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Education: how to survive university

by
23 September 2022

Former students give their top tips for freshers

posed by a model/istock 

“You think you have so much spare time,” says one student; but much of it may need to be spent in the library

“You think you have so much spare time,” says one student; but much of it may need to be spent in the library

On the first week or so. . .

“I teamed up with a course-mate via a group chat on the university freshers’ page. As soon as I made one friend I could go to freshers’ events with, I felt more at peace about the whole situation.” 

“It was quite overwhelming; but I made sure I found out the things that were important to me, and did what I needed to do for me rather than just do what everyone else was doing. The chaplaincy stall at the Freshers’ Fair was one of my first stops. I spoke to my chaplain, and she pointed me towards the local parish churches that were good, and I went to a few of those.” 

“UCCF [the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship] has a link-up scheme, which connects new students with their university Christian Union before you arrive. It was great, because it meant there were already friendly faces in my college and on my course when I arrived.”

 

On being a Christian. . .

“One thing I did early on was tell people I’m a Christian. That really helps people to understand why you behave a bit differently, perhaps.” 

“It’s important to know your own limits and boundaries, and to remind yourself why they’re there. I was surprised how many people respected my boundaries about drinking, for example. I was pressured much less than I thought I’d be, because people are a lot more accepting and open-minded.” 

“If you fall off the wagon, that’s nothing to be ashamed of. What matters is how you handle it when you do. At university, there’s such a diversity of people, that as long as you’re open and willing to answer questions, it’s OK. It’s not that people won’t challenge you, but they do want to know why you believe what you do.” 

“[The charity] Fusion has a Student Linkup scheme that connects students with a church while at university. The best decision for me was to get stuck into a church. Church became my university family: I made friends there and found support systems I needed.”

 

On studying . . .

“The one thing you’re learning for the first time is to self-motivate. . . Get as organised as you can, and find people on your course that will do bits of study with you, or go to the library with you. Find what helps motivate you. ” 

“It wasn’t massively hard in the first year, but it was different, because uni is a different style. It [involves] your own research and your own time. You think you have so much spare time — I didn’t have many contact hours — but a lot of those hours they expect you to be researching in the library.” 

“Remember that first year is when you can make mistakes, take on feedback, and learn to do things better. That sets you up for the years that count. If I compare how I was writing, from first to third year, it’s completely different. If you’re struggling at first, it doesn’t mean you’ll be struggling at the end.”

“Sleep well. Eat well. Find a healthy routine for spending time with God in your day. Work out how you rest well, and take rest time. With uni, it can always feel like you are swamped under a pile of work, or revision is lingering. Take some time out each week to do something fun and to relax.”

 

On handling money. . .

“Learn a few basic meals that are really simple, and has easy-to-buy ingredients from Lidl, and that will be your lifesaver. It’s so easy to get to an evening and click on the Deliveroo app, and that’s not healthy for your bank account.” 

“Being financially stable as a student comes down to two things: you’ll have to sacrifice some things you’re used to, like eating out, Starbucks coffee, and spending on technology; and you have to use the spare money you have wisely.” 

“I made an effort to prioritise the things that were important to me. I knew that I really wanted to make time to spend with friends one-on-one, and also loved going for nights out with my house­mates. So, I didn’t spend much money on things like clothes shopping, or big food shops, so I could do those things. My advice would be to decide where your priorities lie, and where you might need to not spend, so your finances balance out.”

 

On getting help. . .

“Be honest about when you’re feeling low, or anxious, even when it seems trivial. And try not to shut yourself away when you feel like that. I think it can feel like no one is interested, but that’s rarely true, and often I’ve found that when I’m honest and vul­nerable, other people are, too.” 

“Don’t be afraid to say to other people in your class, or at church, [if] you need a bit of help, especially with the academic stuff. You’re not expected to know everything. Most people would be very happy to help you, and that will make your life much easier.” 

Mental health is a big issue, and lots of students come aware of needing to work out how to live with their mental health as a student. University can be a time when you discover you have anxiety, or other mental-health issues, and the chaplaincy is a good place to talk about these things and find out where you can get help.” 

“My school didn’t tell me that I might find [myself] on the wrong course for me. It might mean swallowing your pride, if you’ve bigged yourself up to go to a certain university, and it’s not what you expected, you’re not enjoying it, and you want to leave. Ultimately, it’s three years of your time, and the financial cost is huge. If you’re not happy, there are people in the Students’ Union whose role is to help you.”

 

bethinking.org

uccf.org.uk

fusionmovement.org/studentlinkup

movement.org.uk

capmoney.org

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