The first few weeks at university or college will be tough, but don’t give up – things will get easier. Below are some tips to help you enjoy, and get the most out of, your first few weeks of university:

• ·When you’re unpacking and settling in to your room, leave your door open so that your new housemates/hall mates can meet you.
• Take some posters and photos to decorate your room with – it will make it look and feel more like your own.
• Make sure you have some cash with you for Freshers’ Week as there may not be a cash machine on campus and, even if there is, the queues may be long.
• If you are going to be living off campus, try and get involved with some of the activities taking place on campus, as this will help you make friends and feel part of the institution.
• Have some wine/beer/chocolate to share with your new housemates to help break the ice.
• Go to Freshers’ Fair and join some clubs/societies that appeal to you – these could also provide you with a ready-made group of friends.

Case Study

Name: Amy Scott
Course: English and Related Literature
Insitution: University of York

I am currently a final year English Literature student at the University of York. York was my first choice because it is campus based and therefore a small and friendly community in comparison to larger city based Universities. Also, because there are a lot of ducks.

Starting University was daunting to begin with, being faced with living away from home and fending for myself for the first time, but I quickly realised that the support available from the University in the form of STYCS (Second and Third Year Contacts) and the Student Union’s Welfare officer, as well as the University’s counselling service, meant that there would always be people to turn to if things went wrong.

York University is a particularly friendly place to spend your student days because of the college system. The University is divided into seven colleges, and new students become a member of one college when they arrive and remain a member throughout their time at the University. What the college system provides is a smaller community within the University, with a chance to get to know all the other people in your college and form a small group within the wider population on campus. Each college has its own events and welfare reps to look out for new students.

During my time at York my course has allowed me to study areas I’ve never approached before such as modern theatre practice and film studies and I’ve enjoyed the academic side of time at York so much that I’ve decided to continue my studies in these areas at postgraduate level. I will be starting the MA in Film and Literature in York this autumn.