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Hi there! These past couple of weeks have probably been a frenzy of sorting out new stuff, dealing with accommodation, maybe moving away from home for the first time amongst other things – it can all seem a bit overwhelming and scary. Well, we are keen that you always feel there is someone there to help you settle in to your first few weeks at Uni; whether it’s week 1 or week 10!
Top tips:
Remember to have some familiar things from home around you to make your room feel cosy. It’s tempting and exciting to have everything ‘new’ but it’s also good to have some pictures, photos, bedding etc from home; just a few things if you may feel a little less homesick.
Don’t think you have to have a completely new wardrobe of clothes – wear the things you normally wear and be you!
If you’re feeling really nervous and shy remember you’re not alone! Probably the person next to you is feeling exactly the same so try saying ‘hi’ and think of a few conversation openers you can have ready – the rest will probably just happen….
If you get lost and confused don’t worry – so does everyone else! Don’t hesitate to ask if you’re not sure where you’re going.
Don’t hide out in your room – you won’t meet anyone there! Go along to your communal areas/ kitchen – there’s always someone hanging around looking for a chat.
Explore the city, it’s easy to get stuck in the student bubble and not see what is around you. Familiarise yourself with your new city; go on a walking tour, take the MetRider and just look around your new home.
Give settling in some time. If it doesn’t feel like you are having the time of your life from the get go, don’t worry. Starting university or settling into a new city can be a big change.
Managing Your Workload
Sometimes managing your workload can make you feel stressed, and you can spend more time worrying about it than actually doing it! Here are some ideas for getting organised:
1. Get into a routine
If you’ve just moved to Cardiff and are surrounded by a whole new group of people, it might help to establish a routine so that university life starts to feel a little more settled. Think about what things cheer you up, or what makes for a good morning. You might like heading out for a morning walk, going with your friends for breakfast or reading the paper with your morning coffee. Rather than being an occasional treat, why not try to work these things into your everyday routine?
Make the most of your evenings – try to have one or two regular commitments that you’ll make time for every week – check out the sports clubs and societies through the SU: Having something pre-arranged is a really good way to avoid the temptation to stop taking breaks when you get busy.
Weekend routines can be good too – you might cook brunch with your friends every Sunday morning, or have a flat food & film night every Friday evening.
2. Study effectively
Try to be organised with your work from the start – it’s much easier to feel in control when you can find things easily.
Find out how you work best. If you don’t like the library then it’s not compulsory to work there – it may be that you work better at home with music and slippers and blankets and a mug of tea, and that’s completely fine.
It’s often worth changing things up and exploring different places to work - coffee shops or the library tend to be favourites. Working at home in the morning and then heading off to the library for the afternoon can also be a good way to avoid cabin fever!
3. Don’t stress
Sometimes easier said than done, but there are definitely things you can do to help:
Try to escape from the university bubble every now and again! Calling home or going away for the weekend can be a great way to get a sense of perspective on the things you’re worrying about.
Planning out your work and making a schedule can help you to feel more in control. Break down big tasks into small manageable steps and add one or two of these to your daily to do list, so that instead of worrying about having to write a whole essay, you know that you just need to spend an hour or two this morning writing a plan.
3. Take proper breaks and make the most of your time off.
Get some fresh air: go for a walk or bike ride. Explore somewhere new, or just head out to the supermarket to do your weekly food shop… no matter what you’re doing, getting outside is always calming and lends a sense of perspective to any work-related panic that’s been brewing!
Take a proper break at lunchtime: Move away from your work even if only for a short time, then it’s more refreshing to return to your studies.
Read a chapter or two of a good book that’s different to your course notes; sometimes it’s so much easier to get lost in a novel and really take your mind off everything else.
Watch an episode of your favourite TV series.
Before you start studying, it can be good to pick the one thing you want to do and make it really specific e.g. ‘at 11am I’ll sit down with a mug of coffee and watch the next episode of ……...’.Knowing exactly what you’ll be doing in your next break also gives you something to look forward to and is great motivation to have a really productive study session in the meantime.
If you feel your workload getting on top of you, then speak to your Course Tutor or the Student Advisor who can help you come up with ideas for managing your work.