Starting university and having to live independently can be daunting. There is a lot to balance compared to living at home: cooking, cleaning, socialising, lectures…the list goes on! This article should give you some guidance on how to handle it all.
During first year, it is completely normal to feel homesick. This is likely your first time being away from family and friends for so long. These are the people who know you best- stay in touch with them! Give them a call or text and talk to them about how you are finding settling in. If you ever need support, remember that student services are always there to help. Make sure to lean on support offered by the university such as talking to your Residence Life mentor.
It can be tricky to navigate moving in with new people! Creating some shared expectations of each other as flatmates can be very useful to help everyone get along. In my flat last year, we created a cleaning rota and a bin rota to help things run more smoothly. My flatmate (named our flat-dad) even made a punishment that you had to buy everyone a round of drinks if you missed your rota slot! It is also a good idea to create some healthy habits for yourself to prevent overwhelm later down the year such as prepping meals or setting time aside to tidy your bedroom.
This first month will have dropped you in the deep end of a completely new kind of social life. You have freedom to do everything and anything you like! Whilst it is important to look after yourself and replenish your social battery- you should also grab university life with both hands. Be as sociable as you can, don’t be scared ~to speak to people on your course and join societies or sports teams. Remember, this is everyone’s first time at university! You never know who you might connect with.
An undeniable aspect of attending the University of Sheffield is the academic work. Do not be fooled into thinking that first year does not matter! This is your chance to learn how to study independently without being guided at every step. The best way to stay on top of things whilst having an avid social life is to attend all your lectures and seminars. University study focuses on independent research and critical thinking- developing these skills in first year will be extremely useful in the rest of your degree.
It is important to budget your money. Most first year students will have a student loan, this is often a large amount of money that many students may be tempted to spend at once. But, as someone living independently, there are many expenses to account for. For example: a weekly food shop, event tickets, society memberships and public transport fares. There are several easy ways to handle your finances, such as cooking all your meals at home or getting a part time job.
