Hello everyone! This week, we’re excited to hear from Rachel, one of our amazing student volunteers, as she embarks on her new journey at Abertay University. Moving to university is a huge step, and Rachel’s first week has been filled with fresh experiences, a few challenges, and lots of excitement. Let’s dive into what she has to share!
What were your initial impressions of the university campus at Abertay?
I loved the Abertay campus since going to the open days because it’s a smaller campus. It wasn’t overwhelming, finding my way about and they have so many study and social spaces. It felt so welcoming.
What were the most challenging aspects of the first week?
The thing I was most nervous about was meeting new people and navigating the social aspect of university life. I knew I wasn't going to have the traditional moving to halls, fresh out of high school experience and the first week is so nerve wracking! But everyone is in the same situation and the nerves do go away!
How did you prepare for your first week at university?
Thankfully my College lecturers did a great job at preparing me for university so readying myself for that first week wasn’t as challenging as I first thought!
Lots of deep breaths and reminding myself that this is what I want to do! And lots of planning around keeping a good balance between study time, work and general life.
Keeping a weekly planner and sticking to it (99% of the time!) has massively helped keep me feeling organised, on track and relaxed.
What advice would you give to someone about to start their first week at university?
My advice for anyone thinking about university would be to firstly do your research!
We had some amazing talks at College which helped me find which universities offered the course I wanted and their websites showed a breakdown of everything to expect with regards to modules and assessments.
Secondly, definitely visit the open days. It is the best way to get a feel of whether a place is right for you or not. I had 2 choices and the open days made me feel most at home at Abertay.
It’s all new so you’re going to be nervous and that’s fine! It’s nerve wracking but it’s also exciting and is a great step into finding your future career.
What has been your favourite module and why?
My favourite module so far is actually Intro to Policing. It is just so interesting to study the history of the police and to consider media portrayals of the forces.
We have looked at cases that have changed policies and cases that are currently in the news, with the aim of studying these from a criminological perspective which always generates brilliant class discussions.
Any tips for those who are nervous about starting their studies?
For anyone preparing for their first week I’d say keep a very open mind.
The modules I’m taking this year have surprised me (in a good way!) and I’ve changed my mind on a career path a few times already. Try not to go in with any expectations because the whole experience is different for everyone and that’s totally normal!
Being nervous is expected but deep breaths and just remind yourself you’ve chosen something you’re passionate about and it will all be worth it in the end.
We’re thrilled to see Rachel taking this exciting first step into university life, and we can’t wait to see her progress. We’re cheering you on, Rachel!
If you're considering university or want to send Rachel some encouragement, please leave a comment below!
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