Read about what I experienced!

Starting university was such an incredible experience for me, however, there are some things that I wish I had realised sooner to make my time even better. As much as everyone’s university experience is different, here are three things that I think would benefit everyone from knowing when arriving at university: 

1.  Try to Keep Your Friendship Circles Big at First 

Arriving at university is an exciting time as it means you can meet so many like-minded people and find some friends for life. The first people you will meet will typically be your flatmates. I got on so well with my flatmates and this meant I felt like I didn’t have to make as much effort with other people that I met. However, looking back I should have made more effort from the beginning with people on my course and in my netball team.

I’d highly recommend just introducing yourself to everyone. Ask for their name, where they’re from and what course they do as a good starting point and the rest will flow from there. First year is the time to put yourself out there and form those connections. Try not to stick to one set of friends, as circumstances can change, and you never want to be left feeling like you haven’t made enough friends! It’s great to have different friendship groups so that throughout your time at Bath you have lots of people you can reach out to and make plans with.  

2.  Stay in Touch With Friends and Family Back Home

When I moved to Bath, I got caught up in all the new things around me: new routine, new friends, new environment. This meant I often forgot to check in with my friends and family at home as much as I would have liked to. Every so often I would feel homesick, which is so normal when things are very new around you, but once I got into the routine of Facetiming my family every week it really helped.

If your home friends are also starting university then I’d recommend checking in with them every so often. I started to do this a few months into my first year, but I wish I’d have done it sooner as they understood what it was like to miss home every now and then.  

3.  Keep Track of Your Spending

As I was living independently for the first time, I found that it was so easy to get carried away with spending too much money. The people you meet will have varying financial situations so make sure you’re sticking to what you can afford. In the same score, if you don’t think you’ll have any money concerns then remember that others may be struggling financially.

I wish that I had budgeted from when I first moved to university. Instead, I was left with a tight budget after spending too much without thinking about where the money was going. You will learn how to budget and save money as you go along, but I’d suggest pre-planning how you’re going to do this before you move. 

Other than those things, arriving at university was so much easier than I thought it would be. Just be yourself and enjoy all the new experiences on offer!