There is no \u201ctypical student experience\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nYou might have heard different phrases that \u201cdefine\u201d the student experience that come in the form of \u201cAre you really a student if you haven\u2019t done X Y Z?\u201d These could be things like pulling all-nighters before deadlines, going to parties, studying last minute and many more.<\/p>\n
While these can happen to some people, not everyone will experience them. There is so much more to being a student; you do not have to feel left out if you do not do them throughout university.<\/p>\n
Of course, there will be many times when you will relate to other students, but it does not have to be all the time.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n- \n
It\u2019s okay if you do not want to drink or go on nights out<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nWhatever reason you have for not wanting to drink, it is totally valid! You do not have to do anything you are not comfortable with just for the sake of fitting in.<\/p>\n
Even though it might not seem like it at first, there will be people who share similar views and understand and respect your decision. There are many other ways to meet and hang out with people where drinking and going on nights out do not have to be involved!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2023\/07\/20210321_163346-01-scaled.jpeg\")
Pot painting activity with a friend<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
\n- \n
Step outside of your comfort zone<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThis might sound scary to some people, but it does not have to be! It can be the perfect time to do something you have not done before.<\/p>\n
You can start small and build up from there. One way you can do that is by going to the Freshers Fair and seeing the societies<\/a>, sports clubs<\/a>, and volunteering opportunities<\/a> that are there. There are over 250 societies and more than 50 sports clubs, so there are loads of choices! Through this, you will meet people with similar interests and even make new friends.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\n- \n
There is plenty of support available<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nFrom wellbeing to academic support, careers or money advice, there are many areas in which you can get help.<\/p>\n
You will find services<\/a> such as Student Advice<\/a> or Jobshop<\/a> in the Students\u2019 Union<\/a>, which can be really helpful if you encounter academic or housing problems (Student Advice) or want to earn money alongside studying (Jobshop).<\/p>\nBesides these, six main services fall under Student Connect<\/a>, which you can find in the Centre for Student Life<\/a>, right next to the Students\u2019 Union<\/a>. It covers all sorts of areas<\/a>, and it is important to know that help is available should you need it.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2023\/04\/20230404_101618-scaled.jpg\")
Centre for Student Life<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
\n- \n
You can do things alone<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nDuring university, you will spend a lot of time surrounded by other students in classes, the library or even around the city. Sometimes, taking a break and doing something alone can be helpful!<\/p>\n
One of my favourite activities is walking in the park and enjoying nature. It can be very calming and can help you de-stress and feel better. But you can go even further than that! Why not go to an event, to brunch or a picnic by yourself? Back in May, I went to a Beyonc\u00e9 concert alone, and I still had loads of fun.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2023\/05\/Principality-scaled.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
\n- \n
Take advantage of opportunities <\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nA significant advantage to Cardiff University and its Students\u2019 Union is the huge number of opportunities you can get involved in. There is something for everyone through volunteering, working, or joining a society or sports club.<\/p>\n
It can help you develop new skills, learn more about yourself and, as mentioned before, take you out of your comfort zone. I am really happy that in my last two years, I made an effort to do other things besides university work, and I can leave university knowing that I helped in different ways.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2023\/03\/VideoCapture_20230306-162344-01-01.jpeg\")
Students’ Union spring elections<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
\n- \n
Time will pass quicker than you think<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nAs someone who is graduating really soon, I have no idea where the time went. It feels strange that I started three years ago, and now I am done with my undergraduate degree.<\/p>\n
It might not feel like it while writing assignments or doing group work, but time will fly away. I can now look back and see those moments both as lessons and as memories.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2023\/07\/200723_175635.jpeg\")
Graduation ceremony 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
With that being said, my best university tip comes from Taylor Swift\u2019s lyrics, \u201cTake the moment and taste it\/ You\u2019ve got no reason to be afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Starting university can be scary, and that is okay! One thing to keep in mind is that everyone is in the same boat, even when others are not showing it. […]","protected":false},"author":6958,"featured_media":16519,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[696,693,694,704],"tags":[21,637,41,84,151,307],"class_list":["post-16542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice-for-students","category-cardiff-university-experiences","category-student-life","category-why-university","tag-cardiffuniversity","tag-applying-to-university","tag-cardiff","tag-first-year","tag-student-life","tag-university-life"],"meta_box":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6958"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16542"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16575,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16542\/revisions\/16575"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
It\u2019s okay if you do not want to drink or go on nights out<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nWhatever reason you have for not wanting to drink, it is totally valid! You do not have to do anything you are not comfortable with just for the sake of fitting in.<\/p>\n
Even though it might not seem like it at first, there will be people who share similar views and understand and respect your decision. There are many other ways to meet and hang out with people where drinking and going on nights out do not have to be involved!<\/p>\nPot painting activity with a friend<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
\n- \n
Step outside of your comfort zone<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThis might sound scary to some people, but it does not have to be! It can be the perfect time to do something you have not done before.<\/p>\n
You can start small and build up from there. One way you can do that is by going to the Freshers Fair and seeing the societies<\/a>, sports clubs<\/a>, and volunteering opportunities<\/a> that are there. There are over 250 societies and more than 50 sports clubs, so there are loads of choices! Through this, you will meet people with similar interests and even make new friends.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\n- \n
There is plenty of support available<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nFrom wellbeing to academic support, careers or money advice, there are many areas in which you can get help.<\/p>\n
You will find services<\/a> such as Student Advice<\/a> or Jobshop<\/a> in the Students\u2019 Union<\/a>, which can be really helpful if you encounter academic or housing problems (Student Advice) or want to earn money alongside studying (Jobshop).<\/p>\nBesides these, six main services fall under Student Connect<\/a>, which you can find in the Centre for Student Life<\/a>, right next to the Students\u2019 Union<\/a>. It covers all sorts of areas<\/a>, and it is important to know that help is available should you need it.<\/p>\nCentre for Student Life<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
\n- \n
You can do things alone<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nDuring university, you will spend a lot of time surrounded by other students in classes, the library or even around the city. Sometimes, taking a break and doing something alone can be helpful!<\/p>\n
One of my favourite activities is walking in the park and enjoying nature. It can be very calming and can help you de-stress and feel better. But you can go even further than that! Why not go to an event, to brunch or a picnic by yourself? Back in May, I went to a Beyonc\u00e9 concert alone, and I still had loads of fun.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
\n- \n
Take advantage of opportunities <\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nA significant advantage to Cardiff University and its Students\u2019 Union is the huge number of opportunities you can get involved in. There is something for everyone through volunteering, working, or joining a society or sports club.<\/p>\n
It can help you develop new skills, learn more about yourself and, as mentioned before, take you out of your comfort zone. I am really happy that in my last two years, I made an effort to do other things besides university work, and I can leave university knowing that I helped in different ways.<\/p>\nStudents’ Union spring elections<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
\n- \n
Time will pass quicker than you think<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nAs someone who is graduating really soon, I have no idea where the time went. It feels strange that I started three years ago, and now I am done with my undergraduate degree.<\/p>\n
It might not feel like it while writing assignments or doing group work, but time will fly away. I can now look back and see those moments both as lessons and as memories.<\/p>\nGraduation ceremony 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
With that being said, my best university tip comes from Taylor Swift\u2019s lyrics, \u201cTake the moment and taste it\/ You\u2019ve got no reason to be afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Starting university can be scary, and that is okay! One thing to keep in mind is that everyone is in the same boat, even when others are not showing it. […]","protected":false},"author":6958,"featured_media":16519,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[696,693,694,704],"tags":[21,637,41,84,151,307],"class_list":["post-16542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice-for-students","category-cardiff-university-experiences","category-student-life","category-why-university","tag-cardiffuniversity","tag-applying-to-university","tag-cardiff","tag-first-year","tag-student-life","tag-university-life"],"meta_box":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6958"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16542"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16575,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16542\/revisions\/16575"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/p>\n
- \n
- \n
Step outside of your comfort zone<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This might sound scary to some people, but it does not have to be! It can be the perfect time to do something you have not done before.<\/p>\n
You can start small and build up from there. One way you can do that is by going to the Freshers Fair and seeing the societies<\/a>, sports clubs<\/a>, and volunteering opportunities<\/a> that are there. There are over 250 societies and more than 50 sports clubs, so there are loads of choices! Through this, you will meet people with similar interests and even make new friends.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
- \n
- \n
There is plenty of support available<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
From wellbeing to academic support, careers or money advice, there are many areas in which you can get help.<\/p>\n
You will find services<\/a> such as Student Advice<\/a> or Jobshop<\/a> in the Students\u2019 Union<\/a>, which can be really helpful if you encounter academic or housing problems (Student Advice) or want to earn money alongside studying (Jobshop).<\/p>\n
Besides these, six main services fall under Student Connect<\/a>, which you can find in the Centre for Student Life<\/a>, right next to the Students\u2019 Union<\/a>. It covers all sorts of areas<\/a>, and it is important to know that help is available should you need it.<\/p>\n
Centre for Student Life<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
- \n
- \n
You can do things alone<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
During university, you will spend a lot of time surrounded by other students in classes, the library or even around the city. Sometimes, taking a break and doing something alone can be helpful!<\/p>\n
One of my favourite activities is walking in the park and enjoying nature. It can be very calming and can help you de-stress and feel better. But you can go even further than that! Why not go to an event, to brunch or a picnic by yourself? Back in May, I went to a Beyonc\u00e9 concert alone, and I still had loads of fun.<\/p>\n
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n
- \n
- \n
Take advantage of opportunities <\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
A significant advantage to Cardiff University and its Students\u2019 Union is the huge number of opportunities you can get involved in. There is something for everyone through volunteering, working, or joining a society or sports club.<\/p>\n
It can help you develop new skills, learn more about yourself and, as mentioned before, take you out of your comfort zone. I am really happy that in my last two years, I made an effort to do other things besides university work, and I can leave university knowing that I helped in different ways.<\/p>\n
Students’ Union spring elections<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
- \n
- \n
Time will pass quicker than you think<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
As someone who is graduating really soon, I have no idea where the time went. It feels strange that I started three years ago, and now I am done with my undergraduate degree.<\/p>\n
It might not feel like it while writing assignments or doing group work, but time will fly away. I can now look back and see those moments both as lessons and as memories.<\/p>\n
Graduation ceremony 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
With that being said, my best university tip comes from Taylor Swift\u2019s lyrics, \u201cTake the moment and taste it\/ You\u2019ve got no reason to be afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Starting university can be scary, and that is okay! One thing to keep in mind is that everyone is in the same boat, even when others are not showing it. […]","protected":false},"author":6958,"featured_media":16519,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[696,693,694,704],"tags":[21,637,41,84,151,307],"class_list":["post-16542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice-for-students","category-cardiff-university-experiences","category-student-life","category-why-university","tag-cardiffuniversity","tag-applying-to-university","tag-cardiff","tag-first-year","tag-student-life","tag-university-life"],"meta_box":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6958"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16542"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16575,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16542\/revisions\/16575"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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- \n
- \n
- \n