Before beginning life at Bournemouth University, there were a few things I wasn’t prepared enough for.

When you first view your timetable, you might not be at uni a lot of the week. This time is to ensure you can complete the reading that is required for your course. Make sure you leave enough space in your week to fit in reading and understand the topics you later will speak about in seminars and assignments.

Typically, at university, you have a couple of hours of reading a week for each module. This helps you develop your interpretation of what is being taught.

Societies are so important to your time at university, as making new friends with people who are interested in the same hobbies you have.

There is a lot of expectation that you have to be friends with your flat/housemates. This is not the case, and at BU there are over 100 different societies which all range in price, and some of which are even free.

If you join the Nerve, a journalism society here, it is completely free, and this is a great way to publish your work. Some societies also start with fees as little as £3 so it is a really cheap way to get to know other people. Societies often host a range of sober socials so if you don’t drink this is a really great way to get involved in activities.

ResLife is another great way to meet people here at Bournemouth. Each week they do a list of activities or trips which are all linked to the halls that are based here. They put on social events every week to make sure that you are meeting new people. These can range from book clubs, open mic nights, pizza nights and so much more.

On top of this, ResLife has well-being services to help students combat feelings of homesickness, anxiety, stress and any other problems they might be facing. If you struggle at university, it is really important to speak out and use these services which are available to you here if you need them.

When I first got to university, there was a huge pressure from social media about finding housing for my second year. This doesn’t have to be rushed as you want to guarantee that you want to live with people for another year. Don’t just jump at the first few houses you see, have a look around and think about location and prices too.

Housing at university doesn’t have to be stressful if you plan and ask yourself if you can live with people for a year. Luckily, at BU, we have a Lettings service to help find housing. This is a service that can take the stress of finding housing away and is a great way to get advice and help.

Living so close to the beach here is something you can take for granted. Especially in the first year of living near an amazing coast, I wish I spent more time here.

Just heading down to the sea isn’t a luxury I have when I’m at home, so I am now making sure I spend as much time as possible at the beach.

I would highly recommend the summer before university, working and saving as much as possible. While everyone has different circumstances, I would try to make sure you can save up any money you make as this will help you out.

Find out more

ResLifeBU – BU accommodation support