So, you’ve got your offers back and you’ve gotten into university, what now?

First of all, congratulations!!! The next steps can seem very daunting, but they’re actually very exciting and you should enjoy it. I’m almost about to graduate and I would do anything to go back to to that moment.

The next steps

Accommodation

The university will contact you with your time slot to pick your accommodation. First you make a profile and write a little about yourself so others who are similar to you ca

n pick you. You will get to choose your building, floor, flat, room and flatmates. It is good to make a chat with your soon to be flat mates before you come to get to know them and to organise who is bringing what, so you don’t end up with multiple toasters and kettles.

Your university halls is going to be your new home from home but they can easily feel anything but homely. As well as the IKEA essentials, make sure you bring nice touches

that remind you of home. My top three recommendations are: plants are a great way to give more life to your room, pictures add a nice touch and remind you of friends and family and fairy lights make the room more cosy.

Student finance and budgeting

Now yo

u know how much you’re going to get from student finance or as an allowance, work out how much your accommodation costs per week or month and then see how much you have left of your loan after that. Then divide this by food, leisure, savings, etc. and make a note of your budget. I have written another blog on how I manage my student finance, if you are worried about this, read my tips here.

Freshers Week

Me at freshers!!

One of the first things many freshers start to think about is freshers week. In Bournemouth, freshers week is actually two weeks long so be prepared and don’t spend all your money at once! Do your research into the events and what you want to do. If you enjoy clubbing then look into tickets and wristbands to buy beforehand as they can work out cheaper.