Introductions: Starting the first semester

Hello!
Welcome to the first ever post on 'Through The Labyrinth'! My name is Emily and I am a first year Adult Nursing student at University Campus Suffolk. The aim of this blog is pretty much just to act as a kind of portfolio (so i can look back on my time at university at the end of the three years). It will also be a learning resource. I hope to post information about what I am learning in lectures and stuff and also this blog is just so that I can vent my emotions and stress etc.
Anyway, more about me, eh? Well, I chose nursing because it seems like a good enough career. I've always wanted to work in a hospital because I pretty much grew up in hopsitals because of visiting other family members so I never feel strange walking into hospitals...
Anyway, I like studying. Always have, really. My best subjects at school were maths and science. I love anatomy and physiology (A&P) as well.
Ok, so I've just started university. I started Monday and it's currently only a few days into the semester. Induction week has been ok I suppose. We've pretty much just been sitting there listening to lecturers drone on and on about 'deadlines', 'expectations' and blah-blah-blah... admittedly it HAS been fairly... BORING. I almost fell asleep, tbf. -_-
But I really love the UCS campus, it is situated on the Ipswich waterfront and it's so beautiful. On my daily commute I walk along the waterfront. Today the sun glistened off the surface of the water. It was beautiful.
I must say, however, I have a few tips for prospective 2012/2013 students who will be starting in September.
Below are a few tips for the first few days of university. What to bring, how to prepare and what to expect of your first few days...

What to bring...
*A notebook - at least A6 size. You will find that you'll be writing down you timetable/important names and dates. Don't forget this!!
*Two pens - in case one decides to break.
*A plastic A4-size wallet - you will be given SO MANY random pieces of paper, this will be INVALUABLE! Also, being plastic it will protect important papers from rain, leaking water bottles etc. Practically idiot proof.
*Money - Even if you plan to bring a packed lunch, you may decide to get a coffee or a blueberry muffin on-campus at breaktime, which is NOT cheap, might i add.
*Mobile Phone - To text mummy or daddy to let them know how you're getting on! But!!! Keep it on silent. No vibrate! No wolf-whistle ringtones, either.
*SFE info - Probably the most important thing to bring after yourself. Without Student finance information, the admin office will not be able to scan the little barcode to confirm your attendance and you know what THAT means. Yep. NO MONEY until your attendnce is confirmed. Make sure you bring it. Otherwise it'll take longer to get your money.
*Enrolment confirmation - Without this, you might not be allowed into classes.

How to prepare...
*Clothing and (a supportive and comfortable) bag (not a handbag) - Prepare your clothing, lay them out ready. Pack your bag and put it by the door, the night before. This means that if you wake up late, you can just grab them and GO!! Also, please, please DO NOT bring a handbag. Your shoulder will ache at the end of the day. It's not worth it. Wear a good, strong and supportive rucksack. Believe it or not, many people do. It's not just a geek thing. These rucksacks are good.
*ALARM CLOCK!! - Do i really need to explain this one? Set your alarm at a reasonable time to allow yourself to get up, have a shower, get changed, have something to eat and actually get there!
*Books - It's nice to be enthusiastic about your course and all but DON'T buy any books until after the first lecture at least! I actually lost count of how many times my lecturers have told us NOT to buy books until we are absolutely sure that we need it. Remember, google books is just as good and the library at your college is brilliant too! Use these resources as much as you can! They are free after all.
*Sleep - Please, please, please!!! Get enough sleep the night before!! Believe it or not lectures are actually very tiring. If your uni is campus based, you will find that you will walk around a lot and also talk a lot which really drains your energy! So go to bed at a reasonable time, say 10:00-ish. No, not 01:00. please. No Xbox if you can help it. No video games! You need sleep!! Don't waste this valuable time!
*Grooming - I know I kind of touched on this but I thought of something else... Make sure that you clothe yourself according to the weather. Don't make the same mistakes I did in the first few days. Look outside as you wake up. Is it raining? Windy? Chilly? What is the weather forecast for the day? Chilly at first but warmer later? Plan ahead! Also, get a hair cut one-two weeks before to allow it to grow in a bit. (It will look better!) And DON'T pluck your eyebrows in the morning. Unless you want red patches on your face for others to stare at... Also, this kinda ties in...
*Personal hygiene - Let's face it, no-one wants to sit next to someone with a BO problem. And no-one wants to be friends with someone with smelly hair or dirty clothes. It's just COMMON SENSE!! I mean, I don't mean to be rude but, COME ON!! There's NO excuse. Have a shower/bath in the morning. Not the night before. You actually sweat a LOT whilst sleeping. Plus, it makes you feel more alert and more ready to face the day.
*Enrolment - Another very inportant point. Make sure you enrol before you go for your first day. Depending on the university, you'll either enrol online or by post. Make sure you check the post or e-mail inbox regularly for any notifications from the uni telling you to enrol. If you dont enrol, well... you won't be on the registration list on your first day... And that might cause a few problems... Also, you won't get your student ID card, which (especially at my uni) will mean you will have very limited access to university facilities meaning you won't be able to gain access to the lecture theatres, library and other vital study areas.
*Reading - Some courses (not all) will send you a reading list before you start your course. Make sure you read all that is required. You don't wanna be behind on the first day.
*Your own laptop & printer - A few weeks before I would say it is very wise to invest in a good laptop. Why? You will NOT (or rather you will but it would be extremely difficult) for you to study/complete assignments/dissertation without your own laptop. Even if you share a laptop with a sibling/other family member or partner. Chances are, the other person will get peed off with having restricted time on the laptop to play World Of Warcraft or.. whatever they play... and this means home life will start to bug you. If you have NO money before you start I would recommend buying a laptop as soon as your SFE payment has been received. Laptops are amazing. They are portable works of art, use them to your advantage. Here is the one I have. (Another tip: don't buy a laptop just because it's cheap. Chances are it's a pile of poo. Spend the extra £100-ish for better quality). Also, buy your own printer. There will be lines and lines of people at the college printers and what if the printers are 'out of order' the day of the deadline? Opps. Yep, spend that extra £30 and get a decent printer. It will save you a lot of stress later on. This is my one.

Other tips...
*Dont be afraid to be alone - Granted, it would be great to make friends on the first day but this doesn't always happen. If you find yourself in this predicament there are always areas you can escape to by yourself at lunchtime. Most libraries have eating areas and I'm sure there are plenty of off-campus coffee shops. And not forgetting McDonalds or Burger king. Remember, it's only the first week. Chill. After classes or in study periods take a little walk to find some of these smaller coffee shops that charge a fraction of the price Costa and Starbucks do. Plus, there are, more often, no queues which means less study time to waste. Also, do the same for study spots. In the first two weeks seek out quiet areas for study. Some places will be more crowded than others but there are always quieter times and quieter areas around campus.
*Don't shout out in lectures - might sound a bit weird but it's true. So many people just shout out their 'answers' during a discussion. Be polite and raise your hand slightly just to get the lecturers attention. Granted, you're not a child anymore but it's just something called 'manners'. You don't wanna shout something out and then the lecturer isn't even listening to you. Embarrassing, much? Also, there is someone kinda like this is my lectures and she has no friends. I mean, there might not be a correlation but I'm betting that that is why...
*Don't flirt - Again, I can explain. Don't push yourself forward on guys. It's weird. You've JUST met them. Sure, greet them as you pass in the halls or make small talk like you've been doing to pretty much everyone on your course. Just, rule out flirting. It's humiliating. So just don't (at least for induction/when you're sober anyway...). Also, guys might think you're desparate and might take advantage later on. Other girls might think you are just being their friends to get the boys attention. Either way, you're screwed.
*NO chewing gum - Remember in high school when you got told off for chewing gum in class? Well, don't chew in lectures. It's distracting and you might get told to spit it out. On your first day. In front of 150 other people in the lecture theatre. Don't humiliate yourself. Please. Most lecturers don't like you eating/drinking in classes anyway. But if you really can't stand it, eat a mint.
*Try to enjoy it - uni is hard but it's also very exciting and its very different to what you may have experienced at sixth form or school or wherever. There is more freedom. But in the first two weeks just pace yourself. You dont HAVE to join societies or sign up to be a course rep etc in the first two days. Just settle in. Take it easy. Don't spread yourself too thin or you'll have less time for assignments/studying. Enjoy what you're learning. You are paying for it after all! xD

Ok, I've said enough ^^
What a lovely first post, eh? (:
Very longggg. But, hey.
I hope it was helpful. Check back soon for my next post!!

Emily