Are you heading off to university soon? Regardless of where you are going, you´ll probably be wondering what it will be like and what things you should do when you arrive. So here´s my list of 12 important but also fun things I would suggest doing after arriving at university.
1) CHECK IN TO YOUR STUDENT ACCOMMODATION
Checking in to you student accommodation is the first thing you´ll do after arriving at university and it´s EXCITING!!! Get your keys, see your new room, meet your new flatmates and check out any common areas there are.
Still looking for accommodation in Aberdeen? Then why not check out my accommodation guide?
2) DITCH THE PARENTS
This may sound harsh but I mean it. Let them help you unload the car and carry things to your room, but then it should be time for them to say goodbye.
I can recommend doing what I did with my mum; we arrived in Aberdeen a few days before move-in day and spent time together exploring the city, getting our bearings and buying the things I´d need for moving into halls.
But once you have moved in, you should try to spend as much time with your flatmates as possible and get to know them. Having your parents/family there just makes the whole thing a bit more awkward and it makes people less likely to come up and speak to you.
Yes, Fresher´s week is probably the only time at which it is best to be standing around alone – that´s when it´s most likely that someone else who is on their own will come up and speak to you. You´ll see, it´s much easier to approach a single person than a group.
3) UNPACK YOUR THINGS AND SETTLE INTO YOUR ROOM
You want to get this done as soon as possible because once you have started Fresher´s/the first week of uni you won’t really have time for this.
A good piece of advice is to keep your door open whilst unpacking to let your new flatmates know that you have arrived. As the door to your room will most likely be a heavy fire door/on a hinge, it is a good idea to bring a fairly heavy doorstop with you.
4) OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT
Obviously, this mainly applies to people who haven´t got their own account yet or those who are moving to university from abroad. If you are an EU student, you probably won´t be able to get any of the “student bank account” options, as they are usually for UK residents (at least 3 years) only. Check online before you go what documents and forms (e.g. passport, university acceptance letter, proof of your term-time address, etc.) you will need to open an account.
5) GO SHOPPING
Probably on of the first things you need to do after arriving at university is to go shopping. I´m talking bedroom, bathroom and kitchen essentials for the first night: duvet, bed sheets, toilet paper, handwash, etc and, of course, some food.
You probably won´t need to buy too much food for the first week, as in my experience you get by pretty well on all the free food you get during Fresher´s week. Perhaps you might want to get in a few things for breakfast or dinner, but your lunch and snacks should definitely be covered…
Check out some of my other posts to find lists of kitchen, bedroom, and my student store-cupboard essentials.
6) CHECK OUT YOUR FRESHER´S WEEK GUIDE AND PLAN WHAT EVENTS YOU WANT TO GO TO
Fresher´s Week, the main event at the start each year of university. The sports and society fayre, in my opinion, are a must for every fresher. Find out about all the clubs and societies you could join and meet some new people! Maybe there is a particular sport or activity you have always wanted to try, or perhaps you´ll find out about something completely new that intrigues you.
Fresher´s week is also a great way of getting a load of freebies and free food – I think I had to buy hardly any food for that entire week and I certainly got enough pens to last me for the whole year!
If you are going to study at the University of Aberdeen, check out the Fresher´s Week guide here.
7) GO TO YOUR SCHOOL/COURSE INDUCTION
After arriving at university, make sure to check if there is a school or course induction event planned. If there is one, it´s definitely a good event to go to. It´s a great opportunity to be introduced to some of the lecturing staff, find out some general information about your course and meet people that are doing a similar degree to you. This is actually where I met a couple of my current friends.
It is also good to just say hi to a few people, so that you see some familiar faces when you walk into that first lecture and you don´t want to sit on your own. If you have already introduced yourself to some people you can then go over and sit with them.
8) MEET YOUR PERSONAL TUTOR
If such an event is planned, I´d recommend going. It’s always good to make contact with your tutor, so that they know who you are. Also, if you have met them before in person it will make it easier for you to feel like you can contact them about a problem you may have at a later date.
9) JOIN THE CAMPUS TOUR
I´ll be honest with you, there were so many people at our campus tour that I couldn’t hear a word the student showing us around was saying. I can’t really remember anything about where we went and I remember still feeling completely lost afterwards, but it was a great way of meeting and chatting to new people. It’s very comforting to all feel lost together! 😉
And by the time you’ve finished Fresher´s week, you´ll already know your way around campus a lot better.
10) FIND YOUR LECTURE HALLS/TUTORIAL ROOMS/LABS
Now, to some of you, this may seem a bit over-eager/ridiculous, but I am a very organised person. I probably couldn’t sleep the night before if I didn´t know where to go the next morning for my 9 am lecture.
So, if you are anything like me (or not, but you think this might be a good idea), I´d recommend trying to find the lecture halls and other rooms you´ll need to go the following week. This is also an excellent thing to do with your new flatmates or other people you have met and to explore and get to know campus a little better.
I still did this before starting 2nd year, where I had to go to the other Aberdeen campus (Foresterhill) for some of my classes. And I was so glad I did, because the first time I went I felt completely and utterly lost. Haha, I got so lost in one of the buildings that I actually had to knock on someone´s office door and ask them to show me the way out… That was very embarrassing indeed.
But it all paid off, because the following week when I had to go to my lecture, I was already confident as to where to go.
11) BORROW YOUR TEXTBOOKS FROM THE LIBRARY
University textbooks are very expensive. Especially in first and second year, you might not even look at your recommended textbooks very often! Hence why I wouldn’t recommend buying brand new textbooks. Either try and get them second-hand or simply borrow them from the library. Although they often have multiple copies, it’s good to get there early. That way you might also manage to find a copy that you can borrow on a long loan.
12) DON´T STRESS TOO MUCH ABOUT “FITTING IN” OR FINDING FRIENDS
This is the most important thing of all. Yes, of course, you´ll want to make friends with people and not be alone, but don’t worry if you don’t feel like you have met your BFF during Fresher´s week. I´ll be honest with you, most people you meet in Fresher´s week you will never see again. From my experience, there will be the odd person in Fresher´s week you’ll hit it off with, but most of your other friends you’ll probably meet later on, perhaps they´ll be people on your course or in a sports club/society you join. Bottom line is – DON´T PANIC – you´ll probably meet a lot more nice people later on.
I really hope you liked this list of things to do after arriving at university. Be sure to follow and like my Facebook page, and follow me on Pinterest for more inspiration on student cooking and baking recipes!
