It’s happening – whether you’re elated with your firm, satisfied with your insurance or you’ve struck lucky in Clearing, you’re on your way to uni. And while you may be excited for all the changes happening over the next few months, it’s likely that you’re a bit nervous too! So here’s a guide of what you’ll need to start thinking about next to make sure that your journey to uni goes as smoothly as possible.
Celebrate – and relax!
There’s no point getting ready for university if you haven’t taken the time to celebrate the amazing achievement you’ve worked so hard for! Relax, have a laugh and let the stress of waiting for your results disappear!
Accommodation
Having somewhere to call ‘home’ is arguably the most important part of getting settled into uni. You may have already applied for your accommodation, in which case you should be all set and ready to pay your deposit and first month’s rent. However, if you haven’t sorted out your accommodation yet, that’s the first thing I would recommend you do. The University has a simple system of accommodation allocation where you can fill out your preferences for University accredited accommodation (to give you extra peace of mind) but there are also providers of student houses if you would prefer to go private.
Have a look for Facebook groups
Most courses and accommodations will have group chats for people to start talking to and getting to know each other. If yours doesn’t, why don’t you start one! Personally, Facebook groups were really helpful to put me at ease, plus most of the course friends that I have now were people I originally met on our group chat. Accommodation chats also prove useful to discuss who’s bringing what, meaning you don’t end up with 6 toasters, 3 kettles and no broom! The official University of Lincoln freshers page is available here.
Pack
It’s difficult to pack up at least 18 (or more) years of your life in a day, so take it in steps and you’ll get through it eventually. It is, however, really easy to overpack and overestimate the size of your room, so be careful! Sort your belongings into things you’re taking to uni and things you want to leave at home/put into storage. Only take clothes/books/DVDs which you know you will wear/read/watch because anything else will take up valuable space. Bear in mind that lots of accommodation blocks don’t have lifts so you may well have to carry anything you pack up several flights of stairs.
Check you have everything
Some courses will provide reading lists of textbooks which you need to buy and different accommodations provide different lists of what you need to bring (e.g. kettles, bins, cleaning equipment) – so make sure you check what you have available. It’s much better to go prepared and set for the year, rather than suddenly finding that you’re missing lots of things! This document is a list provided by the uni detailing everything you need to bring if you’re living in Lincoln Courts – and is a good guide for other accommodations as well.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVhUiWolUoX/?taken-by=taliecolbourne
Say your goodbyes
The time between getting your results and heading off to uni will pass very, very quickly. Make sure you take the time to say goodbyes to your friends and family and set up times when you’ll see each other because it will give you something to look forward to after the whirlwind that is starting uni!
It will feel like no time at all from getting your results and starting university, so I hope these tips will be useful! Good luck!
This article was updated on 12/08/2020 to have the correct information for the 2020/21 academic year.
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