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Top Five
Tips for Starting University Life
Attending University for the first time
can be daunting, particularly if you are leaving home
for the first time. I remember my first few days at
University well, and I think these five tips will serve
any new University student well.
1. Show a willingness to make friends. This may seem
like an obvious statement, but I think it’s so important
to make an extra special effort to let people know that
you’re there to meet new people, to broaden your
horizons and to form bonds. University can be a lonely
place without good friends and to set yourself up for
good academic study you need to make sure you are in a
comfortable and happy environment. That starts with a
good group of friends to share the highs and lows with.
2. Be the person to make things happen. When people have
just arrived at University, it’s easy to sit around
waiting for someone to knock on your dormitory door and
ask you for a drink, but you can show yourself to be a
strong and approachable person by knocking on a
strangers door and saying, “Hey, do you want to help me
get a few guys together to play some touch football?”
It’s a great way to make friends, and people will
respect you for having the courage to ask. They might
also be mightily relieved to get to know someone too!
3. Join in. When you start your course there will be
dozens of groups you can join, from sports clubs, movie
clubs, book clubs and many many more. It’s a great idea
to get involved in as many of these as you can because
it’s another great way to make friends. Plus, you can
whittle the number down when you figure out which clubs
are going to offer the most to you.
4. Bring some food! Ok so you know you’re headed in to
uncharted territory. Dorm’s vary from institution to
institution and other than a canteen it might be pretty
hard to lay your hands on any snacks unless you venture
out in to the open. Be the guy or girl who has plenty of
candy to see you through to the early hours - you’ll
find people knocking on your door all night once word
gets out!
5. Don’t be afraid. To suddenly be on your own, not
knowing any of the people around you can be a bit
frightening, but you have to remember that ninety nine
percent of the other people there are in the same boat.
Hold your head up high, remember why you came, and enjoy
it!
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