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Settling in at uni: tips and tricks

settling in

Uni is exciting, but it’s definitely overwhelming. You are living in a new place with new people and you are truly thrown in at the deep end. It seems like everyone is having such a great time. Although freshers is great fun, it can also be really hard. Settling in can (and probably will) take a bit of time, here are some things that can help make you feel at home faster.

settling in

Decorate your room ASAP

To be honest, student accommodation can be a bit grim. The room you are put in was someone else’s ‘home’ a few short months ago, and the lack of character in the room can remind you of that. One of my top tips for settling in is to decorate your room. Simply pinning up photos, putting on your bedding and just arranging all your things will make it feel a lot more like it’s your space. I promise you that by the end of the year it will really feel like it belonged to you, and you will be gutted moving out!

Find a group

Although most people say that you don’t stay friends with who you meet in freshers, it’s still nice to have a solid group of people that you somewhat know for that week. I went into uni fully prepared to lose my freshers friends after a month or so. Fast forward three years and we have all just moved out of our house and graduated together. We are still as close as we were in first year. Even if this doesn’t end up being the case for you, it’s still good to have a group of familiar faces to spend time with during the first few weeks. Another thing is try not to be worried about making friends. Everyone says it, but you are all in the same boat – you will definitely make friends!

settling in

Keep your family updated

This is a slightly controversial one, as most people tell you not to contact home when you move to uni. While it can make you feel a little homesick, it’s nice to share what you are doing with my family. I’m not suggesting you FaceTime them from Freshers’ Fair telling them which societies you’ve joined, but a picture or a text on the group chat every so often won’t go amiss. It’s nice to have that contact with them when you are settling in, and they will definitely want to see what you’re up to!

Explore campus and the city

You’ve seen the campus on Open Days so you know it, right? Wrong. Open Days are supposed to show you the highlight reel of the uni, and you won’t have seen it all! Take a walk around the whole campus and take it all in. You might find a great running route, find a perfect coffee shop or even meet a new friend along the way – all things that will help you settle in!

It’s also important to explore the city. Making a habit to visit it from the very start means you will likely go in a bit more. You’ll feel more a part of the city by doing this too.

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