7 Tips to Prepare for Starting University

…and try your best to stick to it! Obviously you shouldn’t stress about money too much, as you don’t want to ruin your education and enjoyment, but it’s definitely a good idea to work out how much you have to spend on food and rent and how much is left for your own leisure. Be careful not to spend too much on socializing in your first week or so – remember, there are lots of ways to have fun without breaking the bank. Here are five ways to stretch your student budget.

Don’t forget to make sure everything’s sorted with your accommodation, finances, visas (if you’re studying abroad) and the like – it may not be much fun sorting out these things, but it will be worth the hassle when you’re settled! Also, don’t forget the equipment you need for your studies – a laptop, notepad, pens etc. Depending on whether you’re in catered or self-catered accommodation, you may also need kitchen items like crockery and pans.

You will most likely have some reading to do in your course (especially if it’s a text-based subject like English or law), so if your university has already emailed you a list of texts covered in your first semester, it might be a good idea to get ahead, particularly as it will help you manage your workload.

You might be lucky enough to find a Facebook group of people on the exact same course as you, or simply use the search functions on sites like Twitter to see if anyone else is sharing their excitement of starting university in the same location as you. Alternatively, find the social networks for student societies you’re interested in, and join the conversation.

This is where it really gets exciting… To make sure you don’t forget anything, take a look at our blog post on What to Take to University.

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