63 things students wish they had known about university

No matter how prepared you think you are, starting university brings plenty of surprises.

You'll find out what it's really like living in halls. You'll learn a lot about how good you are at independent study. And you'll meet a ton of new people,

Although surprises can be fun, making the most of university life is easier when you know something of what to expect.

So, we asked current and former uni students from The Student Room community what they wish they'd known before starting. Here's what they told us...

Making friends at university

Meeting people is easy at uni. Seriously. But that doesn't stop us all worrying about it before we get there for the first time. Here's how The Student Room members made friends in their first weeks at university.

1. Get out there

"Go along to all the Freshers activities. Don't limit yourself to your flatmates or course mates; you’ll be seeing them plenty anyway."

Smack, posting on The Student Room

2. Learn from the old hands

"Make friends with second and third years. They can help you out, offer you advice, give you notes and tell you where they went wrong.

"They've just done your year and they know what you're going through."

Tefhel, posting on The Student Room

3. It's not just you!

"I'm quite introverted, and the main thing I'd advise is not to resign yourself to it.

"Trust me, introvert or extrovert, everyone's bricking it during that first week."

ThatSameCraig20*, posting on The Student Room*

4. Stay in the loop

"Don't spend your weekends away too often if you want to stay close to your flatmates.

"It's usually one of the main times when everyone's got a free schedule and can go out and do things together as a household."

Nidhogg_Rider, posting on The Student Room

5. Sign up

"Joining societies is the best way to make friends, as you already have a common interest and so automatically have a conversation starter."

DCFCfan4eva, posting on The Student Room

6. Be yourself

"Don't panic if you’re not a massive party animal or drinker. That isn't the be all and end all of university life, so don't make a big deal about it. Just be yourself and don't do anything you're not comfortable with.

"Anyone who tries to force you to do anything you don't feel like doing isn't going to make a very good friend. Just talk to people and relax around them."

tea_loving_girl, posting on The Student Room

7. Say hi before you start

"I was very lucky to meet my best friend the first day of freshers week, because we met online on our university Facebook page and had been chatting for a few weeks before term began."

KatieB1995*, posting on The Student Room*

8. Start afresh

"You might have been shy and ‘unpopular’ in school, but once you go to uni everyone's slate is wiped clean.

"Everyone else will be in the same boat as you and having that connection won't make it hard to make new friends."

ljkobrien*, posting on The Student Room*

9. Find your people

"If heavy drinking isn't your thing, don't do it. In halls, there are usually communal areas where you’ll be able to find other quieter people chilling out, watching the TV etc.

"It's important to make friends, but it's more important to make friends with your kind of people."

MagicNMedicine*, posting on The Student Room*

10. Meet your coursemates

"Try going to your lectures/seminars early and talking to people there."

sjt13*, posting on The Student Room*

11. Embrace uni life

"Taking part in activities, societies, or social events, etc that happen outside of uni-hours is also a great way to get to know people as conversations may be less-inclined to focus on just your studies, and more about getting to know different things about each other on your course."

JasmineBowley, posting on The Student Room, 14 May 2023

---

---

On uni extra-curricular activities

Obviously you're going to uni to study. But, obviously you're not going to study all the time.

University life is crammed with opportunities to try out new things. Make the most of it!

12. Burn some energy

"Try to take up a sport – sports socials are great and playing a sport will help keep you fit and healthy, too."

Smack*, posting on The Student Room*

13. Stretch your mind

"Subject societies have nothing to do with the subject. Join the ones with an actual focus that organise events, beyond 'come drink with us instead of other friends'."

TurkeyProphet*, posting on The Student Room*

14. Be brave

"Join a society that interests you and actually go to it; don't be afraid to turn up by yourself. I was too scared to go along to them at first, but then I found the courage and met some amazing people."

lizlaz350*, posting on The Student Room*

15. Join societies whenever you like

"People join societies at different times, there's no "weird" time to join."

username5886907, posting on The Student Room, 22 August 2022

16. Enjoy yourself

"At uni there are usually loads of teams for each sport. Not everyone who wants to do sport is a pro, and there are loads of people who want to do sports to get fit and for enjoyment rather than take it so seriously.."

SirRamAlot*, posting on The Student Room*

17. Fit it all in!

"Don’t join societies before receiving your timetable!"

kkboyk*, posting on The Student Room*

What it's like studying at uni

University work is a whole different ballgame from what you're used to.

That's why, on the whole, your first year won't count towards your final grade. It's all about getting used to a far more independent style of learning.

18. Read ahead

"Doing a bit of reading on your subject before you begin can be invaluable, so you can hit the ground running and find the first few weeks a lot easier."

truechristian91*, posting on The Student Room*

19. Start a routine

"Go to lectures, do your work on time and get into a good routine. It'll pay off in the latter years immensely and give you far less panic/stress and more time to relax and enjoy yourself."

tea_loving_girl, posting on The Student Room

20. Talk to your lecturers

"Find your way in to your course - find that book, poem or painting you love, and then find out why you love it. That's by far the nicest way of getting a first. Don’t feel intimidated to talk to your lecturers, because however brilliant they are, you have something they don't - a completely fresh perspective untainted by the years of scholarship that can sometimes cloud vision."

cinosia*, posting on The Student Room*

21. Be enthusiastic

"Don't expect the lecturers to provide a spoon-feeding service but equally show an enthusiasm for your subject. Don't leave stuff until the last minute, don't treat your work with disdain or you'll always be left wondering if you could have done better. Equally know when to back off and go to the pub/cinema/chill with a book."

Aeschylus*, posting on The Student Room*

22. Get to the lectures

"Go to all your lectures and seminars; you’re paying for them. Don't be one of those people who moans about how difficult the course is or how all the lecturers irrationally hate you, when the reason you find it difficult is because you don't do any work and never come to class."

Tefhel*, posting on The Student Room*

23. Seriously...get to the lectures

"Do not miss classes/lectures. Drag yourself there even if you are dying, hungover, in your pyjamas or haven't even brushed your teeth - just get to them."

Livvyxo*, posting on The Student Room*

24. Find your motivation

"At uni, no one is going to force you to revise and you're not given homework all the time to enforce your learning. You have to motivate yourself to do work throughout the year."

SophieSmall*, posting on The Student Room*

25. No more procrastinating!

"Start assignments on the day you're given them. Even though you have five weeks to do it, you'll still end up doing it the night before it's due."

ArcadiaHouse*, posting on The Student Room*

26. Take reponsibility for your learning

"The big thing with university is taking responsibility as it’s far more independent.

"You will probably have periods of intensity which can be stressful but it’s about building a schedule & having good organisation to manage this."

mnot, posting on The Student Room, 30 August 2022

27. Do your reading

"Actually read the recommended reading! It isn't just there for the sake of it."

posihannah*, posting on The Student Room*

28. Plan out your deadlines

"I would really recommend making yourself a plan of all your deadlines and working out when you will have time to work on them all."

Anon*, posting on The Student Room*

29. Build your academic skills

"Don't take the saying "1st year doesn't count for anything" too literally. It doesn't count for anything in terms of academic marks, but if you skip lectures and are lazy during your first year, then the next 2/3 years you'll struggle."

Iron Mask Duval, posting on The Student Room

---

---

Settling into uni accommodation

You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family. Or, indeed, the people you share with in first year.

Places in halls are normally allocated randomly, so it's lucky dip who you end up living with.

30. Cleaning is considered optional...by some

"I wished I’d known there are people who can live in a house that looks and smells like a landfill, and will be genuinely confused when you have an issue with it."

Sorani*, posting on The Student Room*

31. Make sure you can tell your kitchen stuff apart

"Do not under any circumstances buy plain knives and forks or it'll be indistinguishable by the end of the year."

Chronoscope*, posting on The Student Room, 9 August 2022*

32. Choose your housemates with care

"Think carefully about who you choose to live with after your first year. I lived with two girls who both did the same course, which had a lot less contact time and work than my course.

"This left me a bit isolated as they spent all their time together and went out a lot more than I could. So make sure you’re compatible with whoever you choose to live with and that you make time for each other, whatever the demands of your course."

myblueheaven339*, posting on The Student Room*

33. Clear up before you clear out

"Always clear your room and fridge of any food before you go home for the holidays. You do not want to find rotten/mouldy food upon your return in January, or an invasion of fruit flies. This goes for washing up, too.

"Coming back to plates/bowls with life forms growing in them is not nice!"

treasureBelle*, posting on The Student Room*

34. Don't rush your house plans

"There’s typically a big panic around Christmas as people worry where they'll be living next year, so group up quickly to find a house before ‘all the good ones go’.

"But choose your housemates carefully - you only met these people a few months ago, so not everyone's true colours may have come out. Don’t believe the hysteria - there will be loads of houses left after Christmas!"

katyj_87, posting on The Student Room

35. Oh, and remember...

"Bring earplugs."

InfinitelyVixey*, posting on The Student Room*

36. You're going to love it...

"Living in halls has been the most fun I've ever had. I live with some crazy people, endless pranking and madness, but it's great!"

Bumblebee342*, posting on The Student Room*

37. ...but it might get noisy

"Halls walls are thin - you hear everything. And you will have nights where the noise is infuriating, but you get over it."

mnot*, posting on The Student Room*

38. Did we mention the cleaning thing?

"My flatmates were very apathetic towards any kind of cleaning rota, so our kitchen's cleanliness just gradually became more bio-hazardous as the year went on."

PhoenixFortune*, posting on The Student Room*

General advice on university

It might seem impossible now, but three years at uni passes by incredibly quickly.

Here are some more tips from The Student Room community to help you make the most of it.

39. Make the most of opportunities

"If you’re commuting: be as flexible as you can about staying out late, don't complain about it too much. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with crashing at a friend's flat for a night once you get to know people."

Aurora*, posting on The Student Room*

40. Don't assume everyone's out all night

"There’s a common misconception that at uni everyone has to go out every night and sesh constantly, but that really isn't the case. People who want to do that can but if you don't want to you don't have to."

EmmaRebecca1997*, posting on The Student Room*

41. Keep up with your work

"I wish I had known about the importance, early on, of maximising the time between classes, to study, get caught up, or read ahead. It's easy to spend that time blowing off steam with friends!"

luq_ali*, posting on The Student Room*

42. Things are different in Freshers' Week

"It is possible that freshers week will be quite rowdy when it comes to parties, but it definitely dies down after that - your very first week is not an accurate reflection of what it’s normally like."

eeeli, posting on The Student Room, 1 April 2023

43. Remember, support is there for you

"Know where to get help if you need it. If life throws a sudden bad circumstance at you, don't deal with it alone. Go see your personal tutor, student support or module leader as soon as you feel up to it."

claireestelle*, posting on The Student Room*

44. Don't judge yourself

"Don't assume that everybody is having sex and getting with people. While some are, and will be telling everybody about it, there will be a lot who aren't and are wondering if they are inadequate."

MagicNMedicine*, posting on The Student Room*

45. Remember those deadlines

"Keeping ahead of the reading is actually a good idea - and leaving writing a 5,000 word essay to the night before a deadline isn't."

returnmigrant*, posting on The Student Room*

46. Be open to chat

"If you strike up a conversation with people they'll be just as grateful to you, as you would be if they started a conversation with you. Everyone's in the same boat and it's a fresh start. Just have a few stock questions ready to go."

Crumpet1*, posting on The Student Room*

Setting a student budget

You are a student, ergo you are skint. Empty pockets is part and parcel of university life, but a decent budget can help a limited income stretch that bit further.

It's not always easy to do...especially if you've never had to budget before.

47. Take care with your cash

"Try to stick to a budget, especially with food. Do you really need that jumbo packet of Monster Munch? Do you really?"

JKGB*, posting on The Student Room*

48. Don't live on bread alone

"LEARN TO COOK FROM THE VERY FIRST DAY. It will save you so much money, and will be so much healthier. Don't live off sandwiches for the entire first semester."

ArcadiaHouse*, posting on The Student Room*

49. Get what's due to you

"Ask for a student discount everywhere. And I mean everywhere. McDonalds does free cheeseburgers. Think about it."

TurkeyProphet*, posting on The Student Room*

50. Plan ahead

"Buy things that can be frozen (eg meat, pizzas) when they've got those yellow reduced stickers on them, freeze them on the day and they can be good for up to a month or so."

vineyard13*, posting on The Student Room*

51. Deals are everywhere

"Look out for student drink deals when out in clubs - and take advantage of student discounts in shops. I miss it!"

katyj_87*, posting on The Student Room*

52. Find a way to keep track of your spending

"What I do is write down everything I spend my money on e.g. food, socialising etc. That's how I've been keeping track of my finances and I try to review the list at the end of the week before the beginning of the next week."

Startrevisingnow, posting on The Student Room, 26 October 2022

53. See where you can save

"Go through your bank statements and see what you are spending the most on. Then make cheaper swaps. So if you spend loads of money on drinks out in town then drink more at pres. If you spend loads of money on clothes switch to second hand clothes (or at least buy more second hand)."

flamingolover, posting on The Student Room, 26 October 2022

54. Books are cheap

"Get your text books from the library or, if you want your own to make notes in, have a look on Amazon. I got a book on there for 23p and I've been using it for two years. Took me a while to get used to the smell though."

inkman*, posting on The Student Room*

55. Get organised

"My advice - plan your meals as much as you can and avoid takeout like it's the plague. I know it might be tempting if you're tired, lazy, can't cook, lack time etc. And of course, it's okay to sometimes treat yourself. But don't rely on it too heavily."

Mara1680, posting on The Student Room, 26 October 2022

Going out and social life as a student

Uni life kicks off with Freshers Week's non-stop schedule of parties and it doesn't really let up from there.

Student nights will be happening all over your uni town - and there's always going to be someone having a halls party.

56. Do it your way

"Make an effort to go out, but stay true to yourself. It's not worth forcing yourself out every night just to get the 'experience' everyone hypes up."

Cicerao*, posting on The Student Room*

57. Take the chance to meet people

"If there are parties going on in your flat/kitchen, especially in freshers, try and go to them if they’re open to all to get to know your flat a bit better.

"You don’t have to stay all night or drink if you don’t want to - I don’t massively enjoy parties or drinking much but I tend to try and at least hang out with people at pres when the vibe is calmer and people are less drunk, then just leave if it stops being fun. "

eeeli, posting on The Student Room, 1 April 2023

58. Take it easy

"If you're going to be drinking alcohol when you don't normally, I'd advise only having one or two alcoholic drinks max and then stick with soft drinks the rest of the night."

HousesInCork, posting on The Student Room, 28 October 2021

59. Stay sharp

"Don't get in a random taxi, as it could be dodgy but could also rip you off!"

blondie*, posting on The Student Room*

60. Stay home sometimes

"Don't feel you must go out every night just because other people are. If you have loads of work, an early start the next day or simply can't be bothered... just say no."

infernalcradle*, posting on The Student Room*

61. Go easy

"Don't mix Lambrini, Bulmers and shots. It will not end well."

JJx*, posting on The Student Room*

62. Pack everything

"Bring fancy dress stuff, it comes in handy even after Freshers Week."

lizlaz350*, posting on The Student Room*

63. Leave some things well alone

"Do not let someone feed you neat vodka through a funnel while sat on a spinning computer chair. This one is the most important."

alexss*, posting on The Student Room*

---

Our partnership with UEA (University of East Anglia)

The Student Room is proud to work with UEA, a UK top-25 university (Complete University Guide 2025) and UK top-30 university (The Times/Sunday Times 2024), as the official partner of our student life section.

Located on the edge of Norwich, a vibrant city full of secret gems just waiting to be discovered.

Visit their profile page to learn more or join the conversation on The Student Room's UEA forum.

Read more from the student life section

Find out more about UEA on The Uni Guide

Ask a UEA student a question about university

Study with UEA