Moving to Bournemouth was one of the best things that happened to me, but moving to uni is a big step for everyone and, although we may not admit it, we could all do with a little extra support from time to time.

You’re not alone! BU’s got everything from academic and financial support to a little extra help with emotional and medical advice, which will all be listed in this blog to help you have the best experience possible! Please don’t suffer in silence, reach out to BU and they will be able to help.

So, first things first… money. Finance, bursaries, loans, grants and the list goes on. There’s a lot to remember, especially for those new to managing their own finances. If you need any help with money at all, whether that’s assistance with budgeting or even telling the uni you’ve run out, BU’s got a Hardship Fund for that! I applied for the Hardship Fund in my second year and received around £300 that I didn’t have to pay back. All I had to do was prove how low my finances were and BU gave me a helping hand. Just don’t expect them to throw money at you when ‘Cameo’ comes up on your bank statements a lot… (we’re not judging). Any other finance problems can be found through this link here.

How are you feeling?

Your health and wellbeing is the most important thing to BU and should be to you too. Make sure you balance work and social time, and if you struggle with this, come speak to one of the advisers at the Student Wellbeing centre or SUBU advice over a cup of tea. Maybe you’re worried about your psychical health, so speaking to a doctor at our Medical centre or a nutritionist at SportBU can help get you back to your usual self! Plus, the advisers are really kind and give the best advice. For everything health and wellbeing please click here.

BU prides itself on helping everyone reach their full potential no matter what and even if you need a little more support, there’s nothing to be ashamed of, in fact a lot of people make use of the Additional Learning Support at BU. If you have a condition such as impairments, specific learning differences or temporary injuries (and more) and you think it could effect your personal learning, talk to the ALS team right away. For more information, go to their microsite and check out a few of their blogs while you’re at it. 

I hope this blog was helpful and you take advantage of the support available at BU (that’s what its there for)! There are also clubs and societies that can get you invovled in extracurricular activities and support services in a fun and engaging way. Furthermore, there’s a whole host of support while your studying such as IT, library, submission, writing, referencing support and so much more (here). So please get in touch and have an absolutely amazing BU experience! 

These blogs are produced by students, for prospective students, to reflect topics in which we think you will be interested. Our student bloggers work with Bournemouth University when producing any content. However, the university cannot be held liable for its accuracy and the views expressed are their own, and do not necessarily represent those of Bournemouth University. Please contact us at futurestudents@bournemouth.ac.uk to report any content considered offensive.