Hints for Starting University

[femmepariah]

I thought, since half of MAP seems to be migrating to various unis this year, maybe those of us who've been there, or are there now, could post any handy hints to make life easier for those who are making the move. I know you get all these books about going to uni, full of bland financial advice, but what about other things. How to prepare for the day to day stuff. How to get away with stuff and dodge problems etc.

Here's a couple off the top of my head:
The First Day: Unload your stuff, Don't bother unpacking, rally round everyone in your halls and get out to the pub ASAP. Get as drunk as you can and write off the rest of the day. You'll probably need to eat: eat at the pub. This is the time when you'll acquire the nickname that'll haunt you throughout your adult life.Take shed loads of vitamin supplements for your first week or so. Then you can laugh as you shake off the inevitable freshers' flu within a day or so, while your flatmates fall around groaning like big jessies.Go along to the Martial Arts class before the Freshers' Fair / Athletics Union recruitment drive / whatever it's called where you are. Get to know the old hands and the instructor without the annoyance of all the n00bz who just took karate 'cos they thought it was aikido (or whatevah!). Everyone'll be in a good mood and won't be rushed off their feet trying to adapt to all the new people, so you'll probably get to know them all much better.You can survive on eating junk for the first week or so, but stock up on proper food sharpish. It's cheaper, nicer and healthier than the kind of gunk they serve in uni canteens (although spending a year in halls does leave you with a strange longing for gunk every now and then - I could just eat some tomato and mushroom gunk right now!)Buy contraceptives - there's a reason that abortion is a big issue at every students' union meeting. Girls - don't trust that rugby player - he's not on the pill!If you form a rock band, don't do funk, post-hardcore or indie shoegazing. It makes for boring battle of the bands events.

 

[clau]

Does this mean that you pulled while wearing beer glasses on your first day, Moosey?

I'd add to that - learn to cook a bit before you get there. It's amazing how that skill draws people round you. Oh, and if you want to spend lots of money on alcohol and you are buying your own food - learn how to fill yourself up with lots of cheap veg and cheap cuts of meat.

Martial arts - just because you go to X style club at home, don't assume that x style club at Uni will automatically be the one for you. Train but don't join until you've seen what they do and checked out the other clubs.

 

[super_kelser]

LOL, I did, but that's another story

 

[Nickkay]

Them things do my head in! I found a handy studenty forum that has lists of everything to take and theres 8 pages just of peoples A Level results today (and you get to know people wherever you are going before you get there)

Get on Google and find the local Wetherspoons!

Southern wusses

Or if you know of an instructor on MAP in the area send them a PM (which I am about to do)

Got a 3kg sack of pasta ready to take (twas only a quid in Asda) so at least I know I will have a healthy meal alongside bacon sarnies

 

[Pashly]

You say that now...

 

[Rayha]

More chance of me not posting for other reasons - like intoxication and working elsewhere on MAP

 

[Soula3]

Here's my tip, based on actual Saz experiences If anyone needs tips for the extreme hard up student, I can do those too

When you go shopping for the first time, make a list. Don't wander round the supermarket going "Oh yeah, I like ice cream/pizza/crisps/breaded bits of non-descript chicken". When you get home and try and cook your tea and realise you have no actual food, you have to go out again!

Watch out for BOGOF's and stock up, but avoid aforementioned breaded chicken/turkey at all costs (drummers, cheese and ham etc). Its packed full of crap, and is usually more expensive than buying a pack of fresh chicken drumsticks or legs.

Bags of frozen veg are cheaper than fresh or tinned. It lasts longer (duh) and you can use as much as you like.

Buy as much stuff as you can in bulk with your roomies, and cook large meals together if you can. The freezer is your friend.

Buy a black marker and write your name on everything in the fridge. There's always some scrounger who steals unmarked food. If you want to borrow something from someone, ask them as they'll rarely say no and respect you for having common decency

If your bed is uncomfy and the springs stick in you, buy the cheapest duvet you can find and put it on top of the mattress. Make your bed as normal over the duvet. Its the comfiest nights sleep you can have

Buy decent pans, not the "3 pans for £7" deals you see in Argos. Its false economy.

 

[DiamondXxx]

My tip:

Be prepared for noise!

If you like sleeping during "normal" hours (say midnight till 8) you should buy some ear plugs, get ready to tell people to shut up, or invest in a bedside fan to drown out the noise (works for me).

 

[IanD]

Oh, if in doubt, go for red gunk in the canteen. Red gunk is pretty much guaranteed to taste of tomato. Any other colours - who knows what you're getting!

 

[MonkeyM]

check how big the freezer is (and how many of you are sharing it) BEFORE you go shopping, you might just have the ice box in the top of the fridge (saves you trying to eat a months worth of frozen food in one sitting)

if you are living in halls, give up any notions of having 'a quiet life', being left in peace to study in your room or any other such nonsense like a 'decent nights sleep'.

find out when the decent club nights are in town (the ones that give students a ridiculous discount on drinks) and draw a line through anything you've got timetabled for the following morning, you'll be in no fit state and most lecturers would prefer you not to turn up than to throw up.

get a job; while the banks are quite happy to keep 'blank-chequing' you throughout your time as a student, once its all over, you have to pay for your money just like the rest of the world and they waste no time in reminding you of this fact. Any money you can pull in from a job will be worth it when you leave (your OD will be smaller).

on the money thing...

£1000 can be burnt in no time at all. Sure, hit the pub constantly through freshers week, but remember, going out 24/7 every week of term costs money, (usually money you haven't paid for yet), set your own limits on what you can afford and stick to them.

 

[TayK]

to the first yr students... most important thing is finding somewhere to eat at 3am in the morning!

dont take the first year too seriously, it doesnt count towards your final grade! just go there have fun and enjoy yourself... if you can, live out during your first yr.. i did even though i only lived bout 10 miles from my uni.

 

[track_rebel]

In my first year, we had an ice box between 5
The fridge itself was only 18 inches tall. So I had to cook every other day, and I could store at most a litre of milk and a small carton of juice.



Yup
I love my sleep.
Get used to sleeping from 3AM till 12 NOON, because you won't get any sleep before midnight.
What I would do is get maybe 6 hours sleep a night, come home from uni and sleep for 30mins-1 hour in the afternoon.

 

[partygirl96]

Anybody else going to Herts uni?

 

[JojoMorrice]

The first thing that has to be done is to get down the local pub or the unon ASAP . Luckily we had a fire alarm on the first night so we all went down the pub.



Get the parents down the local Tesco or Sainsbury when they drop you off and get them to stock up and everything . get as much buck longlife stuff as possible because your'll soon need it.


lol get used to abnormal living hours like sleeping in the day and working until 4am in the morning especially in your later years.

Most of all enjoy it & try and make as many friends as possible.

 

[marbear]

Don't forget the Ramen noodles- a very important staple for anyone on the student loan dole.

 

[sweete]

I'm gonna get flamed by the Americans for this display of ignorance, but what is ramen? Is it what we call "Pot Noodle"?

 

[cambrexia101]

I've been led to believe its more like some form of Supernoodles

 

[Emz]

I lived on Ramen noodles and popcorn my senior year of college.

For you freshmen/first years. Pile all of the clothes/junk in your room before you move, then put half of it back, you won't need it all.

 

[Rawre]

The most important thing in freshers week is to get out there and talk to as many people as possible, don't just chat to people on your floor: if you live in halls go for a wander around the whole building! I know someone in our halls last year who only talked to about 5 people in the whole of freshers week and barely went out of his room during the day. He spent the rest of the year not knowing anybody outside of his floor and only speaking to people from his course, needless to say i doubt he had a very fun time. Even if you're a shy person try and get out there and get involved in stuff thats going on, most halls will have a few events at least organised for freshers at the start of term.

 

[AlvinStardust]

Go to your Student Union and grab that NUS card! (National Union of/for Students). Slap your mug and scribble on the card and get discounts for clothes, cds, dvds, food (only someplaces like pizzahut), cinema tickets and stationary.

It may seem 'cheap' but 10%off here, 15% off there....it adds up.

Employment was mentioned earlier in the thread but I'll mention it again to drive the importance of it.

Jobs = money = food = less strain on overdraft.

One tip, find a job in the area before you start University, not the other way around cos by then most jobs would have been taken. Most places are looking for Christmas Temps right now so check that out.
Dont be disheartened that most places arent looking for workers and dont be offended if they seem annoyed that you're asking for one as every other month when Uni starts/stops, 1000's of students ask them everyday.
*there is no 'trick' in getting the job, its mostly about luck then how you do in the interview...just remember to be polite.

Keep an eye out on your bulletin boards. Good deals are done there such as accomodation (where're you gonna stay after that first year?), 2nd hand laptops and the usual stuff, nights out etc.

USE THE LIBRARY! An obvious point but I remember half my class never used the library. All you need is there, internet for your MAP needs, past dissertations to use as examples, MACs, Scanners, CDs, DVDs (free rentals for a week!)