College is full of fun and new exciting experiences but with all this excitement comes anxiety too.
Moving to college can be stressful especially if you’re moving away from home for the first time but just remember you are not on your own and there are many support services in the college that you will be attending.
It is a great idea to connect with the Students’ Union in your college; Every registered student is automatically a member of the Students’ Union, whose job it is to protect students’ rights and promote your interests. So get to know your elected officers.they will provide a lot of services and support for you so if you are ever feeling down, stressed out or worried about something contact or visit your Students’ Union Welfare officer. Your Students’ Union will always be looking for volunteers for events and campaigns on campus so get involved. College is described as the ‘best days of you life’, enjoy ever bit of it but look after yourself and manage the balance between studying and socialising wisely.
Practical tips and advice for getting used to college and settling in:
- Drag yourself to lectures. It can be very tempting to miss the odd lecture and this can soon turn into a bad habit. It might sound boring but trust USI, regular attendance will make your life so much easier in the long run. You can’t rely on textbooks and course notes alone — lecturers will explore topics in much greater depth and provide advice on assignments, studying and exams. You’ll get to know your lecturers too, which will make it easier to approach them if you ever have a question or an issue they can help with.
- Make friends in your class. Don’t forget that everyone is in the same boat and feeling just as overwhelmed as you are. As well as all the usual social reasons, befriending someone in your class will give you more incentive to attend your lectures.
- Sign up for a club or society. This is a fantastic way to meet new people, go on trips and maybe even win an award at the end of the year. Everyone has different interests, so if what you’re interested in isn’t already represented, then set it up yourself!
Simple things that will help you settle in, they are:
- ‘Like’ the Students’ Union and College fan page on Facebook and for information on upcoming events, entertainments and promotions. This is the best single thing you can do to prepare for college.
- Sort out accommodation in advance and move in a couple of days before starting college so you are familiar with the area.
- Do a ‘big shop’ at the very start, get everything you will need. Sit down and write up a list of things; bed sheets, towels, cleaning products, stationery, food to get your started (not just beans) etc
- Get the phone numbers for a few taxi companies, the college switchboard, college health/medical centr3e, chaplain, local emergency services and Student Union officers.
- Familiarise yourself with local surroundings; bus route, supermarkets etc