A Survival Guide to Your First Year at University

Hello all!

As I write this, it is A Level results day. A massive congratulations to everyone who received their results today - especially my brother who absolutely smashed it! Another Ledden Legend is off to University. Look out Birmingham!

I've been thinking for a while that it might be a good idea to write a post with some #toptips for your first year at University. Having just finished mine, I feel in a good position to share some thoughts on things that have helped me.
I posted about this on Instagram a short a while ago to ask if any of my pals had any advice to add to the mix. A huge thanks to those of you who did! This post will be 100x more helpful with opinions other than just my own!

1. Be Yourself: this is my absolute number one piece of advice and therefore I have popped it at the start so that if you get bored and stop reading, at least you've read this bit haha! Before I went to Uni I made the conscious decision to try to stay true to who I am and what I believe in when I moved away. I knew that this would potentially mean I wouldn't make friends as quickly as other people but trusted that I would find my tribe in the end! On my second night at Uni, all my flatmates went on a night out and I went to church! I think they thought I was absolutely insane. The thing that I found though is that people respect you for having integrity and consistency from the start. Me being honest about the things I did or didn't want to do also seemed to help the people around me feel that they could do the same. Over time it helped me to create deeper and more honest relationships with my flatmates and others around me. Nathan backs this too and says that giving in to peer pressure or trying to live up to other people's expectations is never helpful and that - although Uni is a time for change and trying new things - you don't need to change who you are.

This is the first picture that was sent to our flat group chat. I left my flatmates a glass of water and a biccy for when they got back from their night out... establishing the Mumma Kates role from day one lol.

2. Freshers: the most important thing to remember about freshers is that it doesn't last long. If you're hating it - don't worry - it will be over soon! And if you're enjoying it then make the most of it and take every opportunity! Hannah says that freshers isn't for everyone but that there will be people with similar interests to you and suggests trying a few societies or SU events to meet people. Hannah also mentioned how making your room a sanctuary can be really helpful. I feel this is important for the whole year but particularly during freshers as it makes so much difference to have somewhere calm and homely to go back to if you need to escape the chaos of freshers! I especially advocate the use of cushions, fairy lights, and photos of happy memories. My final nugget of advice about freshers was given to me by my friend Becca before I went to Uni. She said not to worry if I wasn't having the *best* time straight away. It might take you a bit of time but that's okay!

my sanctuary

3. Friendships: I was really lucky that the people I clicked with straight away at Uni ended up being incredible friends for the whole year! I made lots more chums over the course of the year too which was so amazing. However, Charlotte says that it took her a long time to settle into a group of friends because the people she first clicked with ended up not being the nicest! I saw this happen to a couple of my flatmates too. Don't let this dishearten you if it happens to you! You will find your tribe eventually and it will be SO worth it when you do. Something so important is to keep links with your friends from home when you go away. It will help you to stay sane! Embracing the new when you go to Uni doesn't mean you need to let go of the old. Something that is also vital to bear in mind is to be willing to change your perceptions of people as they settle in and become more themselves. People you may not think you like at first can actually end up being absolute babes!

flatm8z

4. Homesickness: You are all in the same boat! As you will know if you've been reading my posts for a while, I really struggled with anxiety and homesickness when I first got to Uni. It was really isolating and lonely! However, over the year as I got to know people they all started to talk about how they had felt the same way when they first started but I had had no idea because everyone had hidden it so well! I was worried to show how I was feeling because I didn't want people's first impressions of me to be that I was some miserable ball of mess. Maybe if I had felt able to speak about it, this would have allowed others to do the same and we could have supported each other through that tricky patch. I think if you're feeling homesick it's important to just look after yourself and go easy on yourself. Leaving home and starting University is one of the hardest things you will ever do so it is okay to not be okay straight away!

5. Be a tourist in your own city: This top tip comes from Barney. I love this advice! I've done my best this year to explore Brighton but I still have a huuuuge list of things I want to do and places I want to see in the city and surrounding area. Going exploring together can be a great way of getting to know housemates and coursemates and it's always a good idea to speak to locals to get the inside info on all the best spots! As Barney says, there are often loads of cool things to see/do that are free! Which is always a bonus on a student budget. Before you go to Uni, how about googling what the best things to do in your new city are?

being a tourist in b'town

6. Church!: I've talked quite a lot on here about the incredibly significant difference that being part of a church community made for me whilst at Uni. St Peter's in Brighton became my home from home and the place where I met the most amazing people. Barney and Nathan agree with me! They are at Uni in different cities but both said about how helpful trying out a church can be. Barney specifically mentioned how churches are sick places to make friends and get free food. I can personally back this statement 100%. 

church = making pals, partying, karaoke, drinking prosecco 

7. Community: Tam sent a message in about the importance of community when you go to Uni. I think she speaks some wise words! She says that getting stuck into a solid community - whether it's a a choir, sports team, society, or church - can help you to feel a part of something bigger than yourself and to stop you feeling isolated and alone. Tam believes this is the key to getting settled into your new Uni life and feeling happy and fulfilled.

8. Organisation: I personally feel that using a diary to keep track of your timetable, deadlines, and social events is crucial to avoiding unnecessary stress at Uni! Plan your time and try to keep on top of your workload. If you get work done as soon after it's given to you as possible then you avoid the mad stress as you come up to a deadline - you don't know what else could crop up at that time. Also, little post it notes are your best friends.

9. Don't worry if you can't do everything!: It can be tempting to try and take absolutely every opportunity offered to you when you get to University but you don't want to burn yourself out! Just take on what you feel you can manage and don't be afraid to say no if you start feeling overwhelmed. You have at least 3 years to live the Uni life - you don't have to cram it all in to your first year.

10. Owl gals: The final piece of advice comes from Sarah who says; "You'll meet crazy owl lovers on your first day at Uni, hold onto those gals and love 'em like crazy cos they are queeeens". I have a funny feeling she might be talking about me specifically... so this may not apply to you lol.

I love you Sarah, mate

I hope that wasn't too much information to digest and that you've found it helpful! Please feel free to message me if you want to chat about starting Uni. If you've already been to Uni and have some different advice, comment below so other people can benefit from it! If you want to know what first year is like in a nutshell, this is Mella's take on it: "1st year = freshers then it's shit and then it gets better."

Thank you for reading and a massive extra thank you to Hannah, Barney, Charlotte, Nathan, Becca, Tam, Mella, and Sarah for your contributions! 

Love,

Katie xxx

P.S. If you would like to you can follow my blog by clicking the blue 'follow' button in the top left corner (if you can't see it, you need to click on 'view web version' below).