Here are some top tips about making the most of your first few days at university and living in communal bliss:
When starting university you’ll get the usual advice from parents (mostly ignored), career advisers (too scary to think about that just now!), but more importantly, advice from a graduate (been there, done that) – this is the stuff to take notice of—someone who has been through the ups and downs of a Fresher’s life, the money, the chilling out and of course the studying (especially in term 3)!
The boring advice you don’t want to hear from your parents, but you know they are right:
- Don’t overspend (overdrafts, be careful): The banks encourage students to take large overdrafts, usually interest free. Before you rub your hands with glee at the thought of having £1500 sitting in your bank account, think about the impending prices and consequences once the bank demands its money back. Don’t do it! Everyone regrets it later.
- Keep Warm: Hooded coats are essential if you expect to survive the winter term without your mother around to pester you into wearing a winter woolly. They are warm and snug and will keep that Freshers Flu at bay.
- Eat Well: Your parents always say this and of course you never listen. But try as hard as you can to curb the cheap fast food and gluttonous takeaways. In conjunction with your overdraft, you may feel happy to spend 10 or 20 quid a time on a takeaway, but at the end of the day it deceptively drains your bank account, and turns you into that fat spotty student!
THE ISOC DO’S
- Get involved! Meet as many people as you can, introduce yourself, smile and be confident.
- Got a car? Make sure you pick up a parking permit from university house. Cars parked on campus, without permits, get heavily penalised.
- Learn at least one recipe to impress your hall-mates!
- Buy disposable cameras for those magic Kodak moments.
- Money management is very important. Take out the cash you need and leave bank cards at home, in a safe place.
- Attend the safety and security lecture provided by the Union.
- Make sure you call home and let your family know you are OK. All the more important if you’re an international student (call them twice a week!)
- Make sure you register with the campus health practice (you get different coloured cards according to the doctor you are assigned). Keep these cards safe for later use.
- For international students in particular, make sure the meat you buy is Halal. Check confectionary ingredients for gelatine or alcohol additives before buying them. Also check the Halal food section of this book, and please contact the exec if in doubt or if you need any help at all.
- Be sure you know where the Islamic Prayer Hall is (check Islamic Prayer Hall section of this book). Pay regular visits to the Hall in order to pick up prayer timing sheets and other updates.
THE ISOC DON’TS
- Whatever you do, don’t leave your laundry until the very last minute. Do it every now and then, try and take a couple of friends with you, it can get quite boring.
- Don’t miss out on any of your lectures, no matter how tedious or boring they may be. All the work will keep piling up. Don’t dodge difficulties – face them!
- Don’t mistake the Tesco ‘24 hour store’ as one which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is open until 10pm on Saturdays and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays!
- For those of you who still don’t know, shopping on a Friday evening after a four ‘o’ clock lecture can be quite disappointing! Most of Coventry closes down around five.
- Don’t ever walk onto a West Midlands bus without exact change; you will loose out on a lot of money!
