8 Things to Do Before You Arrive at University

8 Things to Do Before You Arrive at University

1 week ago
by Sally Giles

Your offer is sorted, your group chats are buzzing, and suddenly everyone has opinions on air fryers, wristbands and club nights. Before you start filling boxes with mugs and bedding, it’s worth sorting the less glamorous bits that make the first few weeks feel less chaotic.

University changes how you study, spend money, eat, sleep, make friends and ask for help, all at once. Preparation now gives you more headspace for the parts you can’t predict.

1. Learn How Your Course Actually Works

Open the course page again and look past the title. Find out how many contact hours you’re likely to have, whether marks come from essays, labs, exams, presentations or group work.

A private school can give you close academic support before university, but degree study usually expects you to manage your own deadlines, chase feedback and notice when you’re falling behind. Set up a calendar before term starts, even if you only add induction week, module choices and assessment windows.

2. Sort Your Money Before Freshers’ Week

Money disappears quickly when every day brings a coffee, bus ticket, club night, textbook or forgotten laundry payment. Work out what lands in your account, what leaves automatically, and what you can spend each week without borrowing from next month.

Rent, food, phone bills, transport, subscriptions and course costs should all be written down somewhere visible. A student budgeting spreadsheet can help turn a maintenance loan figure into weekly numbers you can use. Leave room for boring surprises too, such as a replacement charger or train fare home.

3. Practise the Life Skills You’ve Been Avoiding

Cook three cheap meals before you leave. Not one impressive recipe for Instagram, just food you’d genuinely make after a long lecture day. Pasta with vegetables, chilli, jacket potatoes, stir-fry or omelette will do more for your first term than another decorative cushion.

Laundry deserves a trial run as well. Learn what can go together, which clothes shrink, and how long bedding takes to dry. Add a small health and cleaning kit: plasters, painkillers, cold medicine, laundry capsules and washing-up liquid.

4. Pack for the Room You’ll Actually Have

Student rooms are rarely huge, so every extra box becomes something you have to trip over. Check what’s already provided before buying lamps, bins, kettles or desk chairs, then pack for the first fortnight rather than your whole adult life.

A small set of useful things beats a car full of duplicates. Extension leads, coat hangers, a laundry basket, documents, a doorstop, basic plates, one sharp knife, a pan and a few storage bags will earn their place quickly.

5. Make One Connection Before You Go

Message someone on your course, join an official accommodation chat, follow your students’ union, or find out which societies are running taster sessions. You don’t need to become best friends with strangers online, or perform excitement you don’t feel.

The first fortnight is easier if you treat student belonging as something built through repeated small contact, not proof that you found your people on night one. Say yes to a few low-pressure daytime events where talking is easier than shouting over music.

6. Get Your Admin Out of the Way

Find your ID, passport, bank details, student finance letters, accommodation contract, vaccination records and any disability or learning support evidence. Photograph important documents and save copies somewhere secure, not just on one device.

Register with a GP once you know where you’ll live, or at least find out how your university health service works. Check your email login, download any university apps, and test your laptop, charger and storage before you need them for an assignment.

7. Talk About Home Before You Leave

Parents, carers, siblings and partners can all imagine university differently. Some expect daily calls. Some think silence means you’re thriving. Some start worrying if you don’t answer within ten minutes.

Have the conversation before move-in day gets emotional. Agree how often you’ll check in, what counts as urgent, and whether visits need planning. If you’re leaving responsibilities at home, be honest about what you can manage from a distance.

8. Plan Your First 72 Hours

Work out how you’ll get to campus, collect keys, buy food, make your bed and eat something decent on the first night. Save addresses, arrival times, parking details and emergency contacts where you can find them without digging through emails.

Your first few days don’t need to be perfect. Get the basics in place, introduce yourself to the people around you, and keep one familiar thing nearby, whether that’s tea bags, a hoodie or your usual playlist. University starts more easily when you arrive ready to live there, not just study there.