#fresherstips

Going to a school like the University of Edinburgh can be quite intimidating. It’s becoming real and you might be starting to worry about whether you’ll be able to do well academically. Don’t worry: if you made it so far, it means you are talented and amazing and have all the attributes you need to thrive here. Nonetheless, it might take some time to adjust to university-level education. To help you with the transition, I gathered some tips on how to succeed.

1. Meet With Your Personal Tutor

The first few weeks at university are unique experience: there is so much to see, so many people to meet and so much partying to do. It’s all very hectic and confusing, and dealing with all the academic stuff is the last thing on everyone’s mind. 

But don’t underestimate the importance of meeting your academic advisor. They can help you with stuff like course selection, degree change, fees payments and a lot more. 

2. Show Up To Lectures

No one likes mornings. Not even your lecturer, trust me.

But lectures are there for a reason. They familiarise you with the topics so even if you fall behind with readings and assignments, you will know where to start. 

3. Time Management

Basically, get a planner. As soon as the course handbooks are out, take note of the key dates for each course. Once you know what needs to be done and by when, keeping up with work will be a piece of cake. 

4. Planned Procrastination

When you’re making a study plan, be realistic: chances are you will not be able to to be actively focused for 14 hours a day, every day. Of course, it depends on the person: some of you work better with scheduled breaks, while I rely on “planned procrastination”.

I know that I regularly end up wasting time on my phone, but my concentration span varies a lot from one day to the next so I can’t really plan my breaks. So, when I make my study plan for the weekend, I include a couple extra hours that I can devote to some healthy procrastination.

5. Do Your Readings

First year is busy: you’re meeting new people, trying to figure your way around uni, discovering the city, partying. It’s easy to fall behind on readings.

That’s all part of the “uni experience”, but don’t forget that you are studying a Social Science, and that means you will be expected to read extensively. There is just not enough time to do that the night before an essay or the week before finals. Try to keep up, it’s worth it.

6. Understand The Marking Criteria 

One of the scariest things at uni is thinking you know how to do something and then discovering that it not what they are looking for at university. Entering higher education means having to up your game to new standards, but there is no need to panic: first year is all about gaining confidence in this new learning environment. 

The first step towards doing well in an assignment is to really understand what the markers are looking for. Your courses will provide a guide to the criteria they use: dedicate some time to understand what they mean and how that would look in terms of an essay, a policy brief or other forms of assessment.

7. Know your Strengths and Weaknesses

For instance, in my first semester at uni I discovered I am bad at exams. Like, really terrible. It takes me three time the level of effort to write a decent exam than to write a decent essay. 

First year is meant for you to learn what kind of a learner you are, and improving from there. Honestly, I don’t think I will ever get to the point in which I enjoy writing an exam the same way I enjoy writing an essay. However, knowing my weaknesses means I can focus my energies and time to improve them.

8. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions

If you are struggling with a topic or if you are unclear about the assignments, don’t hesitate to ask your tutors for help. It is in everyone’s interest for you to succeed and it’s their job to help you finding the resources you need to move forward.  

9. Get To Know Your Lecturers And Tutors 

Lecturers are often perceived as some sorts of mystic and at times scary creatures. But they are actually super approachable and willing to meet up with their students.

Whether you are particularly interested in a certain topic or you need clarification on a lecture, make use of lecturers office hours. When will you, once you leave university, have the chance to chat with great academics that are often leading experts in their field? Exactly. 

10. Academic Support

As I mentioned above, is in the interest of the university for you to thrive here. Because of that, numerous forms of academic support are in place to help you through the rough patches. Among these, the Personal Tutor system, the Disability Office, Proofreading service for non-native English speakers and various forms of Peer support and Peer assisted learning. 

11. Feedback

Even if you don’t like to think about your mistakes, feedback on you previous work is one of the most effective way to improve in future. 

When you get feedback on a piece of work, don’t just check the grade but go through the comments and take note of any pattern you might identify. 

12. Be On Time

Showing respect towards the work academics put in the lectures and tutorials is a great way of contributing to a positive and happy academic community. And also don’t forget that those people are the ones who will mark your papers. It’s in your interest to keep them happy.

13. Keep A Healthy Lifestyle 

Sleep and eat well, and you are much more likely to survive the rounds of flu that takes over uni when midterms or finals come around. You are also much more likely to perform better. I myself have a tendency to procrastinate too much and then go for two weeks with no sleep and too many caffeinated drinks. And in my experience, that is never a good idea.

Doing a thousand readings and being sleep deprived will never, ever be better than doing 10 readings well, sleeping enough, and get to the exams well rested. 

14. Have Fun!

When academic deadlines are approaching you might end up not leaving your rooms for weeks, alternating between studying and procrastinating (while worrying about the fact that you are not studying).

Don’t forget that it’s ok to have fun once in a while. Taking your mind off work for a few hours can actually result in increased productivity.

15. Keep Things In Perspective 

In the end, Freshers year is all about finding your balance. Sure, we all want to do well and be successful. But five years from now, we will not remember the one assignment we got a 71% on or that one class we just could not seem to understand. We will remember the people we met, the things we learnt and the opportunities we took. 

So don’t obsess too much about the grades and remember what bought you here in the first place: 

As many students, I spend a substantial amount of time in cafes. If you have been following this blog, you might have picked up on my love for coffee. If not, well, this is me pretty much every day of my life:

Luckily, I ended up in a city that happens to be almost as coffee-obsessed as I am. But if you don’t like coffee, don’t worry: Edinburgh has something for every taste! Whether you want to enjoy a nice tea with a friend or to treat yourself to a perfect cake after an exam, whether you are looking for a place to study or need to satisfy your coffee craving, Edinburgh has a café that is perfect for you. 

I took upon myself the heavy task of trying out some cappuccinos and cakes around university. Here is a quick introduction to some student favourites, a starting point for you to discover yours.

1. Black Medicine Coffee Co.*

Black Medicine on Nicholson Street is my go-to place when I need to study, for numerous reasons. They have big tables, coffee (duh!) and a whole range of food to snack on when studying. They also make some amazing smoothies: remembering to get your 5-a-day is harder during exams season.

It’s a very cozy place, with wooden furniture and nice music. If you like their style but live all the way across the Meadows, do not despair: they have a second cafe on Barclay Terrace.

2. Brew Lab*

If you love coffee, you must pay a visit to the Brew Lab. The coffee is probably the best around campus, with meticulous research of coffee beans and super knowledgeable baristas. Because of this, the prices are slightly higher than what you would pay for your daily coffee, but I can assure you when you do go, it’s totally worth it. While coffee is their main gig, Brew Lab offers amazing food to complement you espresso and great teas alternatives. 

3. Spoon

Somewhere in between a cafe and a restaurant, Spoon is the perfect brunch place. Their food is amazing and affordable, with a lot of diversity to cater for all tastes, including great vegetarian and gluten free options. It’s very bright and spacious, and conveniently close to university. 

4. Peter’s Yard*

I have only discovered Peter’s Yard a couple months ago. This Swedish bakery is right next to the School of Social and Political Science, in the Quartermile. Its specialty is crispbread (knäckebröd), but everything they offer is amazing - from the open sandwiches to the coffee. My personal favourite? The cardamom bun. 

5. Elephant and Bagels*

Pretty self-explanatory: they serve amazing bagels in an elephant-themed shop.

This café is a bagel-lover heaven. They have all kinds of different flavoured bagels (and a gluten free option!) and countless tasty fillings. It’s a great place to grab lunch and a coffee on a short break between classes. 

6. Kilimanjaro

Another student fave. It might be because of the varied tea selection, the amazing scones or the mouth-watering cakes. However, in my opinion what makes it a great place to study is that is a no wi-fi area, providing a caffeinated but distraction-free environment.

Finally, special mention: Maison de Moggy

It is not actually close to university and I have not been there yet. However, I believe every student in Edinburgh should be aware of its existence. Maison de Moggy is a cat cafe. Yes, you read that right. Basically, you go in there and you get to play with cats of all shapes and sizes. I imagine it to be something like this:

Sure, entrance £7 per hour, but think of all the kittens! I haven’t been yet, but I heard that it is totally worth it. If you go before me, let me know what you think of it! 

We asked current students to tell us what is a must-have item to survive at UoE. Here is what they said.

1. Topped-up University Card

...for printing and getting discounted coffee at uni cafes. It also gives you access to the library and all kind of buildings - pretty essential. (Kristyna, Philosophy & economics)

2. Laptop

... the library has plenty of computer workstations, but it can get quite busy. If you don’t own one, the university provides a Laptop Loan service easily accessible to all students.

3. Warm clothes...

4... and a rain poncho

It doesn't rain as much as you expect it to in Scotland, but when it does it's super windy. When you're going to Uni and trying to avoid getting really wet, a rain poncho is great!  (Larissa, Social Policy and Politics)

5. Parents on speed dial

...because living as a adult is hard (Dylan, History).

6. Tartan scarf

...because we’re in Scotland after all (Gaia, International Relations).

7. Something to join both taps 

...so you can have a normal tap like in the rest of the world, and not two separate taps - one that spews water from the depths of hell, another straight from the centre of Antarctica. I've seen these on pictures on the internet - if they really exist, then one is a definite must-have (Ivan, Ecological and Environmental Sciences).

8. Social skills...

...because you’ll meet a LOT of new people.

9... and food

...because it makes life better  (T.O., Chemical Engineering). 

10. Patience

Things might get tough, but please - don’t be this guy:

(Lindsey, Sociology and Psychology)

11. Caffeine

...for all the all-nighters followed by 9 am lectures (Clara, Archaeology and social anthropology).

Despite all this amazing tips, just remember - be your amazing self and you’ll be fine!

CAN’T CONTAIN THE EXCITEMENT? Neither can we!

Summer begins, exams end and you start to get a better idea of where you will be next year. It’s time to start thinking of *practical things* such as, you know, finding a place to live. 

While I am not an expert on accommodation matters, here are some questions that helped me while considering housing options:

1. What is your budget?

This is perhaps the most important factor to consider when looking for accommodation. If you are new to Edinburgh or the UK, it might be hard to predict what your expenses are going to be. Don’t worry! The International Office compiled a list of estimated living costs, as well as an international student calculator to help you determine what your budget will look like. 

Money saving tip: if you’re used to having a roommate or if simply privacy is not a top priority, sharing a room can spare you a lot of money.

2. What is included in the contract?

Are utilities and bills included? Things like Internet, electricity, water and heat might seem minor additional expenses, but over the course of the year they might pile up and become a problem. It’s better to avoid these unpleasant surprises. 

3. What do you want to be close to?

Before signing any contract, make sure to do some research about the city, the transport system and the way the University campuses are spread around the city.  If you want some more guidance on which areas of Edinburgh students usually live in, check out this entry.

You will probably spend most of your time in the central campus (George Square). However, there is a number of things to keep in mind. For instance, if you are a sports enthusiast you might want to consider how far the University gym is; if you travel a lot, may be worth it to look closer to the train and the bus station; and so on.

Flats that are further away from the central area tend to be cheaper and bigger. Furthermore, "far" in Edinburgh means a 20 minutes bus ride, which will make anyone coming from a big city laugh.

However, you should know that most students look for accommodation around the main campus and in the long run it might become tiring to be only one of your friends that lives far away. In the end, it's just a matter of what you prioritise.

4. When does the lease start?

If you are looking into private housing, make sure your contract extents for the whole period you are in Edinburgh, from Welcome Week to the end of exams in May 2017. 

For the year 2016/17, Arrivals Weekend is on the 10, 11 & 12 September and it is followed by Welcome Week, which is full of events that are important to get started at UoE.

More info on the 2016/17 Academic Calendar here. Don't be like Rory: 

5. What does the contract entail?

You are entering a legal contract - learn your rights and duties and read up about fire safety, pets policy, and noise complaints. At the same time, protect yourself from scams: is your landlord registered? Is the flat licensed? Familiarise yourself with the Edinburgh housing policies here. 

In case you don’t know where to start,  these are two of the best available resources for new students. 

University of Edinburgh Accommodation Services

On this website managed by the  University you will find a lot more than information about University halls. It contains useful material on a variety of topics and issues, including: 

Visiting and Exchange student living

Opening a bank account 

Private sector housing 

Sport and Exercise at UoE 

IT facilities

EUSA Advice Place

The Advice Place is one of the greatest services organised by our Student Association (EUSA). Aside from general tips on how to find accommodation,  their website contains amazing tools on housing law:

Identifying illegal administration fees

Recognising the scams

Signing Your Lease 

Students' Renting Experience

stick with your flatmates in freshers week for the love of god on a night out you do not want to be left on your own

don’t take more than £25 at a PUSH you will run out of money but you will thank me when you’re not £1000 into your overdraft by the end of your year

(get a planned overdraft of at least £500)

IF YOU'RE MOVING INTO ACCOMMODATION THEN GET YOUR OWN CUPBOARD DO NOT SHARE CUPBOARDS