Going to university is an amazing opportunity, but it can also be an adjustment if you're not prepared. We're here to help you ease into uni life and make the whole process as frictionless as possible.

We've put together our free online checklist with plenty of useful information to help you be uni-ready. This includes things to do before you arrive at university, and during the first few days.

Before you arrive at Uni

1. Student Finance: Ensure your student finance is all sorted - you can do this through Student Finance England and Student Finance Wales.
2. Accommodation: If you're moving into accommodation, make sure you’ve read the contract and have everything sorted ahead of time.
3. Paperwork: Whether you're moving to uni or not, make sure to gather your important documents and keep them safe. This can be acceptance letters, enrollment information, accommodation confirmation, insurance policies, student finance, etc.
4. Student Email: Once enrolled, you'll have access to your student email. Double-check you can sign into it.
5. Activate your Students' Union Account: Go to our website and activate your account using the "login with student email" button.

First few days at Uni

1. Introduce yourself: Introducing yourself to flatmates and coursemates is one of the best ways to get to know people. Keep it casual - ask their name, where they are from, their course, and if they are going to any Freshers event.
2. Explore campus and town: Don't isolate yourself. Go hang out in the communal area and classrooms, ask people if they want to go to town, watch something, or get something to eat.
3. Go to Freshers Fair: make sure you check out our Freshers Fair (these happen in Carmarthen and Swansea in September).
4. Attend some Freshers Events: Check out the Freshers event line-up to find events near you - they are all designed to help you have fun and get mixing with students.
5. Student ID card: Speak with the uni's HWB team to get your student ID.

Health and wellbeing

1. Check your vaccinations: Book an appointment with your current GP to go over your vaccines and book in any missing or updated boosters.
2. Find a local GP: Make sure you are registered with a local GP
3. Dental Check-up: Have a dental check-up before moving: make sure you sort out any dental work before the start of your studies (nobody wants to start term with a toothache).
4. Meningitis: Meningitis can affect anyone, of any age, at any time. However, teenagers and young adults are at greater risk. Check out our information on Meningitis.

NHS Wales and NHS England have online tools to help you find health and wellbeing services near you (this includes dentists, GPs, and pharmacies):

1. NHS Wales services near you tool
2. NHS England services near you tool

Banking, Budgets, Insurance

1. Set up a student banking account: Many banks offer dedicated student bank accounts. Some offer incentives for joining (like free railcards), and some even come with interest-free arranged overdrafts. We cannot stress this enough - please read the terms and conditions carefully. You typically need your UCAS code or confirmation letter as part of the application process for a student banking account.
2. Create a budget: Making and sticking to a budget is one of the best ways to stay on top of your finances at university and save yourself a ton of stress. There are a few different online tools to help you do it, such as the What Uni Student Budget Calculator.
3. Student Discount: Being a student means you have exclusive access to loads of discounts. Whether you're a student, an apprentice, or a professional, visit our discounts and offers webpage to see what you can access.
4. Look into Student Contents Insurance: Student contents insurance is a type of insurance that helps cover your belongings while you’re living away from home at university. It’s designed for student living - this can be halls of residence, private accommodation, or a shared student house. There are many providers out there, so it's important to do your research to find the cover that's right for you, if you need it.

Making Friends

Nearly everyone worries about making friends at uni. But don’t panic - they are all in the same boat. Friendships at university often grow gradually - here are some tips to help you get settled.

1. Introduce yourself: Introducing yourself to flatmates and coursemates is one of the best ways to get to know people. Keep it casual - ask their name, where they are from, their course, and if they are going to any Freshers event.
2. Join online groups: Find out if your course or accommodation has an online group you could join.
3. Pre-arrivals: Attend any pre-arrival online meetups or events.
4. Join Societies and Sports Clubs: this is one of the most effective ways to make friends with shared interests. You can check out and join our student groups on our clubs and societies webpage.
5. Attend Freshers: Freshers Week exists specifically to help people meet each other - you can check out the line-up on our Freshers webpage.
6. Venture outside your room: Don't isolate yourself. Go hang out in the communal area and classrooms, ask people if they want to go to town, watch something, or get something to eat.

Useful Links

• Our Instagram
• About us
• Societies and Sports Clubs
• Freshers