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Adjusting to university life - tips from The Mix
Aife
Community Manager Posts: 3,048 Boards Guru
Hey everyone!
We've teamed up with the experts at UNiDAYS and upReach to create a guide on how to adjust to university life, cope with change, make new friends and look after your mental health.
Meeting new people, starting a new course and adjusting to a different routine can be exciting and fun, but it can also be really overwhelming too. If you feel this way, you're not alone.
Image description:
We've teamed up with the experts at UNiDAYS and upReach to create a guide on how to adjust to university life, cope with change, make new friends and look after your mental health.
Meeting new people, starting a new course and adjusting to a different routine can be exciting and fun, but it can also be really overwhelming too. If you feel this way, you're not alone.
Image description:
Image 1: The title of the image reads 'How to adjust to university life'. There is an illustration of a young person wearing a graduation hat with a thought bubble next to them to represent them thinking about sleep. There is also an illustration of four books stacked on top of each other. There are three logos at the bottom centre of the image that reads 'UNiDAYS', 'The Mix', and 'upReach'
Image 2: There is an illustration of a face with a heart symbol and text below that reads 'University is a great chance for you to meet new people from all walks of life, develop your skills and access amazing career opportunities. It can also be an overwhelming time, with a lot of change to adjust to, so it's important to prioritise self-care and look after yourself. Here are some tips on how to make the most of your time, cope with change, make new friends and look after your mental health.' There are three logos at the bottom centre of the image that reads 'UNiDAYS', 'The Mix', and 'upReach'
Image 3: There is an illustration of a two arrows in a circle in the top centre of the image. The text below reads 'Coping with change:' and four bullet points that read 'Make sure you have things with you in your new space that make you feel comfortable and safe.', 'Book in regular calls with your friends and family.', 'Explore the outdoors; spending time in nature can help to make you feel grounded.', 'Get cosy in your comfiest clothes and escape with your favourite film or series.' There are three logos at the bottom of the image that reads 'UNiDAYS', 'The Mix', and 'upReach'
Image 4: There is an illustration of a money bag in the top centre of the image and text below that reads 'Prepare your finances in advance'. The text below this reads 'Before you get to university, create a financial plan so you know how you are going to cover all of your expenses each week. Get in touch with your university's student services to see what financial support you might be eligible for - many universities will offer grants and bursaries for students from low-income, care-leaver or refugee backgrounds.' There are three logos at the bottom of the image that reads 'UNiDAYS', 'The Mix', and 'upReach'
Image 5: There is an illustration of a hand hold a heart symbol in the top centre of the image. The heading below reads 'Accessing mental health support at university'. The text below this reads 'Counselling can be a great way to talk through your worries; many universities offer a free counselling service.' 'Register with your local GP in the first week of moving to university.' 'The Student Advice Service or a welfare officer based in your college or university building can offer you free and confidential advice.' There are three logos at the bottom of the image that reads 'UNiDAYS', 'The Mix', and 'upReach'
Image 6: There is an illustration of a light bulb in the top centre of the image. The heading below reads 'Find people who share your interests:'. The text below this reads 'Societies are a great opportunity to meet like-minded people. There are societies for almost every interest - sports, music, politics, religion, and more - so you're bound to find people you share hobbies with. There are also groups that bring together state school, women, LGBTQ+ and ethnic minority students, to help foster a greater feeling of community.' There are three logos at the bottom of the image that reads 'UNiDAYS', 'The Mix', and 'upReach'
Image 7: There is an illustration of a brief case in the top centre of the image. There is a heading below that reads 'Make the most of career opportunities:'. The text below this reads 'Universities have careers teams on hand to help you with everything from exploring different sectors and careers, to work experience. Many students think that first year is too early to think about graduate careers, but this can lead to you missing out on valuable work experience and summer internship opportunities, which can later be converted into graduate schemes.' There are three logos at the bottom of the image that reads 'UNiDAYS', 'The Mix', and 'upReach'.
Image 8: The heading of this image reads 'Most importantly, don't worry!'. The text below this reads 'As nerve-wracking as university may feel, it's also an opportunity to venture outside of your comfort zone and have a new adventure. University is so much more than just lectures and textbooks - it's also a personal journey of self-discovery, as you experience living away from home, meeting new people and pursuing new hobbies and interests. Big life changes will always feel daunting, but that's also what makes them so transformative.' There are three logos at the bottom of the image that reads 'UNiDAYS', 'The Mix', and 'upReach'.
Image 9: The heading of this image reads 'For more information and support for uni life check out:'. There are three logos shared below. The first logo reads 'upReach' 'Transforming Social Mobility'. There is a website listed below the logo that reads 'upreach.org.uk', and a social media handle for Instagram that reads '@upreach_team'.
To the right is a logo that reads 'UNiDAYS' and below an Instagram social media handle that reads @myunidays. Below is a website link which reads 'myunidays.com'.
To the bottom centre of the image is a logo that reads 'The Mix', with a website that reads 'themix.org.uk'. There is an Instagram handle that reads '@TheMixUK'.
Image 2: There is an illustration of a face with a heart symbol and text below that reads 'University is a great chance for you to meet new people from all walks of life, develop your skills and access amazing career opportunities. It can also be an overwhelming time, with a lot of change to adjust to, so it's important to prioritise self-care and look after yourself. Here are some tips on how to make the most of your time, cope with change, make new friends and look after your mental health.' There are three logos at the bottom centre of the image that reads 'UNiDAYS', 'The Mix', and 'upReach'
Image 3: There is an illustration of a two arrows in a circle in the top centre of the image. The text below reads 'Coping with change:' and four bullet points that read 'Make sure you have things with you in your new space that make you feel comfortable and safe.', 'Book in regular calls with your friends and family.', 'Explore the outdoors; spending time in nature can help to make you feel grounded.', 'Get cosy in your comfiest clothes and escape with your favourite film or series.' There are three logos at the bottom of the image that reads 'UNiDAYS', 'The Mix', and 'upReach'
Image 4: There is an illustration of a money bag in the top centre of the image and text below that reads 'Prepare your finances in advance'. The text below this reads 'Before you get to university, create a financial plan so you know how you are going to cover all of your expenses each week. Get in touch with your university's student services to see what financial support you might be eligible for - many universities will offer grants and bursaries for students from low-income, care-leaver or refugee backgrounds.' There are three logos at the bottom of the image that reads 'UNiDAYS', 'The Mix', and 'upReach'
Image 5: There is an illustration of a hand hold a heart symbol in the top centre of the image. The heading below reads 'Accessing mental health support at university'. The text below this reads 'Counselling can be a great way to talk through your worries; many universities offer a free counselling service.' 'Register with your local GP in the first week of moving to university.' 'The Student Advice Service or a welfare officer based in your college or university building can offer you free and confidential advice.' There are three logos at the bottom of the image that reads 'UNiDAYS', 'The Mix', and 'upReach'
Image 6: There is an illustration of a light bulb in the top centre of the image. The heading below reads 'Find people who share your interests:'. The text below this reads 'Societies are a great opportunity to meet like-minded people. There are societies for almost every interest - sports, music, politics, religion, and more - so you're bound to find people you share hobbies with. There are also groups that bring together state school, women, LGBTQ+ and ethnic minority students, to help foster a greater feeling of community.' There are three logos at the bottom of the image that reads 'UNiDAYS', 'The Mix', and 'upReach'
Image 7: There is an illustration of a brief case in the top centre of the image. There is a heading below that reads 'Make the most of career opportunities:'. The text below this reads 'Universities have careers teams on hand to help you with everything from exploring different sectors and careers, to work experience. Many students think that first year is too early to think about graduate careers, but this can lead to you missing out on valuable work experience and summer internship opportunities, which can later be converted into graduate schemes.' There are three logos at the bottom of the image that reads 'UNiDAYS', 'The Mix', and 'upReach'.
Image 8: The heading of this image reads 'Most importantly, don't worry!'. The text below this reads 'As nerve-wracking as university may feel, it's also an opportunity to venture outside of your comfort zone and have a new adventure. University is so much more than just lectures and textbooks - it's also a personal journey of self-discovery, as you experience living away from home, meeting new people and pursuing new hobbies and interests. Big life changes will always feel daunting, but that's also what makes them so transformative.' There are three logos at the bottom of the image that reads 'UNiDAYS', 'The Mix', and 'upReach'.
Image 9: The heading of this image reads 'For more information and support for uni life check out:'. There are three logos shared below. The first logo reads 'upReach' 'Transforming Social Mobility'. There is a website listed below the logo that reads 'upreach.org.uk', and a social media handle for Instagram that reads '@upreach_team'.
To the right is a logo that reads 'UNiDAYS' and below an Instagram social media handle that reads @myunidays. Below is a website link which reads 'myunidays.com'.
To the bottom centre of the image is a logo that reads 'The Mix', with a website that reads 'themix.org.uk'. There is an Instagram handle that reads '@TheMixUK'.
Maybe somethings don't get better, but we do. We get stronger. We learn to live with our situations as messy and ugly as they are. We fix what we can and we adapt to what we can't. Maybe some of us will never fully be okay, but at least we're here. We're still trying. We're doing the best we can. That's worth celebrating too ❤
Post edited by JustV on
5
Comments
How many societies is a good amount to join? Can I join as many as I want and then just take part in any events that I choose, or is it better to like join just one society and focus on that?
And @JJLemon18 - to try and attempt to answer your question, although I personally didn't join many societies in my undergraduate degree, I would say to join what you think you can manage. Whilst they are a great place to socialise and meet people outside of your course, you might not want to overwhelm yourself by joining LOADS of them as you will still have your studies to complete. It's probably personal preference as to what you think you can work with along side your course workload. But if you think you can, then join as many as you want to. They are great and do help with the process of settling into uni life.
(Hope that was at least somewhat helpful)
If you have any more questions I will happily try my best to answer them