You’ve passed your exams and been accepted into your first choice university: congratulations! And now begins the exciting, daunting and life changing journey of packing up your belongings and hauling yourself off to begin your adventure in Herts; you’re moving into university!
The small room which you are about to cram your life into is going to be your home for next year or possibly longer, so now you’re beginning to think about it – how am I going to survive?
I’m not going to have my parents to look out for me, I’m going to have to cook and shop and worst of all clean for myself! And who will I be living with? What if we don’t get along?
But do not worry! Here at The Herts Handbook we’re going to give you all the need to know information and top tips to make your transition into campus accommodation the smoothest it can be. And you’re not going to forget it!
We’ve surveyed students at the University of Hertfordshire, and interviewed final year student, Abi, to hear about their experiences living away from home for the first time, and we’re going to share them with you, alongside our top five tips for settling into your new home, to make your experience that bit easier!
5 – Learn how to provide for yourself
Leaving for university is most likely going to be the longest you’ve spent away from your parents; so you’re going to need to know how to look after yourself. Basic skills such as cooking and cleaning will go a long way, and your body will thank you for not surviving off pasta for the entirety of your degree! Take a look at our recommendations page to find some student cookbooks with budget-friendly meals, or see our Food Food Food blog post to have a look at our favourite student-approved recipes. Living with new people is going to bring up a lot of questions about hygiene – cleanliness at university is VITAL as you’re not always going to have someone keeping an eye on you or cleaning after you. Third Year English Literature student Abi spoke to us about providing for herself in university accommodation, describing it as a ‘completely new experience’ where you realise ‘you have to be much more independent, and take care of yourself on a new level’. Simple hygiene will be a literal life saver.
4 – Don’t pack too much!
It may be tempting to pack all of your belongings, and buy everything imaginable for your new room but try to resist the urge! Your room is going to be fairly small, and trust us when we tell you, you won’t need it all, “there are so many things that I found at the end of the year, shoved under my bed unpacked or still in the original packaging – I think I went shopping-mad the summer before I moved in!” Abi told us, “You don’t realise until the end of the year, but during freshers you accumulate a LOT of random things. Businesses and the university love to give freshers freebies and they pile up and up”. You’ll want your new room to be comfortable and relaxing, and it won’t be so if its stocked to the ceiling with unnecessary storage and beanbags you’ll never use.
3 – Be openminded
According to a survey we took of students at Herts, 47% of students were unhappy with their flatmates, but 62% admitted the experience allowed them to grow, some describing the process of living with strangers as ‘humbling’ and a ‘once-in-a-lifetime experience’. When you move into accommodation you will be living with numerous people with varying mindsets and ways of living. “My flat organised a cleaning rota to make sure the communal spaces stayed clean after some flatmates were not helping out; it worked better than I thought it would”, Abi told us when describing how her flatmates attempted to get along with each other. She emphasised how important it is to be openminded and remember that not everyone was brought up the same way as you and that living alone for the first time will be a new and different experience for everyone.
2 – Be Social and say hi!
The whole world says it, but during freshers you and everyone else are in the same boat. No matter how nervous/awkward/shy you feel, try to be social and make friends – you’ll settle in quicker and have a better experience if you have people to share it with! The student union website list all of the freshers events and events to participate in; you are bound to find something to participate in and meet new people. One of the most popular nights out being Cheeky Wednesday, which is held every Wednesday night in the on-campus nightclub The Forum, which has a capacity of over 2,000 students. 80% of students surveyed listed the social facilities and leisure facilities in their top 3 aspects of the university, with their close proximity to the university accommodation being a bonus. The most common favourable aspects of campus living were the social side of university and the sense of community accommodation provided, with an average of 54% of students rating their on-campus happiness four out of five stars and above.
1 – Follow us!
Last but not least, make sure to follow us here at The Herts Handbook for all things student at the University of Hertfordshire, including the top 20 items to pack that you WILL need!
Good luck, and welcome to Herts!
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