Me time

At university things can feel overwhelming and stressful. It’s a completely new environment, lots of different things are happening and meeting new people, it’s hectic. In your first few months of being there things can seem like they never stop, there’s always something happening and it can get a little too much, so always remember to take time out for yourself. Here are some things you can do to relax yourself when things get a bit too hectic for yourself!

• Have a movie night - As a first year there seems to be a pressure for constantly going out and partying (which can take it’s toll!). Try and have a quiet night in with either yourself flatmates watching films. It’s a nice way to relax and also not miss out on the social side of things.

• Early nights - These are rare as a student. Most are either up until stupid o'clock partying or doing an all nighter to finish those forgotten about assignments. If you’re feeling a bit down and groggy a good nights sleep will do you wonders. You can wake up the next day feeling refreshed and laugh at all your hungover flat mates!

• Visit home - Sometimes people just need home comforts, and when things are stressful going home usually makes people feel a lot better and that they can relax without any responsibilities for a few days. Take your washing home, catch up with family and friends and sleep in your own bed for the weekend, it will make you feel amazing.

• Pamper night - As a student you can sometimes feel like you’re constantly doing things so you never have time to treat yourself. Try and take a night out so you can order your favourite takeaway, have a nice shower, put on a face mask, paint your nails and just make time for yourself for a change. You wont believe how better you’ll feel once you’ve taken care of yourself.

Struggling to study?

“You can relax throughout your first year at uni, it doesn’t count!” This is probably one of the biggest lies you can get told before going to university. People tell you that the first year is just for drinking and partying, when in fact, studying and working is extremely important too.

You need 40% to pass the first year, which doesn’t seem a lot, but other factors get tied in with this. If you’re constantly going out and not turning up to your seminars and lectures, your attendance will be very low and on some courses can effect your overall grade at the end of the year. Also, it’s extremely easy to fall behind. Missing a few days of seminars can put you at a disadvantage and it’s difficult to catch up. Here are some tips to help you out if you’re struggling with balancing your social life with your work load.

• Be organised - Students always get stick for being unorganised and procrastination, so prove those people wrong! Getting a diary and writing down what work you have will help a lot when it comes to meeting deadlines. It’s easy to forget about some assignments and the last thing you want to be doing is rushing it on the last day and doing an all nighter! 

• Don’t go out every night - As tempting as it sounds, try not to go out every single night. You wont do any work in the evening, and lets face it, you wont be doing work when you’re hungover. Limit yourself to one or two nights out a week when deadlines are near, it will cause you a lot less stress. Remember, it’s all about priorities. 

• Don’t isolate yourself - It’s easy to lock yourself away in your room and bury your head inside a book, but believe it or not, this can make it worse. If you’re constantly reading and studying, sometimes it wont sink in and you can end up stressing yourself out and make yourself ill. Regular breaks definitely help when it comes to preparing for exams and writing assignments.

• Group work - Try meeting up with some people on your course and do the work together. This way you’re getting both the social side and the studying done at the same time. Discussing your work with others is a good way to get help.

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Long distance relationships at university

You’ve all heard people say “Don’t go to university in a relationship, it wont last”. Even the strongest of relationships apparently come to a crashing halt, whether that’s to do with distance, rumours, money or other things.

It doesn’t have to be that way though. University tests your relationship, of course it does. You’ve moved away from your home town, meeting lots of new people, going out drinking and partying, it can all take its toll. But there are ways of working around all of these issues, and here are some tips!

• Communication - Don’t neglect each other, make time for one another. Even if you can’t afford train tickets to see them weekly, an hour Skype/Facetime session is all it takes. Keep each other updated on what you’re doing and how you’re feeling, after all, communication is key for a healthy relationship!

• Personal space - Okay, this may sound like it’s contradicting the first tip, but it ties in well. Although communication is important, so is yours and theirs personal space. Don’t feel the need to constantly talk, ring and visit each other as you may find yourself isolating yourself from uni life. Go out and have fun, meet new people and just socialise.

• Expect change - University is a big step for anyone, so don’t expect your relationship to stay the exact same. You’re going to be experiencing new things and meeting lots of different people, so it’s bound to cause a change in the relationship, it doesn’t have to be a negative though. People grow and find themselves at uni, so just respect each other.

• Be honest - It is so important to be completely honest with your other half whilst at uni, especially about how you’re feeling. If you feel like you’re struggling with the change, the worst thing you can do is keep it all to yourself. Talk to them and let them know how you feel, that way you can address these issues and hopefully resolve them.

• Trust - Just trust them. If you feel like you can’t trust them when you’re not with them, then a long distance relationship will never work out. By not trusting them and becoming insecure about what they’re doing or who they’re seeing, it can spark arguments. Just learn to trust each other and respect each others independency.

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Making friends at university

One of the best things about going to university is all the friends you’ll be making and the socialising, especially in your first year. You meet people that you’re going to be living with for a year, the people on your course and people through friends. If you’re worried about this aspect of university, then read the advice below, it may help you!

You’re not going to get on with everyone, that’s a fact. But with the amount of people you’re going to come across there’s bound to be a few that you’ll click with. For example, you’re moving into an accommodation with people you’re going to be living with for the next year. Don’t sit in your room scared to talk to anyone, get yourself out there and start making friends! Just small talk, discussing interests, and talking about nights out (because who doesn’t like a good night out!)

Try not to stick to just a few people. There’s always the possibility of fall outs, and you can find yourself feeling lonely. Try to make friends with people who are outside your course and flat. The more friends the better!

Join societies! The more activities you do will widen the chances of you making friends. Whether it’s a sport, a club or just going to some of the activities held by the university. This tends to work for people who aren’t really into the clubbing and drinking scene.

Nights out help a lot, and the alcohol tends to give people more confidence, so everyone’s a lot more talkative and open. The first week of university is always crazy, there will be something on every night! 

The main thing to do is to just not lock yourself away. Make an effort with people and you’re going to get better responses. Just take baby steps, such as cooking your meals when there are people in the room so you can make small talk, or if you’re on a night out try and talk to people in queues. Remember, everyone is in the same boat as you, you’re not alone.

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Budgeting at university

When your student finance comes through, admit it, you always splash out a little too much don’t you? We all do! Your parents aren’t around to nag you about how much you’re spending, your bank account is in the thousands and you feel like just a few clothes and shoes wont hurt. But before you know it you’re £200 down, your rent goes out and you’re either left in your overdraft or can only afford to eat one meal a day.

After being at university for 6 months you would have thought you would have learnt that once your rent gets taken you don’t have much money left, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Well, here’s a few tips and tricks you can do to save money and budget wisely.

• Break it down - After your rent goes out, figure out how many weeks/months you’ve got until your next instalment and then work out how much money you have left weekly. By doing this, you can then work around the money you have left and avoid spending money you don’t have.

• Going out - Even with all the student nights, cheap entry fees and £1 Jägerbombs, it can all add up. Try and limit yourself to how many nights you go out a week. Having a social life doesn’t have to be expensive.

• Part time job - For some people, their student loan can only just cover their rent, which leaves them hardly any money to live off. By only working a few hours a week, you can earn some money to help you out with food and your social life. 

• Plan your meals - If you work out how many meals a week you need, you’re more likely to stick to a consistent budget. If you don’t make a list before you go you could end up spending more money on snacks and things you don’t actually need.

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