By Luke Smith

Moving away to university is never an easy change to make for a student. Switching from the cosy life of living with your parents and having a set 9-5 day at a sixth form college or other alternatives.

To help the move for prospective students, some of the students from the Leicester Centre for Journalism have offered up their advice for how to make your life a little easier moving in:

1. ACCEPT THAT IT’S HAPPENING

For me, it was a tough move. I’d never visited Leicester before, and never even had to contemplate moving away from home, and then all of a sudden it just happened. I think I tried to deny that it was actually happening and put it to the back of my mind, and then all of a sudden my dad left and I was all alone. If I had thought about it and accepted that it was going to happen then I would have been able to mentally prepare myself for the feeling for being alone for the first time, so my advice would be to understand and acknowledge that things are about to change.

2. KNOW YOUR COURSEMATES

One thing that did make things easier for me moving in was to know a few people on my course. For me, I had made contact with one of my coursmates before I’d arrived in Leicester, and it made it so much easier to know that I knew somebody else in Leicester and someone who had that common interest. As it happens we’ve stayed close friends ever since, but it was a welcome relief to know that there was somebody else in the same boat.

3. DON’T MISS FRESHERS WEEK

Even if you’re not a party animal, don’t miss freshers week. It’s the best opportunity you’ll have to meet likeminded students and academics, and it’s also the best time you’ll have to let your hair down and enjoy yourself before the pressure of coursework and impending deadlines takes grip. Make the most of the time you’ve got and don’t let opportunities slip away because you won’t get the chance again.

4. BE YOURSELF

If you try to be something you’re not, you’ll either be found out sooner or later or exhaust yourself trying to keep up that act. The people you know at university will be your life for the next three years, and you’ll get to know them pretty well. Although you may feel like you have to be something different or someone you’re not, people will be more interested in someone who is genuine, honest, and open, rather than putting on an act to be something you’re not.

5. GET THE BALANCE RIGHT BETWEEN WORK AND PLAY

Whilst your primary reason for being at university is to gain the best degree possible, it’s also the best chance to get to enhance your life skills, make new friends and HAVE FUN! Let your hair down, have a day off, and don’t tie yourself down to work all the time right from the first moment. This isn’t me telling you to sack off all your studies and have a three year long gap year, because I can assure you that will not work. Tutors will tell you that you won’t have a moment off and the workload will mount up very quickly, but trust me, if you have the right balance then there’s plenty of time for play alongside the work.

6. JOIN A SOCIETY

Joining a society will give you the freedom and enjoyment that university offers up. Whatever your interests or desires are, there is a society for you (I guarantee it). Joining a society will help you meet likeminded and social people who are all in the society for the same reason- to have a good time. It’ll also give you a set time to do things and help your schedule with keeping you busy.

7. GET ORGANISED (contributed by Tyler Arthur)

One of the most important things for moving in at uni is to give yourself real time to get used to it. Don’t rock up the day before Freshers’ Week and improvise.
Move in a bit earlier, even if it’s only like a week, and get used to living on your own (and/or used to your roommates) and get comfortable. Then, when you start going out, and going to uni, you are already comfortable with the environment and you can focus on having fun and getting stuck into the best three years of your life.