5 Unis, 5 Students, 5 Pieces of Advice for Living in Student Halls

While I choose not to include my own advice (because you've heard it all before), I can say I resonate quite a bit with some of the suggestions raised by students below. I brought more stuff than the car could fit in my first year, and looking around, I don't think I have any of it with me today (it's been four years).

But this isn't about me. In a survey I did requesting student advice and top tips for transitioning into university life, I received responses from the University of Southampton, the University of Portsmouth, Solent University, and Bath Spa University. As you can tell, my counting is off, but I hope another university will come through before I have to hit publish...

1. “Make sure you keep up on your soft skills like cooking and cleaning. No one likes to share a flat with someone who can’t clean up after themselves.” - Sophiia, PhD, Solent University.
2. “Buy store-brand food. Get as many store cards as possible (you can save quite some money with that).” Nikola, Software Engineering, Southampton University.
3. “Don’t bring too much stuff! I made that mistake and my room was full of stuff I didn’t need. Remember that if you need something you can always buy it there.” Anonymous, Bath Spa University.
4. “Missing home is normal and being overwhelmed is also normal but just remember everyone at university are always happy to help you settle in.” Anwar, Graduate of Criminology & Criminal Justice, Portsmouth University.
5. “Check social media pages for lists of essentials to bring to accom. Uni is hard but you'll make it!!” Achsah, BSc Podiatry, Southampton University.

And just to emphasise that point about soft skills. Here's a bonus tip from my friend Josh.

• "Learn to cook and how to store food safely, especially meat/fish. Flashbacks to the guy who was doing his masters, storing raw mince, opened, in the fridge unsealed" Josh, Year 3 Chemistry, Southampton University.

So, there you have it. Five tips from five students from four universities. That's what I promised for this chapter of the mini-series, right?