Get on with it!

So, many of you bright young things have started or returned to Uni now. I cannot tell you how jealous I am, I’m sat here, stuck at home sending off job application after job application, so please enjoy it while it lasts folks. Even so, you probably aren’t feeling pretty lucky right now, trying to make friends, worrying about where your first lecture is and living off super noodles and toast, and I mean, who really knows how to use a washing machine? It takes years of intense training, hours at colour matching school, weeks spent studying fabrics and spin cycles. Even so, it gets much easier pretty quickly, but just for now here are some tips to help you make some friends, tips on  how to wash your clothes and cook meals with follow soon, but you’ve got enough underwear for at least a month, right?

1) For if you’ve found out that you’ve got a room mate.

‘Oh my god, I can’t believe I have to share a room! What if she goes through my clothes, or watches me when I sleep, or brings guys back all the time?’

These were some of the thoughts crashing around in my head when I first found out that I had to share a room. I’m sure that if you’ve found out the same, you’ve probably thought similar, or perhaps even worse. ‘What if she’s a serial killer?’ But, truth be told, having a room mate can be pretty great. Of course, some people will find it hard to share, and some people wont click but universities try pretty hard to match you up with someone you’d get on with and more often that not, they get it right.

One of the best things about having a room mate in the first week of Uni was that I had my own captive friend. She had to spend time with me. I made sure that we went to breakfast together so I had someone to sit with, and it made it so much easier to talk to other people knowing that I already had one friend. I ended up living with my room mate throughout the whole of university. We had lots in common and I never went thirsty, that girl was boiling a kettle 24/7.

2) For if you don’t have a room mate.

Of course, it’s great to have your own space, you can make a mess and sleep naked if you want but you always run the risk of turning into a loner if you don’t make an effort straight away. Having your own room certainly has its benefits, and if you’re in a hall where everyone has a single room, you’ll all be in the same boat and you’ll all need to socialise. One of the best things you can use in your first week of uni is a door stop. Ok, you may get told off if it’s a fire door, but really no one cares. If you leave your door open for your first few days it will be so much easier to meet people. I spent my first day of uni wandering from room to room introducing myself as people arrived and it was so much easier to say hi to people if their doors were wide open.  Just get off your bum, put the kettle on and take some biscuits round to meet your neighbours, I cannot extol the virtues to you enough of jammy dodgers and their ice breaking capacity. An open door policy and an open biscuit tin policy will help you get to know so many people. Not all of them will become your friends for life, but some will, and you’ll be glad you made the effort.

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The first week of uni- Fresher's week and how to make the most of it

So, if you’re starting university for the first time, fresher’s week can seem pretty daunting. I’m sure you’ve heard it all before but honestly,the best thing to do is to throw yourself into things. Most universities will give you an orientation meeting and a fresher’s week guide of what’s going on. Go to as many events as possible to get to know what the uni has to offer and to help you learn your way around too.


Societies often put on taster sessions during fresher’s week, its good to try out a few activities before spending money to join a club that you don’t actually like. Take a neighbour with you as a way to bond, even if neither of you really have any intention of joining the knitting society.

At the end of fresher’s week normally comes the fresher’s fair, or what we at Exeter called the ‘squash’. Now, most people would advise you to join as many societies as possible but I disagree. Certainly join some clubs but don’t go overboard, be realistic. Will you really go to badminton, rugby, life drawing classes, rambling and write for the student paper in between socialising with friends and of course actually doing work? Plus, can you afford to join all of these societies either? It’s easy to get sucked in and join societies for the sake of it, or because someone else is, but don’t get pressured into anything. Many society presidents know you won’t turn up and will happily take your money anyway. Only join societies that you know you’ll go to and enjoy. I had friends who joined an expedition society and enjoyed many weekends away as a part of it, but I knew I didn’t have time to do this bearing in mind I saw my boyfriend every other weekend. So make sure you have a good look around before hastily signing up for country dancing or a cheese tasting group. Of course joining societies helps you make friends, but most people become closest to the people they live near and go to lectures with on a regular basis. All of my housemates I met in my halls rather than as part of a society. If you think you are  missing out later you always have the opportunity to join half way through term, or after Christmas at the refresh once you’ve settled into your course and found out how much free time you really have.  

Your uni will probably give guided tours of the library facilities, don’t do what I did and not bother to go. I had no idea how to take out or return a book and it took me over a month to build up the courage to ask my friend to show me. This meant that all my essays were written from online journals and honestly just weren’t that good. By third year the library will become like a second home to you so get to grips with it early, unlike my housemate who hadn’t taken a book out until he needed one for his final year dissertation! Just remember to make sure to return any books you take out, as library fines can build up quickly especially if people request the books that you’re using. I know that work won’t exactly be the first thing on your mind in fresher’s week but remember, at the end of the day, you’re paying a lot of money for your degree and you don’t want to have to retake a year.

Of course, partying does play a major part in your first week and I completely encourage going out, it’s a great way to get to know the city, the people around you and it breaks the ice; loud music drowns out any awkward silences in conversations. Of course you won’t remain friends with every single person you meet whilst out in fresher’s week, but that’s part of the fun, meeting new and strange people. Of course at the same time, don’t over do it. I bailed on a night out as I was feeling tired and ended up bonding for life with the girl who lived opposite as we discovered our shared love for duvets, hot chocolate and Twilight (don’t judge me). Don’t feel like you have to drink stupidly in your first week, you’ll probably end up making more enemies than friends if you’re the one that throws up down the hall corridor which ends up smelling for days after. Similarly, when people don’t know you that well they aren’t going to exactly jump at the chance of being the one to hold back your hair or put you to bed in the recovery position. Know your limits, of course, if you like a drink by all means have one just remember that you’ve got to live around the same people for a year so it probably isn’t best to create a scene banging on the hall door because you've forgotten your key card at 3am or to sleep with half the corridor before the week is out.

Just get stuck in, do what you feel comfortable with. Remember why you’re there and what you hope to gain from your university experience. It’ll go quicker than you think and trust me, you’ll have a blast! 

There will be more articles about settling in and making friends to come.

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What to pack for university

So, you’ve got your results and you’re in. You may be worrying about your halls, making friends, missing lectures and surviving on your own but one of the first steps for surviving university is packing the right things. 

Luckily for me I have a very organized mum, the kind of one where if you ask her for a pair of scissors or a screw driver she’d probably have a variety you could chose from in her handbag. This meant I was very prepared and honestly, being the only person with stamps or an airer made me invaluable to my friends!  Nevertheless, taking the right things to uni is very important for helping you to settle in and manage your life. 

I’ve compiled a basic packing list of all the things that I think are important or useful to take, of course you can think of your own things you may want to add to this such as items for your hobbies or grooming routine (not everyone needs nose hair trimmers). 

This list is geared more towards girls a) because I am one b) a male list would probably be much the same but with items removed and c) honestly how many boys do you think are actually that prepared and would have googled this kind of thing?  

Clothes- Tops

Trousers

Shorts

Skirts

Dresses- casual, for clubbing and formal for balls

Jumpers

Cardigans

Hoodies

Pyjamas (take long bottoms that you can wear down to breakfast in halls)

Dressing gown

Sports wear

Swimming Costume

Coats

Belts

Hat/scarf/gloves

Bras

Socks

Pants- take enough to last you at least a month, trust me, you won’t wash stuff that often! 

Tights

Leggings

Shoes- sport, casual, smart, wellies, slippers. 

Bedding- take two sets so you can change them as soon as you take one set off to wash. I had a friend who had to sleep in a sleeping bag when his sheets were wet! (check what size bed you’ve got)

A blanket

Duvet

Cuddly toy

Towels- hand, head and bath. 

Jewellery

Straighteners

Hairdryer 

Brush/comb

Hair products/ ties

Toiletries- toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoos, shower gels, face washes, medication, sun cream, tampons, contact lenses etc.

Bags- going out/ work bag/ hand bag

A weekend bag for going home. 

Items for hobbies e.g guitar or squash racquet. 

Laptop

Laptop bag – invaluable for the library. 

Plug adapter – if your uni has too few plugs in the library, take one so you can be guaranteed a place to charge! 

Phone and charger

Camera and charger (you will take more photos at uni than you will for the rest of your life. I have more pictures of me and a uni friend than of me and my boyfriend who I’ve known for three more years!) 

Extension plug sets- you will need at least two! 

Printer – helps you make friends and you can guarantee your essay will get printed.

Printer cartridges

Printer paper

Memory stick

Ipod and charger

Desk lamps

Alarm clock – and set the alarm! 

Umbrella

Books 

Book ends

A door stop

DVDs 

Posters/ bunting/ anything to make your room your own

Hot water bottle

Cheque book

Passport photos

Airers

Stationary- pens, pads, stapler and staples, paper clips, stamps, envelopes, folders, folder dividers, sticky labels, plastic wallets, white tac, drawing pins, sellotape,  scissors.  

Generic birthday cards. 

A diary – put family birthdays and addresses in it before you go! 

A folder with all important uni finance documents/ course details etc. 

Coat hangers

Washing basket

A bin

Sleeping bag- if you have friends to stay.

Storage boxes – under bed ones are always good! 

Over door hooks- good for coats, or when your wardrobe is too small! 

Kettle
Sewing kit- I can't sew but I could lend it to others!

Iron

A duster

Polish

Tumble dryer sheets

Washing powder

Softener

Colour catchers

Ironing board – you can get mini ones

A first aid kit- plasters, paracetamol, savlon, sudacrem, gauze, lem sips (you will get a cold in your first few weeks). 

Even if you’re catered you may still want to take a kettle, tea bags/ coffee, milk and a fully stocked biscuit tin. This will help you bond with neighbours.

Also a mug, plate, cutlery, bowl and snacks such as noodles, soup, FRUIT etc. 

If you’re non catered: 

Crockery

Cutlery

Mugs

Glasses

Wine glasses

Frying pan

Large non-stick pan

Pans

Cheese grater

Bottle opener

Chopping board

Sieve

Cookery books

Food to start off with e.g milk, pasta, pasta sauce, cereal etc. 

Knives

Strainer

Baking trays

Pyrex dishes

Wooden spoons/ spatulas etc. 

Apron

Tea towels

Oven gloves

Washing up liquid

Sponges/ cloths

If you take a TV make sure you have a licence

Those who enjoy gaming may want to take a games console too, this again is great for bonding with neighbours!

If you can think of anything you think would be useful and I haven’t put down, please do comment! 

You may still turn up at your room and find out that you need to buy things. I had to buy a bed side table when I arrived as I had nowhere to keep my underwear, or put my lamp! You may turn up though and find you have some items provided such as a bin or lamp, just send your duplicates home with your parents, that's what they're there for. 

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