Hi everyone, I hope you’ve all had a fabulous summer! The start of the new term is now just under a week away, and I thought I’d just give you some advice I think is pretty important for making the most out of Leicester in the first few weeks. I’m sure the other bloggers have touched upon these points in their own personal ways, but hopefully another perspective may help some more – if not just to make you realise how important they are:
1) I really recommend signing up to your course society. It’s a way to get to know people off your course in the first few weeks and will make lectures and seminars slightly less daunting as you’ll be familiar with faces. Film Society will be set up in the O2 Academy, so definitely pop along and sign yourself up – they’ll be several bar crawls throughout the year (where you can dress up as your favourite cult characters) and there’s a screening in Leicester’s film theatre in the Attenborough tower every Wednesday.
2) Anything to do with your course, attend. It may sound pretty obvious, but it’s vital you attend all lectures and seminars that are intended for your subject on campus. In the first few weeks they’ll be several introductory events where you’ll be handed course booklets and told key dates to remember. Try not to miss anything. Also it gets you into a flow with your time table. Drag yourself out of bed despite having one too many drinks the night before, you’ll feel better for it after (trust me!).
3) Related to the previous point – GET A PLANNER! There are so many awesome things happening at University and you won’t want to find out from a friend that you’ve missed something. So, invest in one of those big planners and jot down everything.
4) Buy flu tablets in preparation for the first two weeks because Fresher’s Flu exists. Even if you don’t attend many Fresher’s events and get plenty of sleep, you will get Fresher’s Flu and at some stage feel a little under the weather. So, in all seriousness, be prepared!
5) Get yourself discount cards to save money; you’re a frugal student now! Visit the big marquee on Monday and Tuesday of the Fresh Fair; it’s where lots of companies will be offering deals that you might find handy. A few awesome bars have discount cards, as well as NUS which gets you discounts in the majority of clothing stores. A little bit of saving over time goes a long way.
6) Don’t forget your student I.D when you’re going out or when you’re on campus. It’s your entrance to the library and the O2; the places you’ll want to be most as a first year. Work hard, play hard – cheesy, but true! Also the library is pretty vigilant, if you forget it several times they’ll start to remember your face for the wrong reasons…
7) Memorise your time table. There’s nothing worse than turning up to the wrong seminar and seeing a load of bemused faces staring back at you. Make sure you know where you’re going beforehand, but also don’t be afraid to ask people on campus.
8) Get friendly with your personal tutor – they can provide you with endless advice and tips, and they’re great to speak to if you feel like things may not be going the way you planned.
9) MOST IMPORTANTLY – don’t be afraid if you’re not enjoying yourself as much as you expected, if everything is a bit overwhelming or you start to miss home sooner than you thought. There is ALWAYS someone to talk to, to help you through your worries and concerns and make sure you get back on the right road, whatever direction it may be.
Subscribe to Jessie's posts
Recent Comments