The ultimate list of tips for first year Students | Must Do before 1st day of uni

Good afternoon,
the new semester of university is already around the corner! At least for me it feels like I just started university, but with a tremble in my belly I have to realize that I am not a freshman in college anymore. Of course this brings a lot of benefits with it, but at the same time it shows me how quickly time is passing by. The life as a university student has been such an amazing journey so far, and I am so grateful for the past year. Besides moving a couple of times, I have met the most amazing people, and made awesome memories. But nonetheless there have of course been days that have been busy, stressful, and not to mention the time of tests, and assignments.
As such I would like to share my tips that I would give every first years student. You can not go wrong with these and they might make your first days a bit less stressful. So grab a notebook and a pen and keep on reading!

Know your move in date 

When moving to your first apartment, or flat, it is great to have a list with all deadlines and dates that could be important. Are there special deadlines you might have to keep as a tenant, or a bank account you have to transfer money to before moving in? As you mark these dates into your calendar you make sure that nothing gets lost in the trouble of moving in.

Get familiarized with the campus, and locations 

It is a good idea to know what you got yourself into. So if possible I would arrive a bit earlier on campus. You can check out the best study spots, get familiar with the campus, and in the best case even meet the first new people. Furthermore you are going to be more relaxed during your first days, since you have done your prep. It will only take a few weeks till you will walk around campus just as you have been there for multiple years, but the first days can be stressful and surely you do not want to come late for your first classes.

Make a list with all the necessities 

Before the big moving day it can be helpful to create a list with all the things you need to buy before moving into your dorm. This can include things such as room decor, but also cleaning essentials. If you know that you will be sharing your space with a roommate it can be a good idea to create this list together. This way you avoid to buy things multiply and you can save some money. When shopping student essentials it can be also money saving to wait a bit after school starts, because around this time all the college sales are available.

Create a timetable

Most of the time timetables are out weeks prior to the actual first day. This allows you to plan out your study week, you are able to see when you have to be when, and at which location. This makes it possible to schedule your time in the best way! As a small freshman tip I can only recommend to you is exchange your phone background with a picture of your study schedule. Now you will always have an eye on it, and there is no chance you will loose it.

Student Meal Prep

A lot of my classes are till late in the evening so when coming home I am most of the time not in the mood to cook a dinner. But instead of grabbing a frozen meal at the supermarket I decided to invest time in meal prep, and actually always have some precooked meals in my freezer. This way I just have to warm them up for a couple of minutes in the microwave, and then there are ready to be enjoyed. Saves time, and is better for body and mind!

Take all opportunities

As cheesy as it might sounds, life is short and just as we are young, we have the chance to make most our days. So do not let the opportunities pass by, actually make advantage of them. Get to meet everyone, take part in activities, and plan cool trips with your friends. Now is the time to live, you will probably never have this much time just to yourself!

Sign up for extracurricular activities

Just as mentioned in the point before it can be unbelievable helpful to get yourself out there. Especially in the beginning! Once you have found your group of people you might not be as active anymore, but for the first weeks it is great to join clubs, fitness groups, or your area of interest. Keeps you from making to many thoughts, and these people might stay with you for a lifetime.

Think of yourself

Just in the beginning everything can be overwhelming. There are new faces everywhere and the list of names you should remember seems endless. Additionally your timetable explodes and the first weeks probably fly by like a dream. As exciting as these days can be, make sure you also take some time just to yourself, to unwind and destress. Have an early night with a warm tea and a good book and reflect on the past weeks. Or write some pages in your journal.

Laundry, laundry, laundry

Never fall behind your laundry. A tip that is definitely useful for every student, but probably can be used throughout your whole life. Best is to have one day in the week that is dedicated to washing your clothes. Just as you wake up you the first thing to do is fill up a washing machine with a whole load. Then you can go ahead with your morning and as the washing is ready just put it out to dry, or on colder days transfer it to the dryer. As you delay the washing of your laundry there might be a day during the week that you have to realize that there are no clean socks anymore and trust me that can be an unfortunate situation...

That is about it, those were some of my first years student tips that popped right into my mind and that I definitely wanted to share with you. Are you starting with college this year, or are you already a 2nd semester? Definitely share your survival tips in the comments!