For our sixth-formers, exams are now complete, and school is officially over. If this is you, then you may be about to embark on your next big adventure: university. You may be feeling slightly apprehensive about this, but don’t worry it’s completely normal! To help settle the nerves, or just to make sure you’re thoroughly prepared, we’ve gathered some of our top tips to starting university.

1. Be organised

As well as all the fun that comes with university, there’s also a lot of important things to sort first. Make sure you have your accommodation, finances and student loans sorted so that you don’t leave it too late and miss out. You’ll also want to make sure you have all the equipment you need, like a laptop and writing equipment. If you’re choosing to move out when going to university, make sure you have all your pots, pans and cutlery ready too!

2. Use social media to find new friends

No matter if you’re moving away to a new city or not, making friends at university can be daunting but everybody is in the same boat. If you search on Facebook, you might just find a group of people on exactly the same course as you and some pages even have groups for particular accommodation.

3. Set yourself a student budget

Managing your money as a student can be slightly difficult. As much as you want to enjoy yourself and have fun, you need to make sure you have money aside to comfortably afford your rent and food. Setting yourself a weekly budget could be the first step and then work around this to make sure you stick to it.

4. Learn to cook

Whilst you’re off for the summer, it’s the perfect time to start learning how to cook! Getting takeaways at university isn’t the best idea as not only is it unhealthy, but it certainly won’t fit with your student budget! Ask someone at home to show you how to make your favourite meals and consider purchasing a student cook book.

5. Get packing

If you’re choosing to move out, there will be a lot of items you want to take with you. Sit down, write a list of all your essentials and consider which clothes you’ll definitely wear and which you can leave at home. This is when things start to feel real and exciting, so enjoy it!

6. Seek out student discounts

One big benefit of being a student is the discount. Make sure you have found all the apps you need in order to get those discounts. UNiDAYS and NUS cards are the two most popular versions of student discount available which you’ll find many big brands use; all you need to do is make an account and sign up with them. You’ll also find you can get railcards and other travel payments cheaper too, so do your research!

Most of all, make sure you enjoy it. Starting university can be very exciting so make sure you make the most of it!