Are you a student who is gearing up to make a big move to London? Will this be your first time in the city, and you’re feeling a little apprehensive, stressed, and unsure of what the experience will hold for you? It’s always scary to move to a new location, and students also feel the pressure of starting at a new school, managing their classwork, and excelling at all they do. What this means is that any way life can be made a little easier is usually welcomed with open arms.
With that in mind, we’ve gone ahead and put together a basic student guide for those who are moving to London to attend university. There’s no reason to be consumed with stress, as a little research and planning can usually answer all those uncertainties you have.
Start Planning Well in Advance
The first tip is all about advanced planning. Basically, the moment you set your sights on London and get accepted into a university, you want to start the planning process. The big unknown is where you will live. The location you choose can actually have a huge impact on your overall experience, not just in London, but even your entire school experience.
Ideally, you want to pick student accommodation that is nearby the campus so that your commute is easy and quick. It also ensures that you’ll be living in a community with other students so you can start to make some connections and friendships. Of course, the problem is that every other student likely has the same list of preferences, so it can be a competitive market and you may even find yourself having to join a wait list.
Student Cribs is great resource to use as you can visit the website, find your location here, and then get a list of all the available student housing. You’ll find all different types of house, with various amounts of rooms and amenities. You can book group or individual accommodation – whichever suits you.
Arrive Early and Get Settled In
The next tip is to arrive early so you can have time to settle into your new surroundings. While you may assume that you should wait until a few days before university starts, that can add a whole lot of stress and anxiety. If you arrive a couple of weeks before uni is set to start, you can familiarise yourself with your surroundings, maybe meet some people, get unpacked, and fully settle in so that the start of uni doesn’t see quite as overwhelming.
Figure Out the Public Transit Routes
One of the best and most affordable ways to get around London is public transit. With that said, the public transit system is quite vast and if you’re not used to a big city like London, it may be overwhelming. Give yourself a chance to study the different routes, and figure out which ones will be most useful for you.
If you will be using public transit to get to and from university, it’s also a good idea to do a few practice runs so you understand what time you need to leave your house, what the crowds are like at that time of day, and what the travel time is.
Embrace the Dining Scene in London
London has quite the reputation for itself when it comes to dining, as you’ll find a huge array of options here. Rather than stick with the same old, same old that you are comfortable with, this is an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and start sampling other cuisines.
The Nightlife Gives You a Way to Socialise
Socialising and meeting new people will be a big part of the adjustment period for you, and there’s no better way to go about it than taking part in the exciting and lively nightlife scene in London. There is no shortage of live music venues, pubs, dance clubs, restaurants, coffee shops, and other hangouts all filled with people that you can strike up a conversation with.
Why not set a goal for you to visit one new place each week, thereby giving yourself a real thorough look at London?
The Tourist Activities Shouldn’t Be Skipped
Even though you’re a student and not a tourist, that doesn’t mean you should skip out on the typical tourist activities. If you’ve never been to London before, or you’ve only visited for a short time, this is your chance to immerse yourself in all the history, architecture, culture, and sights that you possibly can. It’s all about making the most of your time in London.
By taking the time to research, do a little planning, and force yourself to step outside the box, you’ll be able to experience the very best of your student life in London.