Young PAPYRUS - Prevention of Young Suicide - a national charity in the UK

Moving on to something BIG…

". Who are all these people? There seem to be thousands of them .. and they all look as if they've made friends already.."

"... I wonder how I will make friends ..everyone is in the same boat, right? How hard can it be? after all I've done it before.."

"How am I going to cope without my parents to fall back on to do things for me?"

" .. and don't get me started on the university work .. is it going to be too hard? What if I can't cope?"

".. this is all so scary .. I just wish it was easy and I knew what was coming."

Throughout university a student goes through a number of stages of change both personal and academic. These changes can at first seem really frightening but once you get used to everything, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about in the first place!
To help you with this process we have listed some common changes students experience and the ways in which they can be handled.

Personal change

New friends.
One of the most common fears a student has before starting university is that they will have no friends; the mere thought of this may even lead to some sleepless nights. Just remember each time one of these thoughts goes through your mind that nearly everyone is in the same position as you. Try to research clubs and societies so you can meet people with the same interests or simply take the plunge and talk, and get to know people.
You may even be in the lucky position of already knowing people at the same university. Try not to let this stop you from taking the opportunity to meet lots of new people. Just go out there and shine!
Don't forget about your friends from home, some of whom may have moved to different universities. They will be glad to hear from you as they may be experiencing something new as well.

Visit our section on Meeting new friends for tips and more information.

New housemates.
If you are moving away from home for the first time, living with strangers will be a new experience, but this will be the same for all the people you will be living with, so don't worry. Don't be afraid to talk to your new flat mates about how you are feeling, they will probably be glad to know that someone feels the same way they do.
New freedoms .
Food - Whilst you may or may not have cooked for yourself at home, you will now not only be cooking everything for yourself but doing the shopping too. Don't be put off by supermarkets as they sell some really good cheap food. Just living off junk food alone will do no good for your health or your bank balance. Buy a simple students cookbook, such as `The Starving Student's Cookbook' by Dede Hall (available on Amazon).
Nightlife - It's up to you when and where you go out, how often you go out and when you come home. However with these new freedoms comes the responsibility of looking after yourself. Don't be afraid of going out - just make sure you keep yourself safe.
Budget - If you don't have a part time job, your student loan may well be your only source of income. Don't forget that each instalment has to last for several months. This doesn't mean that you should hoard all your money. Just try to work out a budget. Work out how much your loan breaks down into on a monthly or weekly basis, and what your regular outgoings are e.g. phone bills and rent. Then you will know how much money you have left to spend on other things.
Visit our Money section for tips and more information.

Academic change

Teaching styles .
The way you are taught at university will probably be very different to the way you were taught at school or sixth form. Your class sizes will be much larger and this may mean that you do not receive as much individual attention during lectures.
However, if you do find something hard to understand or want some more information don't be afraid to ask questions at the end of the lecture.
Don't worry if you don't understand something - even if it seems as though everyone else does. This will not be the case. The first year of university is about giving you a foundation for the rest of the course and getting everyone up to the same level. If you are unsure of how to research journals or write references for example, don't worry because all these things will be covered by the course or will be explained in your course handbook.
Independent study .
One of the major differences between school and university is how independently you will have to study. You will not be chased up for assignments or pestered about your absence from lectures. These are things you will need to be responsible for. You will also be responsible for deciding when to prepare for a class, when to start an essay and what resources to use.
If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed then you can guarantee some of your course mates will be too, so talk to them about anything that you're finding difficult and try to remember that your tutors are there to help too. Organisation and time management are important, but these are things you will learn in your first year along with your course content.
Moving from sixth form to university may be daunting, but you've already been through something similar - twice! Remember moving from primary school to high school and then high school to sixth form? There are many parallels with this new transition; meeting new people, working in new surroundings and new types of work and assessments, and whilst you may have felt intimidated at first, you overcame it then and can do the same again!

















with grateful thanks to the Maghold Social Club for a donation to cover hosting fees