5 Things You Should Know About University

Some people can’t wait to get away from home and forget to call most weekends, but if you’re a home bird, like me, you might feel a bit embarrassed in comparison. Remember that everyone is different. Most people feel homesick at some point during university. Some will feel it especially hard in the first few months, while it won’t hit others until exam stress kicks in. Some people will feel more at home in their new university town than they ever did at home.?

When I began my first year of university, I was just shy of turning 24, so I didn’t think I had all that much to learn outside of the classroom. Of course, I was wrong. Moving to a different town for university made me realise that there’s much more to university than lectures, even if you’re not fresh out of school. Here are just a few of the university tips I wish I’d known back then:

1.???Timetables can be deceiving

If you’re a humanities student like me, you may look at your new timetable for the first time, and ask, “where’s the rest of it?” Your next thought may be to book the next train home for a long weekend, but hold that thought! There’s nothing wrong with taking your time to get into a routine and figuring out how and when you work best outside of the classroom, but don’t be fooled into thinking all that blank space is free time.?

Some people will tell you to treat university like a full-time job, which is all very well if you don’t have an actual job, but how often you study outside of your timetabled sessions is totally up to you. Just remember: quality over quantity. Pulling a 9 to 5 study session every day won’t be much good if you spend the whole time mindlessly highlighting words that you don’t understand, whereas shorter sessions spent really getting to grips with the subject matter will be more satisfying AND will leave you time to see your friends later.?

I recommend figuring out your preferred study methods through trial and error and physically noting down some regular study sessions on the blank spaces in your timetable as a visual reminder.?

2.???You probably won’t meet your best friends in fresher’s week

Have fun in your first year and get to know your cohort, but make sure to socialise sober too. Team sports are a great way to bond with people (so I hear, anyway) and joining the society for your course subject is a good way to get to know your new classmates. Go to the fresher’s fair and sign up to try something new. You might not become a regular at the breakdance society, but who knows??

Finally, don’t worry if you haven’t found your people by Christmas or even the end of the first year. It’s a nice thought but, you don’t need to put too much pressure on yourself to meet lifelong friends. Just try to get along with people and make the best of your education. Take the pressure off yourself and just take life as it comes.?

3.???It’s OK to feel homesick

I felt a bit ridiculous when I realised how homesick I felt in my first year at university. With hindsight, what I felt was perfectly natural. I’d never lived outside my hometown before, and it’s ok if you?Don’t Want to Move Away For University.

Some people can’t wait to get away from home and forget to call most weekends, but if you’re a home bird, like me, you might feel a bit embarrassed in comparison. Remember that everyone is different. Most people feel homesick at some point during university. Some will feel it especially hard in the first few months, while it won’t hit others until exam stress kicks in. Some people will feel more at home in their new university town than they ever did at home.?

An important university tip: do not judge yourself or anyone else for how they cope with the change. Call home as often as you want, budget for trips home if you can, and talk about it! As with most problems, bottling it up only leads to shame which comes out in other ways, like snapping at your housemate for not washing up (not a blame game you want to start, trust me)... Read more on the 5 Things You Should Know About University on the GRB Blog now!