Top tips

I found the adjustment quite difficult. It was quite hard to be away from home, but then again, you’re living in a flat with lots of people that are in the same boat as you. And it’s just the adjustment of being independent, I think. You’re responsible for everything that you do. Think the most important advice that I can give is just to be completely organised and on top of all your work. Just really get to grips with your course and become an independent person, and not having to rely on people, because it’s all about your time. Get out there. Be outgoing. Try all the clubs and societies. It’s very important for personal development.

But I’d also say, remember at the end of the day you’re here to get a degree. And focus on getting a job. So you need to balance those two things up. When you get to university, you need to make friends. You need to find your social groups. You need to feel like you’re actually part of the union as well. There’s much more to it than your faculty, or more specifically your department. I think work hard, play hard. It’s important to put effort into your studies because that’s why you come to uni. But you can’t just be a social recluse. You need to make friends as well, otherwise you’re going to have a rubbish time.

It really is up to you to do things properly and do your own work. There’s nobody nagging you in the same way at school. You have to really put the effort in. If you don’t hand in coursework or turn up to lectures nothing will happen. You might get a meeting with your tutor, but no disciplinary action will be taken unless it gets to extreme levels, so you’re the one that’s going to lose out. Throw yourself into your subject because that’s how you’ll enjoy it. You want to come out of this with a good degree. That’s why you’re doing it. I enjoyed my first year a lot, to say the least.

I made so many new friends, learned so many new things. And I can just urge people who are applying to university and maybe not considering going to university. It is a great experience, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.