Student Blog Squad

Tips to prepare for university

Hi, I'm Albina, a final year student at Leeds Beckett and I'm going to provide you with some tips to get you ready for university. These are all things that I found useful before I started my first term at university.

Students discussing work in business engagement suite

Organisation is essential in order to avoid falling behind and your work getting lost. Being organised means that you will be able to feel less pressure during your first week and can enjoy your new adventure.

Get familiar with the university online platforms

The university has a wide range of facilities available to support you during your studies. Once you have your university log in details, have a go at using MyBeckett the online portal. This is where you will be able to access library features and lectures. I found it useful to get the hang of using the university platforms and access learning material before I started classes so that I was confident when I arrived. It’s a very similar concept to Moodle or Blackboard that are two platforms you may know from college. You can find details of how to log onto the platform here.

Buy a diary

It’s a good idea to get a diary to keep track of assessment deadlines, your to do list or social occasions throughout your time at university. I didn't have a diary in my first year and so my deadlines were written on various pieces of paper. They regularly got mixed up or lost and it was a nightmare. I bought a Macmillan academic diary in my second year. It is a life saver for making sure that everything is jotted down in one place, and it's pretty too!

Buy a decent sized bag

If you’re taking a trip the library to study, you may find yourself travelling with a range of different university books and notepads. To make sure that everything is kept safe and dry, I find it useful to have a medium sized, strong bag that will easily fit everything I need in. You don’t need to spend too much on this for it to do the job, I bought mine from a high street store in Leeds city centre.

Create an accommodation checklist

There are many things to think about when you arrive at your halls and so it’s good to make a list to make sure that you have/do everything on arrival. Things to note down could include filling out your inventory to get your deposit back at the end as well as listing the essential items you want to take with you for the bathroom, kitchen and bedroom. Whether you are staying at home or moving into halls it’s always nice to personalise your room before starting university. I bought some pretty fairy lights for my room and a set of glittered storage boxes to organise my university stuff. If you decorate your halls with personal items such as photos of friends and family, these little things will make you feel more at home.

Introduce yourself

A simple ‘Hi’ and introducing yourself goes a long way and makes a good impression. Everyone is in the same boat at university and so in order to make friends it’s good to smile and introduce yourself to the people you meet. On arrival I made sure that I had a chat with the other housemates and it’s also good to chat to the neighbours in the other flats within the halls too.

I hope these tips are helpful and remember to take some time to get yourself organised before university. That way you’ll be ready to get studying and socialise, with less hassle and you’ll feel more relaxed.

More from the blog

All blogs