\u2018What if I\nstart to get homesick?\u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018What if\nnobody likes the things I like?\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018What if I\ndon\u2019t get on with my flatmates?\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018What if I\nforget to pack Mr Snuggles? Wait, should I even take Mr Snuggles?\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you base your\nthoughts over the next few days\/weeks on \u2018what if\u2019s\u2019 it can really prevent you\nfrom enjoying the experience. So the first, and probably the most important,\nthing to do is to chill out! Try not to obsess over every little thing because\nthe worries you are having right now you will not remember in 6 months\u2019 time. I\npromise that the knot in your stomach that seems to constantly be there at the\nmoment will go away, just take a deep breath and relax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OK, so it\u2019s\ntime to start thinking about what to take with you. You\u2019ve already sorted your\nbooks, laptop, pens, pencils and all of the things you\u2019ll be needing when your\nfirst lectures begin but, what else do you need?<\/p>\n\n\n\n As clich\u00e9 as it\nmay it sound, the easiest way to tackle this is to make a list of everything\nyou need to pack and to tick things off as you go. Before you start to make\nyour list, do some research into the accommodation that you will be staying in\nand find out exactly what is provided so you can avoid spending money on items\nyou don\u2019t actually need. It might be best for you to find out exactly how much\nstorage will be available to you as well, there\u2019s no point taking up precious\nleg room in the car for things that you won\u2019t have room to keep!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wanting to pack\neverything you own can be tempting but you need to be realistic about the\namount of stuff you are going to take with you. There are hundreds of\nchecklists available online that can be really useful when it comes to packing\nand you\u2019ll probably get provided with one from your chosen university. Packing\nthe generic things such as clothes, beddings and kitchen equipment can\nsometimes take over and you can overlook items that you don\u2019t even realise you\nwill need. So, to get the ball rolling here are a few suggestions of things you\nmay have overlooked:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For certain\nitems, it might sound crazy, but the best thing to do is to wait. Wait until\nyou\u2019ve moved in and see what your flatmates bring with them, you can then take\na look at what else you all need and make some purchases for things like,\nmicrowaves, toasters, hoovers etc. together. It cuts costs and stops you from\nliving in a flat with 6 toasters, 4 microwaves and 5 hoovers stacked in one corner!\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before you set\noff for your first day of university, there are a few things that you might\nwant to do first to help you feel a bit more prepared. If you haven\u2019t visited\nthe city you are moving to since your open day and you have some time to spare,\ngo and take a look around. It may cost you a train journey and a couple of\nhours out of your day but if you can get to your chosen city for the day, do\nit. It can be scary enough walking into the university and not knowing where\nanything is and an entire city can feel 100% worse. Familiarise yourself with\nwhere the shops are as well as the bars and clubs you might like to try. Find\nout where the nearest healthcare facilities are and find out if you need to\nre-register at a local dentist and doctors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Something else\nwhich can prove to be really important is to try and find out who your\nflatmates are ahead of time. Usually universities will release the number\/name\nof your residence before time, so if you follow your university on social media\nyou may be able to locate the people you will be living with before you move\nin. It can make things slightly less scary if you are able to connect with\npeople prior to meeting them in person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So you\u2019ve done\nit! You\u2019ve looked at your list, you\u2019ve checked it twice and you\u2019ve managed to\nshoehorn everything you need into the car. You\u2019ve sat staring out of the window\non the way to your halls for what feels like a lifetime and you\u2019ve finally\narrived. Now what? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve got\nyourself checked in and you\u2019ve located where you\u2019ll be living, the task of\nunpacking begins. When you arrive there is a chance that you will be the only\none there for the time being, people tend to filter in at different times throughout\nthe day so you could either find your flat full of other students and worried\nparents or your flat could be completely empty! The best thing to do is to keep\nthe door to your room open, if one of your flatmates then arrives whilst your\nunpacking it is much easier for them to pop their head in and introduce\nthemselves as they start unpacking themselves. Don\u2019t just do this on your first\nday, try to keep your door open if you\u2019re in your room throughout the first\nweek to encourage your flatmates to talk to you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In a generation\nwhere making friends is as easy as clicking a button on someone\u2019s social media\naccount, it can be difficult to approach people in real life. Gone are the days\nof running on to the park at 5 years old and speaking to the first other kid\nyou see and simply saying \u2018Hi, what\u2019s your name? Want to be friends?\u2019 Except,\nit really is that simple. Remember that everyone you see passing you on your\nfirst day, lugging huge quilts, pushing trolleys stacked high with boxes and\nfumbling with their new flat keys just want to make friends too. The best thing\nto do is to simply introduce yourself to as many people as you can on that\nfirst day. Don\u2019t get me wrong, some of them you may not cross paths with again,\nsome you may only pass in the hallway now and again and exchange a polite \u2018Hi, are\nyou OK?\u2019 but some of them will become friends for life and you don\u2019t want to\nmiss out on an opportunity like that!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on\nwhen you arrive, there will most likely be some form of freshers event taking\nplace in the evening. You might feel obliged to go to it but if you are feeling\nover-whelmed and tired from the day, do not force yourself to go if you really\nonly want to get in bed and binge a boxset. Remember, everybody is different\nand whilst some people will evolve into social butterflies straight away, some\npeople can take a little more time to adjust! <\/p>\n\n\n\n So your first\nday has come and gone and your nerves are starting to subside. As well as\nattending the many events that come with freshers week the best thing to do it\nto organise a few things yourself with your flatmates. Simple things such as\noffering to cook everyone dinner, playing \u2018ice break games\u2019 or having a party\nin your first week can really help with getting to know people. You may feel\nlike you don\u2019t have anyone to invite if you organised a party but you would be\nsurprised at the amount of people that would come if you simply knocked on a\nfew doors in your block or posted an invitation on your halls forum or social\nmedia. Keep in mind that everyone is in the same boat, freshers are actually\nvery friendly with each other and you will be surprised at how easy it is to\nmake friends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Take advantage\nof any freshers fairs that are on to see if there are any sports clubs or\nsocieties that you might like to join, meeting people with the same interests\nas you can be comforting whilst you\u2019re getting used to your new independence! <\/p>\n\n\n\n This first week\nwill be something you will refer back to throughout your whole university\nexperience, with the friends and memories you make lasting a lifetime. Don\u2019t\nforget to use the support around if you need it, from the university to your\nfriends and your family and don\u2019t forget, to have fun! Good luck in your new\nadventure, you will have the time of your life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, your first week of university is coming up. You\u2019ve spent the past few weeks celebrating finishing your A-levels, on holiday with your friends, partying and basically having the best summer of your life! Now though, it\u2019s time to think about packing up your things, making the journey to whichever city it is you\u2019ve chosen…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[6,4,3],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/studentio.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/girl-carrying-stuffed-bear.jpg\")
Deciding what to take<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/studentio.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/deciding-what-to-pack.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/studentio.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/packing-everything.jpg\")
Final Preparations <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/studentio.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/discovering-new-city.jpg\")
Your very first day<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/studentio.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/leaving-the-door-open.jpg\")
The rest of the week<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/studentio.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/making-new-friends.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/studentio.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/students-having-fun.jpg\")
Final tips: <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n