A warm welcome to all our Freshers. You’ve made it, you’re finally here and it’s time to start your university journey.
This will be a time of great change for you all as you get used to your new surroundings, lectures, peers and responsibilities. But don’t worry, because everything will fall into place in the coming days and weeks and, before you know it, you’ll have completed your first term with us.
We thought we’d compile some advice to help you navigate your way through this transitional period and make sure you’re aware of the resources and support network available to you.
There are various support networks provided by the University:
- Your Personal Academic Tutor – your primary point of contact for advice and guidance on academic work and progress.
- Enabling Services Drop-in – support and advice for all students from 13:00 – 15:00, Monday – Friday (term time) in the Student Services Waiting Area, B37.
- Enabling Services Study Skills Support – an opportunity for students who may have a specific learning difficulty to meet one-to-one with a practitioner for practical study advice and support. No appointment necessary, the service is available during term time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 14:00 – 16:00 in room 2047 (AT Suite), Hartley Library, and is available during holidays on Wednesdays from 14:00 – 16:00.
- Student Life – available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, this dedicated team is here to support your wellbeing, whether you live in halls or private rented accommodation. Call the team on Tel: +44(0)23 8059 8180, email: [email protected] or alternatively, visit your nearest Halls of Residence.
And the Students’ Union also offers various support services:
- Advice Centre – the team provides students with free, independent, confidential advice and representation in a friendly, relaxed environment. The Advice Centre can be found on Level 3 of Building 40 on Highfield Campus.
- Nightline – the listening service run by students, operates every evening in term time from 20:00 – 08:00.
- Look after your mate – Held in partnership with Student Minds and the Union Advice Centre, students can sign up to ‘Look After Your Mate’ training sessions to help equip them with the tools they need to support their friends during difficult times.
One of the biggest differences you’ll notice between school and university is that lecturers aren’t like teachers – they’ll treat you like adults and won’t spoon feed you knowledge and answers. This being said, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help, as lecturers are always willing to discuss anything you’re unsure about.
You will need to undertake a lot of independent research to complete your assignments, and learning how to reference properly will be an essential skill. The University provides referencing guides relevant to your respective faculty.
Lectures won’t fit into a neat pattern of five periods a day so you should familiarise yourself with your timetable, which you can access, alongside campus maps, on the MySouthampton app.
As well as your academic work, you will also need to organise and plan your finances. Creating a weekly budget will help you to keep a grip on your money and avoid the struggle of having spent too much in your first few weeks as a student.
We hope you all have a fantastic Freshers’ experience. Get involved and try out as many new things as you can through the various societies and events on offer.
While you are travelling to and from events as a new student, it’s important to be aware of the effects alcohol can have on you. You can find advice on how to travel and stay safe on both our website and through Drink Aware.
