University 09

madhattertom1

I am going to be going to University in September in Hertfordshire to study business managment. I am very excited but also scared. Was just wondering if any students have any advice for me of useful things that new students should know, like what things I need to buy to take to uni. Also does anyone know where I can get a cheap laptop from.
Cheers guys

eklynne

Ask your Uni if they have a laptop scheme. My Uni do, you get to pay it up over the duration of your course at a discounted rate.

Helix

I go to Herts Uni and as far as I know they don't have a laptop scheme. I think they gave nursing students all a free laptop this year though, only problem was they underestimated the effect it would have on the wireless network and it kept knocking it out when all the nursing students decided to go to the LRC at the same time. On the whole they have seemed to resolved that now though but I do sometimes have problems getting connected.

Anyway if you have any questions about the uni, I'll try my best to answer them. Won't be much help with anything to do with accommodation though as I live at home.

jdan9

The Student Room is an excellent site, you may be better asking your questions over there. Last year they had, amongst other things, a big list of the essential things to take to uni - from documentation to kitchenware. I found it really helpful, there were loads of things on there I'd forgotten about!

A few really really important things for the first week or so:

• ID (passport/driving licence) - may be required by uni for registration, but also for the numerous nights out that happen in fresher's week
• All your documents related to uni - accommodation contracts, offers, letters from UCAS, exam results certificates, etc
• Food, drink, alcohol
• If you're self-catered, a range of kitchenware/appliances. Check with the uni to see what they supply, where I went (Birmingham) absolutely nothing was provided apart from fridge, freezer and microwave, but I know other unis have kettles, toasters, etc too.
• Toiletries, bed linen, duvet, pillows, something to put your washing in which you can take to the laundry room with you
• Money - fresher's week is expensive, and so are textbooks.

456789

Don't spend all your time partying - do some study too

Piggles12345

This might be the best piece of advice I was offered when I was moving to university:

Try to get there quite early on your first day and take at least on fridge and one freezer item with you. Reserve the top shelf of both the fridge and freezer with said item. Throughout your year there will be LOADS of leaky milk incidents (average of 10-12 people sharing a fridge, buying about 3-4pints per week each, it is bound to happen), and if you have got the top shelves it will NEVER be your food the milk is leaking on to!

Oldernotwiser

456789 wrote: »

Don't spend all your time partying - do some study too

Don't spend all your time partying and studying; get involved in voluntary work and societies. You'll have a more interesting life and a far better CV!

jdan9

456789 wrote: »

Don't spend all your time partying - do some study too

This is of course true, you must make sure you do your work! But also, make sure you enjoy the first year, as you will have progressively less time to enjoy yourself as you progress through uni.

surfsister

make sure you take your financial statement if you get finance, so it can be copied on first day to ensure you are signed up. Some of our students didn't have theirs and had probs being registered at uni.

Also don't buy too much before you go, my daughter went with the bare minimum and some students had 2 trolleys full of cooking stuff/ airers etc. She got into her room fast and just went to the local poundshop to get what she really needed.

One tip - try really hard to make friends the first day so you don't have to hang around being bored. It helps to make friends with people whose accomodation is near so you can get together.

Good luck!

Helix

surfsister wrote: »

She got into her room fast and just went to the local poundshop to get what she really needed.

Yeah the OP will be fine at Herts, there's loads of pound shops in the town centre along with a decent sized ASDA. In fact thats about it in the actual town centre. There's also the Galleria outlet centre but thats only really any good for clothes. Anything else and you will have to travel to the neighboring towns/cities like St Albans, Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage but they are all easy to get to.

Piggles12345

surfsister wrote: »

One tip - try really hard to make friends the first day so you don't have to hang around being bored. It helps to make friends with people whose accomodation is near so you can get together.

Good luck!

Everyone wants to make friends with everyone else on the first few days and everyone is really friendly, sometimes falsely so! You shouldn't need to try hard to make friends as no-one will put up any barriers to friendship at the beginning. And during the first few weeks, there is very little chance of you being left on your own as people will always invite others to tag along to various things, so don't worry about being left to hang out alone!
My advice would be not to try too hard to make friends as people will inevitably go off in smaller friendship groups as the term progresses and you don't want to be stuck in a friendship group that you don't truly want to be in (believe me, this happens a lot- it is happening to me now as a postgraduate ).
Everyone will be friends with everyone else in the beginning and then smaller groups will begin to form and this is a natural process. Just be yourself (if there is someone you don't like or get on with all that well, then don't feel you have to be part of their friendship group) and you will be naturally drawn to people who are like you and that you will get on with.