Advice for my first-year self, from a third-year History student

Dear (first year) Grace,

Hi! I’m going into my third year in just a couple of months time and I wanted to write and tell you all about it.

First off - be so proud of yourself. A-Levels are not an easy feat and you worked so hard to get where you are now. You’ve had an amazing summer filled with memories and now it’s time to embark on a new adventure. It’s a really exciting time in your life but also an intimidating one (don't worry though, nerves are natural when you’re stepping into a new environment for the first time!)

University is going to bring you so many new experiences, so make sure you try to make the most of it and experience all that you can whilst you’re here. Explore campus, get to know your coursemates and definitely make the most of freshers week, which will fly by. Here are some things that I wish I’d have known when I was starting out in my first year that would have really helped me out.

1. Creating a schedule has helped me massively to make the workload of University manageable. I tend to treat my university work as a 9-5 job - I work really hard between those hours Monday-Friday so by the weekend I can relax and treat myself to a well earned rest. This also helps when assignments are due- if I have free time in my “9-5” I can make a start on those and when the due date comes round I’m generally not rushing to complete my work.
2. Getting involved in the social scene early has paid dividends as I progress through my degree. Making the most of the events like freshers and the early days of the course (where everyone is just as anxious as you to make friends!) sets you up wonderfully for the time ahead. Having a good support network of friends around me really helped me build my confidence in an unfamiliar new location.
3. Learning some budgeting skills also helped me massively. Learning to find the right deals (and using my student discounts wherever possible!) really goes a long way.

There are so many hidden gems around the University of Birmingham for you to discover, but here are just a few of my favourites.

• Winterbourne House and Gardens - a fantastically maintained stately home we UOB students get free access to, which is great for a study break.
• The Lapworth Geology Museum - great for a look around.
• Joe's Bar (now a Wetherspoons) - the perfect place for a chat and a catch-up, with great themed nights like quizzes.
• JG Smith - my favourite study spot is JG Smith for quiet study sessions. I wish I had discovered this sooner!

Best of luck with everything university has to offer - it is a real journey and one that you’ll be so proud you undertook when you look back in a couple of years time.