On How Much To Pack:-
If you’re anything like me, you’ll assume that the number of things to pack for university move in will be well planned and minimal. I, personally, wrote myself a (five Microsoft Word pages long) list to make sure I packed everything and was almost 100% certain I’d fit it all in one car… And then move in day came. And I was trekking up two flights of stairs to my room with a whole motorhome’s worth of boxes (plus, a few in a different car)! I seriously underestimated how much I’d take!
On What I Actually Needed:-
So… On a note of over packing… My flat did end up with four kettles – one of which was provided by the university! Totally over prepared, there! Checking with the university about what they include beforehand would’ve been a wiser idea.
On Introductions:-
Making an effort is definitely advisable. For the first four or six hours, my flatmates and I sat in our rooms with our doors open, expecting one of the others to come and say hi… Which didn’t exactly happen! My top tip: Everyone’s wanting someone else to start introductions – why not let that be you?!
On Flatmates:-
Getting to know my flatmates was one of the things I was most terrified of! These are the people I’ll be spending the whole year with! Ahh! But, after making the effort, I swiftly learned that everyone’s in the same boat and most people are as worried about you as you are of them. And when you’re in a flat of between six and fourteen people, there’s gotta be at least one you get on with. I was just lucky that all five of mine were amazing!
On The Social Side:-
I expected that Welcome Week was all about getting drunk and making an utter fool of yourself (isn’t that everyone’s idea of Fresher’s?!). But it was so much more social than I expected – being introduced to course mate, lecturers, RLCs, student ambassadors, and other important people around the uni. It was all about making us feel at home!
So, really, nothing I expected (and worried about) actually matched up with reality! Moving in and Welcome Week, whilst stressful, is worth a lot less anxiety than you may think, and making early assumptions doesn’t always make things easier!
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