Moving to university can be a daunting task for all of us but one of the most important things I’ve learnt over my three years of belonging at BU is to make the most out of your time at such an amazing uni. You can easily get swept up with the thought that you have to go out clubbing every other night and yes, you might munch through your fresh student loan every term because you can’t resist buying some cheesy chips on the way home but it’s also important not to get bogged down with (and I know this sounds counter-intuitive but…) university work. Practically living in the uni library is no way to spend your three years away from home and I’ve realised the importance of diversifying how you spend your time.
The Medical Centre – handy when Fresher’s Flu strikes!
Now, by all means, I get that freshers is something you’ve never experienced before and you’ll want to get stuck in and let’s face it, a week before a deadline, everyone lives in the library (or in my case the recording studio) but it’s important not to forget that BU offers a mind boggling amount of extra curricular activities as well as everyday services to help you through your time here.
Now I’m going to begin with quite an important service available to you and that is the student medical centre. Dedicated to university students, think of it as your own private healthcare whilst you’re at uni. Based on campus, registering in the centre allows you to book and also cancel appointments online which comes in handy when you’ve come down with freshers flu and the last thing you want to do is catch the bus to uni and back just to book a doctors appointment. Time it right and you can roll out of a lecture and straight into the doctors surgery.
Chaplaincy is always there if you need a chat
In the same building is the student wellbeing centre and the chaplaincy which is available to students who may need some extra support during their time at uni – be it homesickness, problems with flat mates, lifestyle issues or just for a chat. It’s quite a hidden gem as not many know about the space there; they also have free biscuits, tea and coffee so it’s quite a good place to do some work.
For me, as a musician on a music production course, I take advantage of the music centre at the university which can be found in Talbot House. The centre itself contains the music office as well as several practice rooms that can be booked out for free during term time. These practice rooms are also used for vocal and instrument tuition which is available to any student.
Talbot Hall is used for music rehearsals and as a recording space for ensembles.
BU Music has an orchestra, a big band, a contemporary choir, chamber choir and the BU choir which are all free of charge for you to go along to. Becoming a chamber choir member has been an amazing experience for me throughout my time at uni having performed at Winchester cathedral, Poole Guildhall and Salisbury cathedral to name a few.
Living away from home can feel like it’s going to be one of the hardest things you’ve done but the level of support available to everyone at BU rivals any other uni in the country and makes it an easy ride. All you can do is try to be independent, learn life lessons and make your most out of your time at Bournemouth University.
