Settling in to your university

Starting a university course can feel overwhelming, especially if you move to live and study in a new city. In this article, we’ve brought together some key things you can do to help you settle in to your studies and personal life at university.

Explore the Welcome webpages

Before you arrive, the university will contact you with information for new starters. This includes links to our Welcome webpages. As well as general pages with information for all students, there are also specific pages for each of the Schools at the University.

It is a good idea to read the information on these webpages before you arrive, as they contain checklists of activities you need to complete to start your studies. By looking in advance, you can prepare yourself for what to expect and make sure you will have everything you need.

Top tip: There will be lots of new information to learn when you start your university course. Don’t worry! We know there is a lot and there will be opportunities to go over this information again throughout your first few weeks at Nottingham. Try and keep up as best you can and ask for help if you are unsure.

Get to know your new surroundings

Many students move to live on or near the campus to start their university course. If you are moving to a new city, take the time to explore your new surroundings. Find where the nearest amenities like supermarkets and cafes are. You may want to plan your journey to university, which may involve finding your nearest bus or tram stop.

Even if you are already local to Nottingham, studying on one of our university campuses will be a new experience for most new students. If you can, try and explore the campus in your first few days so you start to find your way around. Look out for areas that might make good study spaces for you, or work as a hang out space. Find the buildings where your lectures take place so you know where you are going for your first few lectures. The sooner you feel confident finding your way around campus, the easier you will find it to settle at Nottingham.

Top tip: Many of our buildings can be found using mobile apps such as Google Maps. These can help you plan your route across campus. There are also campus maps available on our website and paper copies can be found around campus. You can also use the AccessAble website to explore the accessibility of our facilities.

Attend Welcome Week activities

At the University of Nottingham, we prepare a whole week of welcome activities to help you settle in to university. These cover three key areas: an introduction to your course and the school you are based in; orientation activities to familiarise yourself with the campus and our facilities; and social activities to help you meet people and get to know people on your course and in your accommodation.

The University’s Welcome webpages contain timetables of all the different activities taking place for your course and those organised by the Students’ Union. Make sure you have a look at these before you start on day one so you can plan ahead and know where you are going.

Tip: Arriving late to university? If circumstances outside of your control mean you won’t be arriving in Nottingham until after Welcome Week, then do not panic! We know that it is not possible for all our students to arrive during Welcome Week, so we organise events and provide support for any late arrivals.

Make your space your own

Whether you are moving to accommodation in Nottingham, or commuting from your existing residence, it is important to make your space your own. You may want to decorate your room with things that bring you comfort so you have a calming space to return to at the end of the busy day.

Some students find they work best in study spaces on campus – such as libraries and cafes – while others prefer to work from their accommodation. As we covered in week one, a big difference with learning at university is that there is much more independent study. This means you will need to find time and space to study outside of your lectures, tutorials and practical classes.

If you are working in your accommodation, make sure you have a good work space set up, with a desk or table and a comfortable chair. While working from your bed can be tempting, it can also be distracting and unproductive. Think about how you work best and try and create a working environment that works for you.

Tip: If you are a student with a disability that has access to a Disability Support Allowance, you may want to discuss with your Disability Support Advisor when you arrive in Nottingham whether there may be things you can purchase to help with your studies using this allowance.

Ask for help

In the last activity, we covered some of the support services available for students at the University of Nottingham. There is no shame in asking for help. Whatever your question or concern, we are here to support your transition to university life. Please reach out and ask for help when you need it. A good place to start is by talking to your Personal Tutor.

Conclusion

These are a few actions you can complete to help with settling in at university. The first few weeks of your course are busy as you take on new information, new places and new people. Be kind to yourself, ask for support if you need it, and above all try and enjoy it! Starting University can be a really exciting time and the start of what we hope will be a rewarding journey!

Do you have any top tips?

Has anybody given you other useful advice about starting university? Let us know in the comments below!