This article was written by Holly Poole from University of Sheffield
Arriving at university is one of those moments I hope I will remember for the rest of my life. I had quite literally been counting the days down all summer. I was so excited to enter this entirely new chapter of my life I had no idea what to expect. I made a playlist of the most exciting songs for the journey there to set the mood.
autumnal image of a bending road
Source – Pexels
I had booked one of the earliest time slots to move in and as I unlocked the flat door one of my brand new flatmates greeted me. Little did I know he would come to be one of my favourite people at university. He helped my mum and I carry all my things up to my new room and, although I didn’t know it then, one of the best years of my life had officially started. The only regret I have is not writing in my journal on the first day. One of my flatmates wrote her first impressions of everyone down and it is so lovely to be able to look back on! If you are anywhere near as sentimental and nostalgic as I am, take tons of pictures, videos and write as much down as you can. This phase of your life will fly by so give yourself as much to look back on as possible! One of my flatmates mum insisted on a picture of us all together on the first night and – as much as we all hated taking it – it is fair to say it has a special place in our hearts now, in fact we recreated it on the last day in the flat together! My first top tip is to try and find out who you’ll be living with before moving in. I scoured uni facebook groups and Unifi group chats to find my flatmates and we coordinated to roughly all move in on the same day! This meant we could all get to know each other and start the journey together, equally some people prefer moving in at a quieter opportunity beforehand!

1. Unpack and make your new home feel like one!

Uni Room
Source – Holly Poole (Author)
Before you do anything else, make sure you take pictures of any damage in your accommodation to make sure you don’t get blamed for it and lose your deposit! The first thing I did after that was unpack my bits and bobs and make my room as homely as I could. I think the key to this is nice lighting (bring a couple of little lamps) and tons of pictures to stick up, otherwise it is easy to confuse uni accommodation with some Scandinavian prison.
Uni room - What to do when you arrive at university
Source – Holly Poole (Author)
I had seen on social media that everyone recommends keeping your room door open as you unpack so that people can introduce themselves as they are moving in, however, my experience was that everyone wanted to settle in and unpack with their parents before properly saying hello. This meant there were a few awkward hello’s and nice to meet you’s as we passed in the corridor and various staircases.

2. Braving the communal area

What to do when you arrive at university
Source: Solent University Southampton
Different student accommodations will have different setups for this, mine was a shared kitchen/living room. I went in to put away my kitchen things and bumped into one of my flatmates and got to know each other a little. If you are struggling to think of things to say the go-to’s tend to be; where are you from, what course are you studying and coming to some mutual agreement on the contentious issue of cupboard space!  I recommend bringing some cards or games, they are a great icebreaker and crucial for drinking games! All of my flatmates loved playing games and from the very first night together we all sat around playing cards!

3. Pick a mission

Although this wasn’t deliberate, my flatmate and I both were wondering how to connect to the wifi and it ended up being a perfect icebreaker. We walked to the reception together and it gave us a chance to get to know each other a little better. Sometimes getting to know each other one on one is a little less daunting, especially considering I was in a flat of 10!

4. Make a groupchat

Unrecognizable man browsing smartphone on bed
Source – Pexels
Some of us had already made a group chat after we found each other on freshers group chats, but it is a good idea to get all of your flatmates in a group together. This makes making plans and communicating much easier! A good place to start is seeing if anyone has any plans for the first night together. If you are moving in during freshers week there is sure to be club nights and pub events nearby which is always a student favourite!

5. Plan your Freshers Week

Chat to your flatmates and see what club tickets and freshers events they have planned to go to. The most important thing is not to worry if your flatmates don’t strike you as ‘your type of person’ immediately, we all thought that on moving in day and a year later we all chose to live together again and have made great friends! Equally, you will meet so many new friends, through your course, societies, nights out, neighbours and through mutual friends, you will find your people! Read more with our tip 20 tips for Freshers Week

6. Go easy on yourself!

Moving to university is one of the biggest changes you will make in your life and it is easy to go in with big expectations. Try to remember that it will be overwhelming at times and everything you are feeling is completely normal. I recommend keeping in touch with loved ones and taking time out for yourself, it is such a busy time it is easy to get burnout before your course has even started!

Authors

  • I’m a second year Politics and International Relations student at Sheffield, I am particularly passionate about social justice, reducing inequality and international affairs. Outside of academica, I try to make the most of every day and like to keep myself very busy! I enjoy writing about student life, particularly top tips for new students and mental wellbeing.

    View all posts

  • Aminah is a dedicated content expert and writer at Unifresher, bringing a unique blend of creativity and precision to her work. Her passion for crafting engaging content is complemented by a love for travelling, cooking, and exploring languages. With years spent living in cultural hubs like Barcelona, Sicily, and Rome, Aminah has gained a wealth of experiences that enrich her perspective. Now based back in her hometown of Manchester, she continues to immerse herself in the city's vibrant atmosphere. An enthusiastic Manchester United supporter, Aminah also enjoys delving into psychology and true crime in her spare time.

    View all posts