Don’t compare yourself to others
Moving to uni is a massive deal and everybody handles it differently. Don’t worry too much about what other people are doing or how they are coping – it doesn’t matter. It may appear like everyone else has made loads of friends, having loads of fun and not feeling homesick at all but I can assure you that it’s probably not like that in reality. I spent pretty much all of first term worrying that everyone else had found their best friends and I had just made lots of acquaintances but I soon learnt that a lot of other people felt the exact same as me.
Be yourself
In the same vein as not comparing yourself to others, it is also important to just be yourself. For some reason, coming to uni is often associated with ‘reinventing yourself’. Although it is a good opportunity to try new things – if you have always hated sports don’t force yourself to try out for the rowing team just because you think it’s the cool thing to do. Keeping up the ‘new you’ will be tiring and time consuming. Just focus on being you and you’ll meet the right kind of people who you want to be friends with.
Let people know if you are struggling
Everybody finds it hard at some point and whilst your college welfare team are great, you don’t have to go to them to start with. Often just mentioning to a friend that you can’t wait to go home or that you’re missing your dogs will spark a conversation and make you realise that they are feeling just the same way as you are. During this year, my strongest friendships have been made by opening up to people and telling them how I really feel.
Don’t be afraid to spend money
This many seem like surprising advice to give as I’m sure most people would say the opposite. However, having to use all my student loan to fund my accommodation and also being self-catered, I was always worried about how much money I had left in my bank and sometimes I feel like this anxiety held me back. I would tell future freshers that, at the end of the day, going for a coffee or a meal out will only benefit you in the long run as it will help you settle in and make friends. Just budget your money and try not to spend ridiculous amounts on silly things and you will be fine.
Explore Durham whilst you have the time
During these past few weeks of post-exam relaxation I have discovered so many places in Durham that I wish I knew about at the start of the year. The first few weeks of term are busy and overwhelming but try to make some time to explore the city. For example, Flat White is great but Durham has loads of other great independent cafes that are often forgotten about, such as Leonards – my personal favourite.
Plan things to look forward to
I’m sure you will be told by your lecturers to get a diary but don’t ignore them! Forward planning all my work really helped me stay organised and on top of things. Aside from this, I also timetabled in things to look forward to in order to keep me motivated. Whilst it is probably not a great idea to go home the first weekend of term I found it really helpful to have my train tickets booked a few weeks in advance so that I had something to work towards. On a smaller note, it is also a good idea to factor in afternoons or evenings off during summative season so you don’t feel too bogged down. Even planning to do simple things like a facemask or watching a few episodes of your favourite series can help!
Work (but not too hard)
Coming to uni can be a huge jump and you can suddenly feel out of your depth. However, when you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed It is best to remember that first year is designed to be an adjustment period. If you’re struggling to manage your work or if you’re disappointed with some of your results, don’t worry about it too much. Although I’m not really in the camp of ‘first-year-doesn’t-count-so-I’m-not-going-to-do-any-work-at-all’ I would definitely reassure freshers that somehow everything all works out in the end and there really is no pressure to be achieving top marks as soon as you get here.
Image Credits:
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