About me

I’m Lucy, a second-year student studying a BA Hons Business Management with Marketing degree at Pearson College London. This blog will give you some tips and tricks to prepare for starting University in September to make everything a little easier for you!

Securing accommodation

Trying to find the right accommodation can be very stressful and nerve-racking, especially if you are moving to a new area. Make sure you explore all your options to ensure you get the best deal and secure your accommodation early.

If you are staying in halls, try to make contact with other students staying in the same accommodation so you know some people before you move in. Finally, make sure to give yourself enough time to move so you can settle in and get to know the area before term starts.

Planning your commute

Using public transport isn’t always straightforward, especially when you are finding your way for the first time. So, make sure you have planned your route, but also an alternative route in case trains get cancelled or there are road works.

If you’re spending all day in seminars and lectures, you might not have much time to get fresh air, so when planning your commute why not factor in doing some of it on foot?

My top tip for saving money whilst travelling is to buy yourself a student railcard which gives you 1/3 off of all train tickets. It really does save you a lot of money which is helpful when on a student budget!

Get ahead with reading/academic preparation

Once term starts, you’ll soon find that time flies by and whilst doing seminars, lectures, group work, assignment writing, and of course socialising, you won’t have much time left for reading.

In order to do well, you need to make sure you are staying up to date with your lectures and reading lists so make sure to use the weeks leading up to the start of your seminars to fully prepare.

If your lectures are pre-recorded, my top tip is to always make sure you are at least one lecture ahead of your seminar content (i.e. before seminar 1, make sure you have watched lectures 1 and 2). This way if life or other commitments get in the way you won’t fall behind on your course content!

What to take with you

I always make sure I have these essentials packed in my bag for a full day of studying at Uni to make sure I get the best out of my studies.

· Laptop and charger

· Phone charger

· Portable charger

· Headphones/AirPods

· Notepad

· Pens and highlighters

· Waterbottle

· Reusable coffee cup

· Snacks

Most importantly… don’t forget your chargers! There’s nothing worse than getting to Uni and realising you’ve not got a charger and you’ve got a full day of studying ahead of you.

I hope this has helped you prepare for starting University, good luck!

By Lucy Packman (Business Management with Marketing)