You’ll make life-long friends during your 1^st year, but not with everybody, so go easy with your ebullience. However, politeness costs nothing and it’ll certainly pass a bit of time whilst waiting, and you might even learn something. But don’t just hang around with people because they live in the same house / corridor, or because everyone else likes them, there are plenty of other, less shallow, people about.

On the subject of popularity, you don’t have to fake liking the latest ‘comedy’ or TV sensation. Like in the school playground, when sex is mentioned, most people are just pretending because it makes them seem popular, interesting and better than you. Grow up.

There will be times when you miss your life back home: homesickness is a fact of life and it is especially great during University life. Everybody gets it, but some can hide it better than others can, remember you’re not alone.

The Golden Rules for an easy life are:

1. Try to find out where your lectures are before they happen – consistently being late is not the way to impress the people who’ll be teaching you for 3 years.
2. Safe sex is a must – you don’t know where they’ve been, literally.
3. Meningitis is not a joke (Click here for more details)
4. Campuses aren’t the safe little hamlets they used to be. Beware of campus thieves, so pretend you’re in an airport "keep your possessions with you at all times" and take the usual precautions
5. Be safe in the town / city you’re in, remember that not everyone likes students, use your nous and don’t go to places where you’re a real outsider.
6. The workload when you first arrive won’t be too much – after Christmas, though, it’ll be time to knuckle down (the main reason you’re at Uni is to study).

And finally,

7. Never wear a suit to a lecture, ever.

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