In With The New

'iya

It's around that time of year where the freshers of 2014 are constantly checking too many Facebook groups and pages in the quest to find their new flat or housemates. Or is that just me?

For me the most important aspect of university is meeting people. This is one of the many reasons why I'm transferring universities - I didn't join societies, I didn't approach people in lectures and I didn't mix with many people in my block. I stuck with mainly my flat and a select few on my course, so when I fell out with my flatmates I didn't have many people around me. Don't make the same mistake. You'll hear it from everyone but do join societies, do have the guts to go and speak to people, do have the confidence to do the things that you want to do, even if it means going along on your own. I'm so glad I have the opportunity to start again and definitely will be taking my own advice.

With the serious bit out of the way, I'll get back to finding out your accommodation. I really think that this is the most exciting part of uni; most people will get to find out who they're living with and who they're living near. These may be people from not just all over the country but from all over the world, and you wont get this experience anywhere else, apart from at university. However, depending on your institution, some people unfortunately may not have a clue who they'll be living with until moving in day. 

Every university is different in the way that they organise accommodation. You may not get the room that you requested, especially if you got a place through clearing and you also may not be able to find your flatmates until you arrive at university. This is what happened to me in 2013. At Lancaster I was only told which college I was in (not many universities have colleges so don't worry about this), and whether I was in catered or self-catered accommodation; I didn't know which flat or block I was in so I was unable to find my flatmates beforehand. This is really annoying when all of your friends that are going off to university are already in contact with their flatmates and you're still clueless and more anxious than excited. From experiencing both situations I can say that I much prefer knowing who I'll be living with and near before I go to uni. Not knowing who I was living with scared me. I was scared that I'd be living with people that I didn't have anything in common with, and people who I wouldn't get along with. If you're one of the unlucky ones like I was, I feel for you but remember there's not a long wait to find out! Time will go so quickly and you'll be moving in before you know it. My advice would be to use Facebook groups to find people on your course instead. I did this and I found someone who was so like me that people genuinely thought we were friends before university. Yes a few of the people I spoke to before moving I didn't even meet, but I met one of my closest friends at uni this way (hey Phoebs).

Even though I hated being at Lancaster the last few months, I'm glad I went because I met 4 people that I had a great time with and I really hope I keep in contact with. Like I said, the best part about uni is the people that you meet. It was just unfortunate for me that there were more people that made me feel like shit than people who I enjoyed spending my time with. 

But now I'm so happy because I love that I get to have two totally different freshers week experiences, at two universities, at different ends of the country. I can get rid of the people that made me feel crap and meet a load of new faces who will become a massive part of my life. It's a scary thought talking to this many new people, but enjoy every minute of it. I plan to.

TTFN

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