Zcly Wen

Well since I recently finished University and still have no work, I figured Id take a little time to create the ultimate University Survival Guide :p.

Dont Buy a Kettle:

Preparing to go to University can be a scary prospect for many students but remember that everyone will be in the same boat as you. There are many things that you will be wondering about. What is the best way to make friends? Will the workload be really hard? Do I need to bring my own kettle? Lets go through the answers and all the things you need to know, from the point of view of a student who has been there, done that and has the ? beer stained T shirt.
Do I need a kettle? What to take with you to University
First things first, you do not need a kettle! When I started University there was a very funny (well, funny to a corridor full of slightly tipsy students at 4am…) incident where 10 out of the 12 people who lived on my corridor all bought a kettle and all put it in our small shared kitchen. There was already a kettle in the kitchen that had been supplied by the people who ran our halls. The kettles stayed in the kitchen and cluttered the place up till Christmas when we had to get everything out of the kitchen. So the lesson there is, don’t take a kettle! Your accommodation will provide one.

Useful things to take with you to University are:

• Extension leads – you will DEFINATLEY need these
• Printer – everyone needs a printer at university, the queues for the printers in your department will be really long and they’ll cost a lot. You can buy a cheap printer from £20 although watch out for ink prices as these can be hefty.
• Taxi numbers for the local area – just in case you find yourself in an area you don’t know and can’t work out the busses!Cash -  get some cash out before you arrive as you don’t know when you’ll have the opportunity when you arrive at your halls/house as you’ll be really busy unpacking and meeting new people.
• Alcohol – take your favourite tipple with you as they may not be time to find the local offy before the big inevitable welcome night party.
• Ethernet Cable – if you are living in halls then it is likely that you will have to connect to the internet via a wall connection, not many halls have wireless internet, for this you will need an Ethernet Cable.

What is the best way to make friends?

The most honest best advice I can give when it comes to making friends when living in halls is take biscuits. Take a tin of sweets or biscuits and leave it outside your door with a sign that tells people to take some. People will be drawn to the sugar and therefore to your door. A doorstop is also a good idea, no one will make the effort to talk to a closed door! Keep your door open, maybe play some music and say hello to everyone who passes. Ask people questions, the most common questions you’ll get asked are: where are you from, what degree are you doing and (if you meet someone outside your halls) where you’re living. Another good piece of advice is don’t try and be someone you aren’t, people will see through it!

Will the workload be really hard?

I wouldn’t waste time and thoughts on worrying about the amount of work you’re going to get given, you’ll have so much spare time you’ll be able to fit in all your assignments. Just make sure you don’t get left behind when it comes to handing things in. They say that the first year doesn’t count marks wise but you still need to get the information in your head!