or local university?

It is a good idea to speak with the housing officer of the university or college you will be attending. It is also likely that a lot of information about accommodation will be on the university website, there may even be an online application for the university accommodation (apply as early as possible as these go quickly).

There are lots to choose from when it comes to accommodation, below are useful websites to help you with the choice:

Types of Accommodation

Home

With the cost of university rising, ,more and more students are deciding to stay at home with family/carers with the number staying at home equalling 25% at the moment and rising.

The advantage of living at home are quite obvious, including the fact the student can save money. However there are also some disadvantages, including the fact that transport to and from the university/college may be lengthy and expensive. Also students that live at home may not have the opportunity to become truly independent, and may miss out on some of the aspects of university life.

Halls of Residence

There are a number of different types of halls of residence available with rooms coming in various sizes and standards. Some may have large corridors with students sharing a kitchen, bathroom and communal area. Others can be similar to self contained apartments. It is worth checking the availability and cost. Priority is normally given to those student in their first year, or those with particular disabilities.

It is worth considering whether to have self catering, or whether it is possible to have the cost of meals in with the accommodation.

The advantages of living in Halls include that it is a great way to settle in and make friends quickly. The disadvantage can be the cost, Halls often is more costly than other forms of accommodation while at university.

Other University Accommodation

These can be university owned or managed student apartments or shared houses. There may also be the possibility for couples and families to rent accommodation.

Privately Rented Accommodation

Again the standards and costs of accommodation will vary, and though they are privately owned the university will be able to provide a list of available properties in the local area, local estate agents will normally have information on student houses too. These houses are generally shared with other students.

Lodgings

This is when a room or rooms are rented within a house, and the student then lives with the landlord/lady. If this is an option that is being considered the student will need to find out what facilities are included, is food included or will be self catering with access to the kitchen. How is laundry dealt with? Are there house rules that need to be followed?

This can be a good alternative, as often renting a room is a lot more cost effective. However it may restrict the freedom of the student.

What do know about the area?

If moving away from home to a new area it is well worth getting to know what is in the area you may be living in soon:

What are the facilities on the university campus—sports, catering, discounted stores, library etc.
Local Shops—supermarkets where it is possible to bulk buy at a cheaper cost, markets where fruit and vegetables can be bought etc.
Social Life—what is the night life like, what pubs, restaurants, cinemas are there in the area.
Local facilities useful to the course—i.e. law courts, museums, libraries etc.
Public Transport Network—what is the best way to travel to university/college? What are the schedules for the buses/trains/trams etc. Is it cheaper to buy a term pass, or pay as you go.

Travel

If living away from home it is important to consider the travel to and from home during holidays/weekends etc. If the plan is to go by rail or coach, it may be worthwhile getting a young persons 16-25 Railcard or event he Young Persons Coach card from National Express.

What to expect during the first few weeks?

University life is very different to what life has been before, there will be a lot of new people to meet, the subjects will be new, and if studying away from home too there is suddenly a lot more freedom and independence. It can be a lot to take in initially.

The following websites can give you a little glimpse of what university life will be like:

Freshers Week

This is held at that beginning of the term and gives students the chance to find out a little more about student life, get to know people and settle in before the hard work begins. During this week it is advisable to get to know your fellow students, join relevant societies, register on the courses, move into accommodation, get to know the area and sort out the finances. It is a hectic but generally enjoyed week.

Friends

University/college is a much bigger institutions than the sixth form/academy or college that students have attended and it can be overwhelming with all the new changes that are in place. Scary as it seems there is nothing to worry about when it comes to making friends. Everyone is in the same situation and will also be feeling scared, nervous and overwhelmed too.

If it is possible try to make friends before you go, you may be fortunate to have friends going to the same university and even being on the same course, or you may be able to find out that others are going through social network sites like Facebook or Twitter.

Tips

Before you start University/college it is important to think about the follwoing:

Ensure that you have your bank account set up. Many banks will give students gifts like railcards, vouchers and often give free overdraft.
Know when to expect the payments of the student loan/grants into your account. This will help you to plan what money you may need to cover you while you wait for this to go in.
Work out a budget, know how much you have available to live on each week after all the essentials have been paid for. Wasting all your money too early will cause some big financial problems later on.

Living away from home

Where is the local doctor to where you live? Make sure that you have registered. Does the university have their own doctors surgery on campus?
Where do you need to go in order to clean your laundry? Do you have a washing machine and dryer in your accommodation?
Have you sorted out insurance? If you are in shared accommodation it means your belongings are not going to be as secure as they were at home, and you may have expensive items such as laptop, TV, phone, camera etc that would be expensive to replace if stolen/lost or damaged. Gocompare.com has a student insurance section.
Are there any safety issues within the area that need to be considered? For example do you have to walk down a dark street on the way home? What can you do to help with safety? For example carry a personal alarm, walk with friends where possible.

Help

Starting university or college is an emotional time and it is not unusual to get overwhelmed, upset, angry, scared etc before you leave to go to university/college or once there. These feelings are normal, but don’t worry as there are plenty of people around to help you if you feel you need a little help or advice.

The doctor
University/college student counsellor
Personal tutor
Friends and family
The Samaritans—24 hour confidential support on 08457 909090

Some universities also have a service called Nightline, this is a service run by students who volunteer to help provide confidential support, giving students the opportunity to other students face to face, or over the phone. Students are trained to provide non-judgemental help and advice with any problems students may be facing, have a look at the website for more information www.nightline.ac.uk

Studying

The first few weeks of university/college can be a whirlwind of events and sometimes can even cause students to lose sight of the reason they are going to university, which is to study! The following websites can help with studying at Higher Education:

The universities/colleges will also have facilities and resources that can be used by students to study, such as libraries, computers, bookshops and other support services that assist with studies.

Checklist

Where do you need to go to register for the course? Where do you pick up your timetables, modules, lectures, classes and seminars?
Do you know where you need to go for all the lectures/seminars? Is there a map available.
Can you purchase second hand books from previous students, rather than buying them new.
Do you know what materials, resources and tools you need for your course? Is there a place you can go to where the products can be bought at a discount.

Right from the start put in place a study timetable to ensure you keep on top of your subjects, and meet any deadlines that you have given. Don’t get into bad habits, leaving everything to the last minute will cause unneeded stress and could lead to you receiving grades that are far less than you could have achieved with a little organisation, time and planning.