Starting university in September or January? Feeling overwhelmed by the endless tips, advice and checklists floating around the internet? Don’t worry, here’s a no-nonsense guide to preparing for university, from sorting all the admin to deciding what to pack. This should ensure your university experience gets off to the smoothest start possible!
Head to the doctors
The first few weeks of university can be a pretty gruelling experience for your body, with hangovers, lack of sleep, bad food and the unavoidable bout of fresher’s flu. As a result, it’s always handy to make sure you’re fit and healthy before you head off! Since it can take a while to register for a new surgery at university, it’s also a good idea to stock up on any medicines or repeat prescriptions such as inhalers, antibiotics and the contraceptive pill. When you do get to university, apply to the university GP surgery as soon as you can to kick off the registration process.
Arrange your accommodation
This should be something you sort out before results day if possible. You can usually log onto your first choice university website to look over the accommodation they offer and select your preferences. You’ll normally have to wait a while before the university decides where to place you, but it’s still good to get the process started early. If you don’t fancy staying at university halls, it might be worth considering other types of accommodation you could choose instead.
Organise your finances and open up a student bank account
One of the most important things you need to do before heading to university is to sort out your finances. Make sure your student loan and tuition fees are sorted in plenty of time (the deadline to apply for funding is the 17th of May in England and the 30th of June in Scotland). You should also set up a student bank account. Plenty of banks offer enticing deals and freebies so shop around before you choose!
Research the local student area
Although it might seem like a while away, university tends to swing round rather fast, meaning that, before you know it, you’re going to be dropped into a brand new town or city with no idea of what to do next. To avoid this, it’s best to get researching and explore the area before the big day. You can even do this virtually using Google Maps. Research public transport and locate your nearest supermarket, gym and doctor’s surgery. This will help you feel more settled when you do eventually move!
Join Facebook pages
A great way to prepare for university is to join the Facebook page of your university or accommodation you will be moving into. You can also follow them on Instagram and TikTok to get regular updates and see what student life might look like. This is a great way to get immersed within the community and means you can chat with fellow students about where’s best to eat, where to avoid and what the local pub is like… Just make sure you stay safe and never disclose too much personal information.
Pack your things!
You’re getting to the exciting part! One of the most important things to do before university is to pack your things. Luckily for you, we have a comprehensive guide of everything you need to pack when going to university! In addition to all of this, it’s also handy to research the weather in your chosen university city so that you can dress appropriately and pack a few handy fancy dress outfit choices…
Work out a budget
Trust me, the best thing you can do before starting university, is to make sure you have worked out a budget that will correlate with your student loan. It may sound silly, but a great way to budget is to imagine your typical week, write down everything you plan to do and go from there. Due to nights out being a pretty unpredictable business at university, it’s best to set aside a lump sum for them, whilst specifically pinpointing what you will spend on toiletries, food and rent. Even if the plan doesn’t really end up being representative of a normal week at university once Fresher’s Week is over, it is still a good idea to have a rough idea of how much you will spend.
Research what textbooks you need
Unfortunately, on top of all the other costs at university, you will also be expected to find or purchase your own textbooks. However, many universities do upload versions of textbooks online, so we recommend you do not buy any until you are sure you cannot access them any other way (since they can be very expensive!). A good idea before starting university is to research and ask existing alumni what books they actually used and which ones they opened about twice during their studies.
Going to university can be scary, but it is also so exciting! Hopefully this checklist will see you prepared well in advance for your first few days of uni!
