Welcome to the University of Reading! Your home for the potential three to four years, you’ve just arrived and getting settled in to your new place, nervous to make friends and start your degree! This is a HUGE life event, so all these mixed emotions you are feeling are totally normal and fine. I have collected the best advice from myself and the committee, so I can give you the best start to your journey!
1) Your degree is meant to be hard. That sounds a bit like “yeah duh”- this was probably the best bit of advice I got from housemate, who was in second year at the time. Think about it like this- you did not pay £9000 a year to already be taught something you already know. I definitely came in with a certain mindset of ‘I should know this…why do I not understand this”, and felt like an idiot coming out of my first lecture (which was neuroscience, yikes) feeling completely lost. Your degree is meant to challenge you academically, and you are meant to come out of it with new skills and become (hopefully) a better student. So honestly it is okay to find somethings confusing in your degree- that is a good thing because it means you are learning something new.
2) Leads me on to my second piece of advice. DO NOT be afraid to email your lecturers on topics you did not understand during the lecture or if they set you an essay to do- and you do not even know what the title means. As I said again you paid £9000- so do not feel like you are ‘wasting their time’ or feel like they are too busy to answer you. You have paid for their desk and chair- you are entitled to ask/email them (within reason of course). See your lecturer as a last resort- if you do not understand something, then talk to your friends, refer to books, and google. If by this point you are like you still do not understand- email your lecturer and book an appointment face to face.
3) If you are coming into University with any mental health conditions, please remember there is support for you if you need it. I strongly advise letting your personal tutor know at the start of the year, in case things do get on top of you and you need to apply to EC (extending circumstances) form for an assignment. Additionally, you can sign up to the local GP get medication and be on the waiting list for therapy. Additionally, there is counselling service on campus in the Carrington building. Not only that, you have the support from Open mind.
4) Vicky, Welfare Officer: “Such a long time ago for me! But I’m very much a home bird, so home sickness was difficult for me. I found keeping myself as busy as I could helped, and to do this I’d go to taster sessions with flatmates (e.g. canoeing, yogalates, lacrosse, netball). Also keeping my halls door open! I know they say they’re a fire door you shouldn’t have them open etc, but having it open or even spending time in communal areas of the flat really helped me. I can’t think of anything else straightaway but hope that helps!”
5) Work smarter not harder. Do not compare yourself to that person who spends 9 hours at the library a day and hand writes their notes after every lecture (waste of time, in my opinion) they may seem like they are quantitively doing more, BUT it is not how much you do, but how you effectively you do a task. Everyone is different, some may have it naturally easier than others, they can just have one look at the lecture material and get straight away (if that is you, piss off, but if it is not welcome to the 99% club). But, if you go to lectures, and write additional notes on what lecturer is saying- you are doing a great job trust me.
6) Deridre, Mental Health Adovcate: “Probably to make an effort to mix in with more people than just flat mates and course mates! I know quite a few people that did this and regret it! Also during the first few weeks to try and keep yourself busy as you can and to remember that most people are in the same boat as in home sickness, and just because everyone else seems that they are having a great time remember to take it at face value.But also to look out for one another and to not get into anything/ do anything that isn’t comfortable for you, your own health and well-being is more important, Whether that be binge drinking or anything else.
7) Try to have self- care day: The first couple of weeks can be HECTIC, your meeting new people, in a new town and experiencing university for the first time. This overstimulate anybody and can lead to burnout. Additionally, having no routine and having significantly more free time compared to when you were at College/ Sixth Form in overwhelming.
8) William Men’s Mental Health Advocate:“Probably just focusing on meeting new people in the first couple of weeks is a really good time to start friendships. Also mabey don't get too drunk, everyone is drinking but they all remember the person who gets complete blackout drunk and throws up on themselves.”
Hope these tips will become useful in the next couple of weeks of university!