How to survive your first week(s) at university!

1. How to survive your first week(s) at university!

2. Learn your postcode and address! Register with doctor/health centre Where is your nearest launderette? Find your local supermarket Open a bank account/find nearest cash machine (ATM) Get your driving licence validated Where do you register on your course? Find out where your nearest hospital is Get lots of passport photos printed Check out local transport buses, trains, coach station, Underground Get a TV Licence – even for streaming live on your laptop – avoid a £1000.00 fine

3. Theypromote, defend and extend the rights of students and developand champion strong students’ unions. You don’t have to become a member to access their services but they do offer the following to ALL students: Financial Support Services (possible sources of finance available) International Student Advisers – orientation, induction Counselling services Accommodation information Medical and Health services Employment/Careers service Buddy Schemes

4. What to Take With You? Clothes are cheap in the UK, so buy your winter clothes when you get there. Some fancy dress outfits – smurf, dinosaur, toga, school tie! Lots of clothes hangers NOT white towels! A door wedge A small clothes dryer NOT the content of your Dubai sized bedroom – average student room 5m x 3m Several companies offer university starter packs where they deliver everything from bedding and kitchenware to towels directly to your accommodation. www.myunipack.co.uk IKEA, Tesco etc. all offer this service

5. DON’T spend all your money in Freshers Week

6. Free Apps and Websites to help you to Save Money www.moneysavingexpert.com/students Find out about money saving cards – NUS, Railcard, Coach-card, UCAS card, ISIC card – International Student Identity Card. OnTrees and Dollarbird- links to your bank account, lets you know if you are over spending BzzAgent – Offers free products in return for you mentioning them on your social media pages. Freecycle.org and ilovefreegle.org– free stuff available, great for things like furniture, etc. ApplauseStore – The home to free tickets to TV show recordings and filming's. GumTree (Freebies section) – Stuff for free from sofas to books. Toshl and Monify- budgeting apps

7. Free Apps and Websites to help you to Save Money FreebieSiteUK.co.uk – Offers a mix of freebies, free samples and printable vouchers to use in UK stores. O2 Priority – Available from the iOS and Android app stores, offers awesome deals and offers, including random freebies from bars of chocolate to cinema tickets.  LatestFreeStuffApp– The regularly updated app 300+ offers that deliver free samples to your door. WeQ4U– This one allows you to skip phone queues and get through to companies on direct numbers (as opposed to 0800, etc.), making what could be expensive calls on your mobile -completely free. AppGratis – Gives away all sorts of new premium/paid apps for both iPhone and Android for free every day

8. Learn how to wash, clean, shop for food and cook (whilst you are still in Dubai)! No one else will do it for you! All the major supermarkets in the UK will deliver your shopping to your student accommodation, just set up an account, plan your weekly delivery and pay online.

9. Stay Safe Add ICE (In Case of Emergency) to your mobile phone www.incaseofemergency.org Companionis a free iPhone and Android app that's primarily geared toward college students who feel uneasy walking home alone Don’tleave your phones, handbags, bikes etc. – anywhere unattended! 20 per cent of student robberies occur in the first six weeks of the academic year. You can register any valuable property on www.immobilise.com free of charge 101 is the new non emergency police number but 999 for emergencies.

10. TOP TIPS Set your timetable to your phone’s lock screen Don’t be late for lectures – never hit snooze again! Download the Apps Find My iPhone and Android Device Manager Stay healthy – avoid Fresher’s Flu Look after your passport – don’t use it for ID

11. Advice from JC Alumni • What to prepare for? • Culture shock! If you haven’t spent much time in the USA, expect different opinions, ways of living and other things associated with a different culture. Embrace that you’re an international student, and own it. You’re fabulous. • Weather! Depending on where you’re going to college, the weather can be something very difficult to adjust to. Prepare your wardrobe, and your mind, to deal with the weather. • Syllabus, Distributive Requirements and Classes. Details regarding this is usually explained during freshman orientation, but prepare yourself beforehand. Stay ahead of the curve and know what is expected of you as a student of your college. Have some sort of plan going in - even if you have no clue what you want to study. Explore course catalogues, and the graduation/major requirements in the college. • Consider the following: • You’re in a new place surrounded by new people. It’s scary, I know. But you have to remember that almost everyone else is in the same boat. Put yourself out there, outside your comfort zone, and be social. Make new friends and get to know new people. You first week goes A LONG way in setting you off on the right path socially and academically. Be confident in yourself. • You have four years here. Don’t feel pressurized to have everything planned out and sorted. You will meet people who have their whole lives planned out (or so they say), but you mustn’t feel pressured to have the same sort of vision. You will figure out what you enjoy and want to build a career in. Don’t worry. • College is a serious place. You are there to work hard, and learn new things. You have opportunities that people only wish they had, so use them. Make sure you are working to become the best doctor, writer, engineer, economist, artist, historian, linguist, etc out there. BUT, college is also a fun place. Make new friends, do cool new things and make sure you’re happy. A happy time at college will fly by quicker than you know - these are truly the best years of our lives. Raunak Bhojwani Dartmouth College