There’s a popular expectation that the years you spend at university are meant to be ‘the best time of your life’ and it can be difficult when you don’t feel that way. Settling in to a new environment isn’t always easy, but there are things you can do to help. Here are my three top tips:
1) Join a club or society
Scheduling social activities will give you things to look forward to whilst helping you build a network of friends outside of your accommodation and degree. With over 100 clubs/societies at Aston University, you are bound to find other people with a passion that you share.
2) Bring home comforts
If you’ve moved away from home, you might struggle with homesickness. One of the biggest things that I did to combat homesickness was decorating my university room similarly to my room at home. Having the same bedding, pictures, fairy lights and posters kept that familiarity in an unfamiliar place and it was nice coming home and waking up in a comforting setting. Bringing something as simple as a photo of your family or your favourite toy can help you feel comfortable.
3) Talk to someone
Starting your degree, meeting new people and learning to juggle your time can be overwhelming at times, but there are plenty of people you can talk to if you’re struggling. Contact home regularly, talk to friends or contact an impartial service. The Advice and Representation Centre in the SU are always on hand – you can talk to the advisers there. Alternatively, the Aston University Counselling Service has professional counsellors to help too.