All You Need To Know About Moving To University In 2024

It’s almost time to spread your wings and leave your parents nest to move to university, we bet you’re feeling a mix of emotions.

How does it feel? Great? Fantastic? The best period of your life? 

Or, maybe you’re sitting on the opposite end of the scale, feeling anxious, nervous and worried about what’s to come…if so, we understand and are here to help you through this!

Grab a cuppa, turn off your pesky social media notifications and take your time to read our guide on everything you need to know about moving to university in 2023!

You’re in for a treat – we promise.

1. Sort Out Your Accommodation

Of course this one only applies to you if you’re moving away from home, but you will need somewhere to live. 

Student accommodation is actually so fun when you come to think of it. You’re literally living with people who will most likely be your besties for years to come! Like seriously, who wouldn’t want that?!

Not to brag but we sure do know what we’re talking about when it comes to student accommodation! 

We have over 130 properties for you to choose from all across the UK, all of high spec and exceptional quality…

So, if you’re still looking, make sure to check out our locations page ‘cos you’re bound to find one you’ll love and trust!

The best part is, we sure know how to ensure a great student experience, with our dedicated residents app, KLIQ. 

2. Get Used To Cleaning Up After Yourself

It may seem like all fun and games living away from home but in those first few weeks, you’re going to come to realise you won’t have a fairy godmother cleaning up after your every move (heartbroken </3). 

It’s kinda like a revelation, you’ll come home from university halls and realise just how much your parents actually do in regards to cleaning, hoovering and mopping. It’s a never ending cycle!

In all seriousness, you don’t want to be ‘that’ flatmate that’s known as the gross one. Nah ah.

We won’t let you – so make sure you top yourself up on essentials such as fairy liquid, surface sprays and dust cloths!

3. Get Preparing Some Staple, Simple Recipes

Whilst ordering from UberEats and Deliveroo every now and again is great, you don’t want to get into the habit of doing it all the time – it seriously deflate your student budget.

There’s nothing more comforting than coming back to your flat and rustling up your favourite meal on the hob. 

If you can master the essential recipe then you’ll deffo impress all your new flatmates, and you can host cooking nights together whipping up your favourite meals.  

We’re not going to expect you to be Masterchef worthy, but knowing the old spag bol and fajita recipe by heart will ensure you’re getting all the veg and vitamins you need for a healthy diet!

4. Money Will Either Be Your Best Friend Or Your Worst Nightmare…

Money money and bloomin money. It’s all anyone ever goes on about these days, especially with the current cost of living crisis which is hitting everyone hard.

Whilst you’re at uni, prepare to be surrounded by money talks ALLLLL the time.

You’ll encounter a complete range of students when moving to university, from those who splash out their student loans in under one week, to the frugal spenders who budget consistently.

It’s a difficult one and that’s why it’s not uncommon for students to look for a part time job to manage their cash. 

If you think this would be up your street, we advise to deffo get searching for vacancies before you leave home!

There might be a few which tickle your fancy, so get searching on the likes of Indeed and LinkedIn Jobs.

5. Use Social Media To Your Advantage 

When moving to university, social media can be a really useful tool to help you meet new people and make new friends.

Once you accept your accommodation and receive your flat number, you’re most likely going to be given a few online groups to which you can access and find those you’re living with. 

From here you’ll be able to socialise with others and begin sparking conversations. You’re all in the same situation so it won’t be difficult to find a common ground with what to speak about!

Don’t limit yourself to being pals with people in your accommodation, branch out and try to speak to new people on social media, join online forums, attend social events and so on.

6. Prepare To Pack

Right here us out but do you know the saying…‘Fail to prepare, prepare to fail’

It’s basically suggesting that if you don’t prepare for something, you’re destined to fail in what you were doing? Well, that’s kinda like packing for uni, except it’s not that deep. 

Preparing to pack is essential for making sure your time at uni is as cosy as possible. Family members will urge you to start making a list ASAP to ensure you have everything you could possibly need!

Personal items such as your mobile phone are things you probably won’t forget when it comes down to it – but we’re talking like the long boring stuff such as hangers and a desk lamp.

From the extent of our time in the student accommodation business, we have come to realise there are two types of students when it comes to packing.

1 – Buys and packs everything before moving into their student accommodation. They most likely have a car packed full, from the boot all the way to the overhead storage box.

2 – Pack the bare essentials such as clothes and shoes. They’re most likely going to have quite an easy ride with more space to relax in the car. Then, once they get to their accommodation, they’ll head straight out into town and buy absolutely everything they need.

Now, most students will slot into #1 however it’s totally okay to feel like you want to be #2. It all still comes down to making a thorough checklist and sticking to it.

7. Plan Your Travel In Advance 

The world’s your oyster when it comes to transport you just have to make sure you know all the deets.

Don’t leave it to the last minute to sort out your transport, try to sort this out well in advance so that you’re not stressed when it comes to the big day. 

Whether it’s sorting a lift off your parents or friends, organising a lift with a taxi company, booking a train or so on, sort it out ASAP and it will be one less thing to worry about.

Not to mention, planning in advance for the big move means you can better take into account travel times, such as if everyone’s moving into your accom on the same day, perhaps it’s better setting off first thing! 

8. Nerves Are Normal

Please don’t feel like you’re alone if you’re feeling any sort of overwhelming or anxious feelings…you’re literally moving to university and leaving your childhood home for the first time. 

There are plenty of people in the same boat as you, so just remember that any of the nerves you may be feeling are normal.

Have you ever heard of the phrase “nervousness and excitement are the same”? Well, they are!

Turn any nerve wrecking feelings into excitement, you’re embarking on a new journey in your life and entering a new chapter – how amazing is that?

If you’re worried about feeling homesick in your new accommodation, there is support out there for you to utilise to make your journey as stress-free as possible!

9. Spend Time With Friends & Family

This next tip may sound a bit cliche, but in the weeks leading up to you moving to university, you should make sure to spend time with your friends and family.

Whilst you may have a lot to plan and get done before the big move, try to make the most of your summer, plan send offs, and say goodbye properly to everyone.

You may feel like you’ve got loaaads of time until you head off to uni, but it really does fly by, so try to enjoy every step and make memories.

Chances are, if you have loads of mates moving off to uni too, these next few months and weeks will be the last time you’re all going to be together for a while, so cherish it!

10. Get To Know The City or Town You’re Moving To

If you’re moving to an entirely new city or town, or even a new country all-together for university, we’d suggest getting to know a bit more about your new home in advance.

Whilst you may have attended open days and even had a chance to explore the place beforehand, it’s always good to do some more research, this way you’ll feel a little more in the know once you move there.

Try to search up online about what things there is to do, what the transport systems are like, what the nightlife scenes like, where’s the top food and drink spots, where the best places to shop are and so on.

You’ll get fully versed about student life in the city or town after moving there, but it always helps knowing a bit more beforehand.

If you already know the accommodation you’re moving into, you could use Google Maps to get a feel for the surrounding area.

You can see what’s around you such as bars or shops, as well as see what your journey to uni will be like.

Got some extra time this summer? You could even take a visit up to the city or town you’re moving to if it’s not too far!

11. Set Up A Student Bank Account

A key thing to sort out before moving off to university is to set up a student bank account.

Luckily, we’ve got just the guide for you to help you out with choosing the best provider to set up your student bank account.

Upon receiving an offer letter from UCAS, whether it’s a conditional or unconditional offer, you can set up your student bank account.

So, you don’t have to wait until you’ve started your course at university.

Try to get yours done and dusted sooner rather than later, it’s one less thing to worry about and it means you’ll get your all-important maintenance loan on time!

12. Lastly…Enjoy It!

Your first year of university is honestly going to be one of the best experiences of your life – so enjoy it!

You have things such as freshers week, inductions, club nights, and social events to look forward to, and you’ll meet SO many new people. 

Not to mention, you’ll be embarking on a new academic journey, where you’ll learn so much.

It can be hard to get those good vibes flowing when you’re slightly stressed about the move and you don’t really know what to expect, but you really will have an amazing time.

We hope you enjoyed our rundown of everything you need to know before moving to university in 2024!

From all the team at Homes for Students, we wish you the best if you’re heading to uni this academic year.

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