For more teenagers than ever, starting this year means getting ready for university. It’s likely the most dramatic change any of them have gone through and it can be an intimidating time.
This January, we’re presenting this short guide to the preparations you need to make before September. Applications should already be in hand, so we’re looking at some more practical tips.
Accommodation
Picking somewhere to live is one of the biggest choices you can make prior to starting your studies. It’s almost certain that you won’t know the town that well, and will find it difficult to make an informed choice.
Asking current students will give you some idea of where you’ll fit in best, be it in halls of residence, or private rented accommodation.
Your budget is obviously a deciding factor here, and if you find you can’t accommodate everything you’ve brought with you in your rented room, it’s worth looking in byStored student storage deals to keep everything safe until you can retrieve it and give it a home.
Reading Lists
One of the big expenses for students are reading lists. Some textbooks, especially for law or medicine can run into hundreds of pounds. Buying them all could put a huge dent in your budget for the term.
Research can help you out here. Speaking to students who are already at the university, doing the course you will be studying will reveal which books are essentials you will refer to every day and which you only use sparingly – this cuts down the number of books you need to buy and which you can consult in the library.
That’s not the only way other students can help you out. Many will sell on their old textbooks after they’re finished with them: this is a great way to save money as long as you don’t mind having second hand books. You might even find some of the older student’s marginalia is useful to your own studies!
Before you go down this path make sure you check the reading list for your course. If your tutor has updated to a new edition of a key textbook and you don’t notice, you’ll have wasted money on the old version and be at a disadvantage compared to other students!