Things I Wish I Knew As A Fresher - Part 2...
Hi everyone!
So as a little follow up to my first video I thought i'd do a few more tips for those of you about to embark upon your own university journeys!
Take a door stop...
Do bear in mind that most halls do issue a 'forbidden items' type list of things that you're not meant to take with you when you move in... doorstops tend to be on this list. But it is handy to take one anyway, you can always not use it/ hide it if needs be and if you're not allowed to use it then a 50p doorstop from Ikea will hardly have broken the bank. They're fab for freshers week as having a bit of an open bedroom door policy (while you're actually in your room that is... be security conscious obviously!) is good to get to know your flatmates while still maintaining that little bit of space that is your own. The reason that most halls don't allow them is primarily due to fire risks, the doors in halls in particular the kitchen doors, are fire doors and as such you're supposed to shut them behind you. Keep this in mind, and try not to use them on those doors, but generally, as long as they're removed for room inspections you should be fine to use them on your bedroom doors.
Learn how to customise...
Bar crawls are a massive thing at uni and people can do things that are beyond belief with what are usually pretty unflattering oversized boys or unisex T-shirts... i've seen people do everything from turning them into vest tops to strapless dresses, so it's always a good idea to take a small sewing kit and some scissors so you can work your own magic and make yours look a little snazzier. It'll come in handy over the three years as there will be multiple bar crawls and a sewing kit is just good sense if you ever loose a button or need to sew something up! By no means am I saying this is an actual requirement, if you like a baggy t-shirt, I definitely do, then you go ahead and wear it like that, but if you want something a little jazzier go for it! Also, always keep in mind that there will always be a super talented girl (usually some kind of fashion design student...) thats completely outdone you with a creation that Karl Lagerfeld could only manage... and that's ok too, it's just the university way of life i'm afraid! Also, on the subject of bar crawls, they aren't for everyone and they're a pretty daunting prospect if you've never been on one before, but especially in freshers, it's a good idea to go on one, even just once, if for nothing else they're a fab way of getting a bit of a nighttime tour of the nightlife of your uni town. You may never enter the particular bar crawl establishments again for the rest of your uni careers but at least it gives you a little idea of where everything is, in a nighttime setting...everything looks very different in the day so it's a good little taster.
Take a pack of cards...
You might chuckle at this one as images of you and your new flatmates playing snap around the breakfast bar pop into your head (that may even be your thing) but cards are handy for drinking games! You can almost guarantee that amongst your shiny new flatmates there will be at least one that is very much in the know about a range of these games, there always is. Ring of Fire and the Pyramid Game were particular favourites of ours, believe it or not, they are a good way to save a few pennies. We used to make big bowls of cocktails to drink at our flat pre-drinks, a big bottle of peach schnapps, some vodka and various juices create some pretty tasty concoctions and the alcohol will last ages as you don't use a huge amount each time. Ask your friends to bring a bottle, play some drinking games and by the time you go out, you're already mildly intoxicated and less likely to end up spending a small fortune when you're actually out...thats the theory anyway!
Don't panic yourself over lectures...
This is probably the biggest bit of advice that I can give you. Lectures will more likely than not be completely different to any kind of teaching you've experienced before. If you're going to uni straight from college or sixth form, you are probably more at home with more of a 30 people, one teacher, classroom setting kind of thing. Lectures are a whole different ball game. It's essentially being talked at for a couple of hours, while you take notes, with a lot more people than you would have had in a classroom. This will fall into place, if you're not keeping up in the first few lectures, don't panic! I can almost guarantee you that most of the people sat around you are in the same boat. Most unis have an online system like Blackboard where most lecturers will post notes and the powerpoint presentation afterwards so any info you've missed can be gained from there. Similarly if you don't feel like you're understanding absolutely everything in the first couple of weeks, don't panic! It's higher level stuff, just like school, you're there to learn, admittedly on your own terms, but still, you will get it eventually. People will help you by all means, but remember that uni is about independent 'self-directed study', you need to find help if you need it. Tutors will be more than happy to help you, you just need to find them, they won't know you're struggling unless you tell them, after all they're dealing with lecture theatres filled with upwards of 100 people at times, they won't notice you're struggling in class like your a-level teachers would have. Everything will fall into place, please don't have an absolute meltdown, you are all in the same boat and by the time third year rolls around you'll be wondering why you were in such a flap!
I hope these little posts have helped people, they're a bit of fun, please don't take them as the gospel, after all they're just my little tips and tricks, i'm no expert! Just have fun, your uni years will fly by and you'll be sat at graduation wondering where your three years even went (just like I am right now!) they will be some of the best, some of the most stressful and some of the most scary times of your life at times but they will also make some of the most incredible memories and you'll meet people that will become friends for life. Please, just enjoy it!
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