Students' and Parents' Experiences
Gap Year student
"For me the transition to university was quite a simple one, or so I thought! Having taken a gap year, I knew that this was what I wanted to do, and it had given me vital confidence to make new friends and not to stress too much. When I arrived at my flat I was a bit disappointed with it, but suddenly I realised that this was my space, and I absolutely loved it.
My mum began to bustle about immediately, whilst my dad and I stood back. My first piece of advice is to let your parents tidy your stuff away as much as they want because when other people start to arrive you probably won't feel like it and after four hours 'getting to know each other' at the pub you'll wish that you had made your bed before going out!
My other piece of advice is to be open-minded. I know some people who did not allow themselves to get along with the others because of opinions about ear piercing or strange fashion sense. This is a bad idea, and the majority of these people don't broaden their horizons and make it extremely hard for themselves to make friends. Even if the guy next door has a chain from his ear to his nose, he's probably just a guy called Geoff who loves exactly the same music as you.
Surprisingly to me, the hardest part was the fact that I had taken a gap year. It wasn't because I wasn't used to doing work (although writing was pretty weird!!) but the fact that none of the others in my flat had taken a gap year. This made me the oldest and earned me the nickname "Granny", even though at the end of my first year I am still only 19.
My advice for gap year students is not to go on long rambling stories about the time you rode an elephant through the Thai jungle or dived the Great Barrier Reef, because it makes everyone else feel like their summer working in Morrisons wasn't as much fun as they thought and they feel belittled. Instead, only tell them when they ask, and don't give them the full story, perhaps just where you went and an idea of what you got up to; they'll be a lot warmer towards someone who plays down that kind of thing.
To parents, yes, it's a shock to be separated from little Jimmy for the first time since he went on scout camp when he was 13, but telling his new flat mates this or enacting similar departing techniques such as: "Have you been to the toilet?" "Remember to ring me every other day, and call your grandma too, she'll be wanting to know how you are" is NOT a good idea.
My mum wanted to help me to settle in, but when moving day finally arrives you just want to crash onto your bed with some alone time and get used to your surroundings. It's a sometimes-difficult, but absolutely brilliant time. Make the most of it as it goes extremely quickly!!
Good Luck"
Emily Cook
First Year
History and Philosophy