Going to university can be a shock to the system in terms of new responsibilities and a complete upheaval of your lifestyle and routine. This won’t necessarily be a bad thing of course, but what it does mean is that extra preparation and understanding what you need to do ahead of time is fundamental to a smoother process.
Here are 4 things to think about before your university time begins.
- Your Finances
You need to have your finances in order before attending university, both your student loan finances and your personal finances for your living expenses. If you’ve never had good experience with managing your money before, then now is the time to learn.
It’s a good idea to set up specific bank accounts to help you organize your money better, and set up a monthly budget for all necessary outgoings, including anything you will need for your studies, such as notebooks, laptop and stationery. You also need to be sure you can pay bills such as your accommodation and food budget.
- Your Accommodation Options
For a lot of people, attending university will be the first time they move away from home. This can be a very overwhelming and emotional time, especially if you have loved your time at home – and it will be a huge transition for your parents, too. That’s why getting your accommodation options in order before your university commencement date is an important endeavor.
Some people elect to still live at home if their university is within commutable distance, but to get the full experience of university and gain more independence, using student accommodation options, like those offered by Omnia Space is a great idea. You can then share your time with other students and get a taste of adult life and running your own household.
- Your Chosen Course
The chances are you’ll already know a lot about your course if you have already chosen to take your specific degree. However, you should make the effort to find out as much as you can about your chosen option in advance, if you haven’t overly researched what is expected of you.
You should look into the required work amount, what you can expect from lectures, the amount of free time you’re expected to have and – most importantly – the career options you can expect from the sort of degree you have chosen.
A lot of people choose a degree based on the subjects they love and wish to progress with, but the course and the work itself might be the opposite of what you expect, so being fully prepared is key.
- The Right University for You
Reputation is everything when it comes to choosing a university, but that doesn’t mean that you should choose the most famous one or the one all your friends are choosing. When it comes to finding the right one, you should look in detail at what each university offers for your specific course and degree, and the success rate of this. You should also factor in location and how far you are willing to move, to get the best university in your chosen area.
