Hard times are upon you. Limited funds, lots to spend it on and perhaps more money than you have even had to manage before.
Remember the money has to last. Your parents will not be a bottomless pit of money, (unless you are fabulously lucky), better to learn to budget and manage your finances now.
Work out your weekly costs, your available money. Take advantage of any financial offers there may be. Apply for all the financial support you can get. Your entitled to a loan to cover our tuition fees - That's what it is for so don't spend in on booze or clothes.
Getting to the end of the week first is better than getting to the end of your money first! Borrowing from next weeks allowance is a recipe for future poverty.
Minimise your out goings. If you can find cheaper accommodation go for it. If you smoke quit. Do without a car. Avoid loans that attract high interest payments - credit cards come into this area unless you can pay them off every month.
If you haven't got one, set up a bank account. There will be banks represented at freshers week.
Make a decision over having a job, will working benefit you. If so look for a job at the earliest opportunity - other will be doing the same so first come first served as it were.
If you had a job at school and it's a national chain they may be willing to recommend you to the local branch. You may have a skill you can use to make money. I have seen people entertain, make and sell jewellery and clothes. Do alterations to clothes. Lots of things. If your not spending a lot to set up or all your time to run it may be a good money earner.
Some people started their life's career at university. Look how many online things were started by students. Even Bill Gates, (you know who he is?,) started Microsoft at college in fact he never graduated - made too much money.
You don't need to live in poverty, but get used to the idea, it may be you have baked bean meal weeks when the money runs out faster than the week.
IF you get into financial difficulties don't suffer alone. Go to see the student advisory service and get some good advice - That's what they do.
Do it before it goes bad on you and you may find things aren't as dire as they seem or might be if you do nothing.
Have fun and I hope you find this useful. Remember all you lot will be paying for my pension when you start these high flying, highly paid jobs in 3 or 4 years time.
If you find this useful tell your friends where it is they might find it useful as well.
Thanks to the Daily Telegraph for putting this in my mind.
Good by for now and good luck. You can find me on Face book.
Sunday, 22 August 2010
Where you are - what you do
Get to know the area/campus. Get a map if your not given one they should be everywhere. Walk round and find out where your lecture halls are - if its empty go in and look around it's not like your school classroom.
Find your course leaders office, you will want to know where it is at some time in the future.
Find your workshops, classrooms, library, IT centre, student union etc. Knowing where they are will make you feel easier. Keep the map you will need it again in the future.
Go into town look around away from the students haunts local to the campus. You will find interesting, and quieter places. Your going to be there for a few years hopefully so need to know the place to make the best of it.
Personally I don't think students need the cost or issues of running a car. Parking is usually at a premium or not available at all. Cost are high at a time of limited funding. Risks and temptation to drink and drive are high. No car avoids all these and coach travel is fairly quick, available and cheap. Even trains are not so bad if you get the right fare. Ask, see if there is a student discount.
Find a decent supermarket. Even on full board your going to need essentials. toiletries, tea, coffee, biscuits etc. find a chemist - a 24 hour one if possible at some time you will need it and the pharmacist may be more available for advice than a doctor (and almost as good).
DON'T have unprotected sex, just don't. On most campus you can get free condoms usually from the student welfare or student union don't be ashamed or embarrassed.
Do remember that the terrifyingly self assured freshers who seem to have everything sorted out are almost certainly putting on an act and may be quite boring in reality.
I would recommend avoiding trailing in their wake like a groupie hopeful some of that assurance will rub off. It won't. In the end you will just look silly and often miss better chances and friends.
On the other hand talk to people who are like this - and there are always some - as equals and you may find they are genuinely nice and as worried as you underneath. However don't snub other who are, perhaps, not as socially gifted. Who knows what they may be like when they come out of their shell.
Don't think because you get amorous with a fellow student you are hitched for life. Few students are. Be prepared to get hurt, it's more than likely going to happen. You're in a world where there is a lot of sudden freedom to do what you like and a lot of choice, don't be surprised if people exercise those choices and you just happen to be one of them.
RESIST the temptation to live on junk food - You know what it is. It will not do you any good in the long run and may do harm and make it hard to study and work as you must. Junk food is surprisingly expensive - a bag of apples and some cheese makes a better option and a much lower cost. You can hid it under a multi bag of crisps if your embarrassed.
You are there to enjoy your time as well as work. Be organised and have enough time (and money) for enjoyment as well as work and you will be fine.
You will survive, thousands do every year, millions have in the past. You will as well, even better if you heed at least some of this blog.
Find your course leaders office, you will want to know where it is at some time in the future.
Find your workshops, classrooms, library, IT centre, student union etc. Knowing where they are will make you feel easier. Keep the map you will need it again in the future.
Go into town look around away from the students haunts local to the campus. You will find interesting, and quieter places. Your going to be there for a few years hopefully so need to know the place to make the best of it.
Personally I don't think students need the cost or issues of running a car. Parking is usually at a premium or not available at all. Cost are high at a time of limited funding. Risks and temptation to drink and drive are high. No car avoids all these and coach travel is fairly quick, available and cheap. Even trains are not so bad if you get the right fare. Ask, see if there is a student discount.
Find a decent supermarket. Even on full board your going to need essentials. toiletries, tea, coffee, biscuits etc. find a chemist - a 24 hour one if possible at some time you will need it and the pharmacist may be more available for advice than a doctor (and almost as good).
DON'T have unprotected sex, just don't. On most campus you can get free condoms usually from the student welfare or student union don't be ashamed or embarrassed.
Do remember that the terrifyingly self assured freshers who seem to have everything sorted out are almost certainly putting on an act and may be quite boring in reality.
I would recommend avoiding trailing in their wake like a groupie hopeful some of that assurance will rub off. It won't. In the end you will just look silly and often miss better chances and friends.
On the other hand talk to people who are like this - and there are always some - as equals and you may find they are genuinely nice and as worried as you underneath. However don't snub other who are, perhaps, not as socially gifted. Who knows what they may be like when they come out of their shell.
Don't think because you get amorous with a fellow student you are hitched for life. Few students are. Be prepared to get hurt, it's more than likely going to happen. You're in a world where there is a lot of sudden freedom to do what you like and a lot of choice, don't be surprised if people exercise those choices and you just happen to be one of them.
RESIST the temptation to live on junk food - You know what it is. It will not do you any good in the long run and may do harm and make it hard to study and work as you must. Junk food is surprisingly expensive - a bag of apples and some cheese makes a better option and a much lower cost. You can hid it under a multi bag of crisps if your embarrassed.
You are there to enjoy your time as well as work. Be organised and have enough time (and money) for enjoyment as well as work and you will be fine.
You will survive, thousands do every year, millions have in the past. You will as well, even better if you heed at least some of this blog.
Studies
Do get a grip of your studies. Your going to enter a strange world. At school, for the most part, at GCSE level your teachers told you what to do and closely directed your work.
At A level things were a bit looser, you were perhaps given more freedom, you will have seen many go off the rails and "forget" to do their work on time or at all or turn up ridiculously late with poor excuses asking for more time etc.
At Uni you're going to be left on your own for much of your time. There are constant complaints of the low levels of contact time with the lecturers, although this differs from course to course. Students and Parents don't realise that Uni is organised for motivated and self sufficient students who are prepared to educate themselves largely - the Uni provides guidance and facilities but not day to day prodding and encouragement and monitoring - That's for YOU to do.
Your lecturers have a job and for the most part they will do it but you have to take responsibility for your own efforts to support them.
Get to know them, (the lecturers), find out your lecture schedule and assuming your course leader has a meeting during freshers week, (most will), make sure you go to meet them.
Once your settled in a bit and have been given an outline of what your course covers and a time table, make a copy and put it where you can see it. Mark up important dates. Do this NOW whilst your keen and before too much starts to take up your time.
MOST successful students are not swots, often not brilliant BUT what they almost always are is organised and determined. If this is not natural to you, make an extra effort, it will pay back.
Don't leave course work to the last minute, you will never do your best work at 4 am the day before the deadline. You need time to research, consider your work, do it and then review what you have done and make any modifications that come to mind.
Make sure you allocate time to do that. It's not all beer and crisps. If your not prepared to work then you may as well not be there.
Books
You will be given a reading list - DON'T go out and buy all the books they will cost you a fortune and you don't need many of them. Your uni library will have copies of all the course books BUT they get taken out quickly and some mean people will hog them so popular books can be a rarity in the library. There may be a second hand shop on campus - get in earl;y but think before you spend. I bought very few books and mostly used the library, even selecting older books rather than the most up-to-date and popular.
Get to know your library - Walk round the shelves to see what books there are. Go outside your area of interest. Pull books down and flick though - When you use information out of a book you will be expected to reference that book in your work - make a note of the title and author and page the information came from.
Copying is plagiarism and illegal. Most Unis now have various systems to catch this, even sophisticated software to check your work is original.
Reading and rewriting information and crediting the source is research and legal and expected.
Get your library access, ( and internet), sorted out at an early point - Lots of books may be on line as E books and so give you better access. Anyway you want Email and Facebook access anyway don't you?
Get your Student union card sorted out as this will give you discounts in many places as well as access to the union (bar) with cheap beer etc.
TRY not to swill in alcohol every night (day) - Surprisingly you will find lots of opportunity to get free alcohol, try to exhibit some restraint. I am not a stuffy old fossil, just practical - It's hard to work and sit though lectures if your permanently hung over. (Don't ask how I know).
I would recommend you try to avoid getting pulled into smoking cigarettes, (or anything else for that matter). It only takes a few and your addicted, really!. Once addicted your into a VERY expensive problem that will be hard to loose and will simply eat money. That alone should be incentive even without the health warnings.
It's just easier to keep off them. No one will look at you as if you have 2 head's, it never bothered me. You just don't smoke. Its easier now you can't smoke in public buildings as standing in the cold September rain and wind isn't a great incentive to smoke.
Dropping out
It happens. Official figures say 9% to 10% of students drop out in the first 2 years, I believe overall the figure is much higher than that, Most reported, in a student union survey, that their problems were in order of priority:
1. Not being able to cope with not being directed all the time.
2. Not been able to cope with their own finances.
3. Not doing any work - fun took up the time needed to work.
4. Homesick.
5. Not making friends.
Don't fall into these traps.
BUT don't give up at the end of freshers week because it all seems strange, your homesick and friendless. Give it a chance, these problems are real but are normally overcome if you follow at least some the advice given so far.
A few students will realise they have enrolled on the wrong course - some sooner than others. If this is the case talk to your course leader and see the Uni admin - it is often possible to change course to a more suitable one for your future intentions but don't give in too easily because it seem hard. Things get easier the more you learn.
At A level things were a bit looser, you were perhaps given more freedom, you will have seen many go off the rails and "forget" to do their work on time or at all or turn up ridiculously late with poor excuses asking for more time etc.
At Uni you're going to be left on your own for much of your time. There are constant complaints of the low levels of contact time with the lecturers, although this differs from course to course. Students and Parents don't realise that Uni is organised for motivated and self sufficient students who are prepared to educate themselves largely - the Uni provides guidance and facilities but not day to day prodding and encouragement and monitoring - That's for YOU to do.
Your lecturers have a job and for the most part they will do it but you have to take responsibility for your own efforts to support them.
Get to know them, (the lecturers), find out your lecture schedule and assuming your course leader has a meeting during freshers week, (most will), make sure you go to meet them.
Once your settled in a bit and have been given an outline of what your course covers and a time table, make a copy and put it where you can see it. Mark up important dates. Do this NOW whilst your keen and before too much starts to take up your time.
MOST successful students are not swots, often not brilliant BUT what they almost always are is organised and determined. If this is not natural to you, make an extra effort, it will pay back.
Don't leave course work to the last minute, you will never do your best work at 4 am the day before the deadline. You need time to research, consider your work, do it and then review what you have done and make any modifications that come to mind.
Make sure you allocate time to do that. It's not all beer and crisps. If your not prepared to work then you may as well not be there.
Books
You will be given a reading list - DON'T go out and buy all the books they will cost you a fortune and you don't need many of them. Your uni library will have copies of all the course books BUT they get taken out quickly and some mean people will hog them so popular books can be a rarity in the library. There may be a second hand shop on campus - get in earl;y but think before you spend. I bought very few books and mostly used the library, even selecting older books rather than the most up-to-date and popular.
Get to know your library - Walk round the shelves to see what books there are. Go outside your area of interest. Pull books down and flick though - When you use information out of a book you will be expected to reference that book in your work - make a note of the title and author and page the information came from.
Copying is plagiarism and illegal. Most Unis now have various systems to catch this, even sophisticated software to check your work is original.
Reading and rewriting information and crediting the source is research and legal and expected.
Get your library access, ( and internet), sorted out at an early point - Lots of books may be on line as E books and so give you better access. Anyway you want Email and Facebook access anyway don't you?
Get your Student union card sorted out as this will give you discounts in many places as well as access to the union (bar) with cheap beer etc.
TRY not to swill in alcohol every night (day) - Surprisingly you will find lots of opportunity to get free alcohol, try to exhibit some restraint. I am not a stuffy old fossil, just practical - It's hard to work and sit though lectures if your permanently hung over. (Don't ask how I know).
I would recommend you try to avoid getting pulled into smoking cigarettes, (or anything else for that matter). It only takes a few and your addicted, really!. Once addicted your into a VERY expensive problem that will be hard to loose and will simply eat money. That alone should be incentive even without the health warnings.
It's just easier to keep off them. No one will look at you as if you have 2 head's, it never bothered me. You just don't smoke. Its easier now you can't smoke in public buildings as standing in the cold September rain and wind isn't a great incentive to smoke.
Dropping out
It happens. Official figures say 9% to 10% of students drop out in the first 2 years, I believe overall the figure is much higher than that, Most reported, in a student union survey, that their problems were in order of priority:
1. Not being able to cope with not being directed all the time.
2. Not been able to cope with their own finances.
3. Not doing any work - fun took up the time needed to work.
4. Homesick.
5. Not making friends.
Don't fall into these traps.
BUT don't give up at the end of freshers week because it all seems strange, your homesick and friendless. Give it a chance, these problems are real but are normally overcome if you follow at least some the advice given so far.
A few students will realise they have enrolled on the wrong course - some sooner than others. If this is the case talk to your course leader and see the Uni admin - it is often possible to change course to a more suitable one for your future intentions but don't give in too easily because it seem hard. Things get easier the more you learn.
First week.
OK, your going to be there sometime towards the end of September or start of October for Freshers week.
What to expect and what to do, (perhaps not to do as well).
1. Freshers week is generally well set up to introduce you to a new place. Remember they do this EVERY year so have a working system in place.
2. Your lecturers will be keen to see you and gain first impressions and get you on the right track. Various clubs and societies will be keen to recruit and other freshers are looking to make friends.
Clubs
You will have more attractions and organised opportunities than ever before to do things you never even dreamed you might do.
DO - Sign up for INFORMATION in ANYTHING that looks like it may attract you. A good thing about clubs is there will be a lot of other new people and old hands there to make friends on the basis of a common interest. Bearing in mind if you lock yourself away making friends will take so much longer.
DON'T - Part with any cash at this stage until your certain "visiting a new Polish restaurant every week" is really going to be your thing. Information is good, paying up too soon may cause long term regret.
DO be friendly - This will mean talking endlessly about your A level results, Your school, where you come from, what courses your doing. BUT this is really a first week ritual whilst people get to know those new faces around them and it is all common ground for you all.
If you hit enough people in a week or so you may well have found someone you can have a "real" conversation with.
BUT don't worry if you haven't found your life long friend by the end of the first week, Not many people do. Generalised friendship is the best thing perhaps, importantly, if you turn someone's approaches away, they just could be that life long friend, you just don't realise it yet.
Advice I often give. When your in your room for the first few days leave the door open, people will look in and say Hi, but are unlikely to knock on a closed door. Use the common areas. Offer Tea or Coffee & Biscuits it isn't going to cost you much and world problems have been settled over a good cup of tea.
What to expect and what to do, (perhaps not to do as well).
1. Freshers week is generally well set up to introduce you to a new place. Remember they do this EVERY year so have a working system in place.
2. Your lecturers will be keen to see you and gain first impressions and get you on the right track. Various clubs and societies will be keen to recruit and other freshers are looking to make friends.
Clubs
You will have more attractions and organised opportunities than ever before to do things you never even dreamed you might do.
DO - Sign up for INFORMATION in ANYTHING that looks like it may attract you. A good thing about clubs is there will be a lot of other new people and old hands there to make friends on the basis of a common interest. Bearing in mind if you lock yourself away making friends will take so much longer.
DON'T - Part with any cash at this stage until your certain "visiting a new Polish restaurant every week" is really going to be your thing. Information is good, paying up too soon may cause long term regret.
DO be friendly - This will mean talking endlessly about your A level results, Your school, where you come from, what courses your doing. BUT this is really a first week ritual whilst people get to know those new faces around them and it is all common ground for you all.
If you hit enough people in a week or so you may well have found someone you can have a "real" conversation with.
BUT don't worry if you haven't found your life long friend by the end of the first week, Not many people do. Generalised friendship is the best thing perhaps, importantly, if you turn someone's approaches away, they just could be that life long friend, you just don't realise it yet.
Advice I often give. When your in your room for the first few days leave the door open, people will look in and say Hi, but are unlikely to knock on a closed door. Use the common areas. Offer Tea or Coffee & Biscuits it isn't going to cost you much and world problems have been settled over a good cup of tea.
You got a place what happens now?
Good you got in. Step 1 complete.
1. Contact the university if they haven't now informed you of your accommodation - ensure you have accommodation arranged. Most first year students will get a place in halls of residence. You may already have seen them.
2. Some students, (or their parents), opt to go full board so they can at least eat during the year, food varies but in general seems to be reasonable to good café fare but not high end restaurant standards.
3. Some go accommodation only and have the use of a shared kitchen. Unless your a keen cook (not a bad skill to pick up) you're in for a surprise, Few students can or will cook, even fewer will wash up of clean, just not a habit they have got into, so the kitchen will quickly get to be a MESS.
4. The old saying "Your mother doesn't work here so TIDY IT UP YOURSELF" is a good one to remember BUT don't become a servant to other lazy students who WILL take advantage.
5. Many students find that after a couple of month when they make friends they look for accommodation off campus. Leaving behind the comfort of the halls but also the noise and often childish behaviour that seems to be endemic in these places.
6. Moving into private accommodation is OK BUT it is going to COST, ensure you understand what is involved, and ensure you can afford it BEFORE you sign on the dotted line. Talking to parents or relatives can help here - use their experience but it will still be your decision in the end.
7. When you move into the shared house take photographs of the condition - especially things that are broken or wrong. Photograph the kitchen and equipment, cutlery and crockery.
When you leave your landlord is almost certain to argue that they will keep the deposit because something is wrong, broken, missing etc. IF you have photographs that show the condition when you arrived then you just may have a bargaining position.
This ploy by landlords is very common and makes them a fortune. Students are leaving and moving on and few are prepared to argue.
HOWEVER if you do leave a mess or break the place up you may expect to loose the deposit!
1. Contact the university if they haven't now informed you of your accommodation - ensure you have accommodation arranged. Most first year students will get a place in halls of residence. You may already have seen them.
2. Some students, (or their parents), opt to go full board so they can at least eat during the year, food varies but in general seems to be reasonable to good café fare but not high end restaurant standards.
3. Some go accommodation only and have the use of a shared kitchen. Unless your a keen cook (not a bad skill to pick up) you're in for a surprise, Few students can or will cook, even fewer will wash up of clean, just not a habit they have got into, so the kitchen will quickly get to be a MESS.
4. The old saying "Your mother doesn't work here so TIDY IT UP YOURSELF" is a good one to remember BUT don't become a servant to other lazy students who WILL take advantage.
5. Many students find that after a couple of month when they make friends they look for accommodation off campus. Leaving behind the comfort of the halls but also the noise and often childish behaviour that seems to be endemic in these places.
6. Moving into private accommodation is OK BUT it is going to COST, ensure you understand what is involved, and ensure you can afford it BEFORE you sign on the dotted line. Talking to parents or relatives can help here - use their experience but it will still be your decision in the end.
7. When you move into the shared house take photographs of the condition - especially things that are broken or wrong. Photograph the kitchen and equipment, cutlery and crockery.
When you leave your landlord is almost certain to argue that they will keep the deposit because something is wrong, broken, missing etc. IF you have photographs that show the condition when you arrived then you just may have a bargaining position.
This ploy by landlords is very common and makes them a fortune. Students are leaving and moving on and few are prepared to argue.
HOWEVER if you do leave a mess or break the place up you may expect to loose the deposit!
Your going to Uni - what happens next?
Some of this information comes thanks to the Daily Telegraph education section and most from my own personal experience, (I went to university when I was 45 so it was a bit different for me but gives me fairly recent experience), and that of many students I have seen off to University as a sixth form tutor.
1. You didn't get your place confirmed or get in through clearing, if you didn't, my commiserations, but all is not lost, you can try again next year BUT make sure you make your entry in good time as you will be doing it on your own most likely without a pushy Tutor telling you to get on with it.
2. If you have problems or questions go back to your school, despite having left the previous year they will still remember you and should be able to help or advise. Old tutors and teachers are usually very helpful and a good future source of references and such in the future if you keep in touch once in a while. Facebook and the like are good for this. I still keep in distant touch with many ex-students some of which as approaching 30 now!
1. You didn't get your place confirmed or get in through clearing, if you didn't, my commiserations, but all is not lost, you can try again next year BUT make sure you make your entry in good time as you will be doing it on your own most likely without a pushy Tutor telling you to get on with it.
2. If you have problems or questions go back to your school, despite having left the previous year they will still remember you and should be able to help or advise. Old tutors and teachers are usually very helpful and a good future source of references and such in the future if you keep in touch once in a while. Facebook and the like are good for this. I still keep in distant touch with many ex-students some of which as approaching 30 now!
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