Feeling a little apprehensive about moving away from home? Wondering how your going to meet new people when you arrive? ResLifeBU have you covered.

In 2016 BU launched ResLife, to help create a lively, friendly and supportive community for new students in BU accommodation. So, at every BU managed Halls of Residence a team of ResLife Assistants (RA’s) live in one of the flats or houses, whose job it is to make sure that the students living there have the best year possible through organising endless fun, activities and events for everyone to get involved with. These events include, but are by no means limited to: pamper nights, UV sports, beach days, movie nights, skiing, open-mic nights, photography competitions, food-related events (there are a lot of these as many RA’s tend to be foodies in the extreme), rock climbing, live gigs, winter balls, quiz nights and a whole load more. Plus, one of the best things about ResLife is that if you, the students, don’t see your passion included in that list or any other event organised, you can tell us, the RA’s, and we can organise it for you; it’s as simple as that!

Whilst the ResLife team are all about fun, fun, and more fun (and preferably in the sun as Bournemouth is a gorgeous and scenic sun catcher), one of our main focal points is to make sure that every student feels safe and happy in their new home, as moving to a new place full of new people can be terrifying, regardless of one’s age – and that doesn’t even mention the stress of actually studying at university. To that end, ResLife events cater for all tastes and interests, and around exam times are especially focused on stress-relief – this is when you’ll see pamper nights and doggie-cuddles being planned for you. On top of this, each Halls of Residence within ResLife also has a specific Welfare Coordinator, who is there to be another friendly face to anyone who might be struggling with any aspect of university life, be it personal or academic. You are never alone. No matter the issue, there is always someone around to pull up a chair and grab a tea or coffee.

However, one of the things that makes this programme so special is that not only does it ensure that the newest members of the BU community feel instantly at home and have lots of fun, but it also gives roughly forty students (including me!) the chance to be an RA and gain some invaluable work experience.

Check out our lively social media groups where we share news and events with our fellow residents, and keep up to date with what’s being planned!

By Phoebe Watkins
ResLifeBU Assistant