You’ve submitted your UCAS application (finally) and now the offers are rolling in. Whether you firmed your offer straight away, or are sat waiting for one to come through, there are a few things you can do now to start to prepare yourself for coming to the University of Lincoln in September.
Well, anything to distract yourself from nervously checking UCAS Track every five minutes.
Accommodation
If you’re planning on going into halls for first year then make sure you’re aware of the day applications open. Lincoln works on a first come first serve basis so if you have your heart set on some particular halls, make sure you get your application in early.
Do your research before applications open as well so that you know what is included and what the rent will be, and most importantly whether you can afford it.
Student Finance
If you’re going to use Student Finance to fund your time at university make sure to keep an eye on when you can start to apply for it. Make sure to get it done early enough to make sure your payments come through on time. Keep in mind as well that you do need to reapply each year for Student Finance.
Start saving
It’s no secret that university can get quite expensive and student loans don’t always cover your expenses. If you have a part-time job at the moment, brilliant. If not maybe think about getting one over the long summer.
There’s no harm in putting a bit of money aside for the start of university, you might need it for a few days or week until the first student loan payment comes in. If you really want to join a sport or society at university then it could also cover joining and kit fees, so you don’t have to worry about that coming out of your loan.
University essentials
It’s worth popping somewhere like Ikea or Wilko before you come to university to buy some basics. Pots, pans, plates, cups, cutlery… just a few of the essentials that are needed before you start.
You won’t need a complete 32-piece dinnerware set, but a couple of bowls, plates etc won’t go amiss. If you have older siblings that have already left university and maybe don’t need their saucepans anymore you could always see if you could borrow it to help keep costs down.
Make sure you start buying these essentials early enough, so it doesn’t become a mad rush the day before you’re due to move because you’re bound to forget something.
Join applicant groups
There are a lot of university groups on Facebook. Some official, some less so. It’s worth doing a bit of searching and seeing if you can find groups for Lincoln or any other universities you hold offers for in fact.
The UoL applicants page is a good start. From there you can meet some people coming to Lincoln too, or even people on the same course. It can help ease the nerves if you already know people ahead of starting.
Before I started I was added to a group chat for people coming to Lincoln, and from that, I found some people on my course and we made a specific group chat. This was great because by the time I started I had already been talking to people since January and we were finally able to meet!
Starting university is one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking experiences. But if you get yourself prepared it can help take some of that stress away.
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