My Induction Week Diary- First Year 🎓

I've always struggled with new beginnings- it goes against every fibre of my being to start something that I have little to no experience in. But that's exactly what I did! For those of you who are like me, hopefully not too many of you for your wellbeing's sake, I'm going to give you a rough guide as to how my week went and details which I found quite important and wish I'd looked at/thought of beforehand.

My Timetable

I love planning my days in advance when I'm out of the house as it helps me organise my thoughts and not stress all too much. Here's a copy of my induction week timetable that I got sent around 2 weeks before I started my course, yours will likely look something like this too. I found it useful to look up the map of the university and point out where my rooms/buildings would be for this week- I get lost quite easily so this was very handy. Something else I found helpful was following the university's social media accounts, including the one for the school my course comes under. If you do this in advance it'll help familiarise you with the campus, facilities and to help you recognise people who can help you whilst you're there if you get stuck. For example, I found out who the business school SCOs (Student Community Organisers) where and followed them on Instagram to help me feel more comfortable with the thought of approaching them for guidance.

Opportunities

I've always been a "yes" person out of fear, now I do it to develop my professional identity. There's nothing wrong with talking with your lecturers and asking for any extra opportunities for professional development at the uni- you'll often find these tips invaluable. For example, I volunteered to be my cohort's student representative and am currently taking part in a research study for one of the lecturer's masters degree. I've also enquired about starting up a marketing society for the uni and have (attempted) connecting with a few of my lecturers on Linkedin. Put yourself out there and you'll be rewarded!

Online Lessons

I know it's very tempting but try to refrain from rolling out of bed five minutes before your online lectures start, especially if you've neglected to figure out how to get in to the session the night before. This has happened to me twice in the last week and it's been terribly frustrating! Also, try your best to engage with the tutors in these sessions, even if its just turning on your camera, just so they don't feel like they're talking into a void. I promise you no-one is looking at you, no matter how much main character energy you possess.

Coffee

After my first induction session I headed straight to the nearest coffee vendor and grabbed my signature drink- oat latte with a shot of caramel. The vibes were on point, as was the beverage. I'd made a friend at the induction session, we bonded over our almost-matching jumpers and borderline identical personalities. That's another tip for you, talk to people! you're more than likely to find someone that's on your level and this will be a great addition to your university experience, on both the academic and social side.

Notes

I hate note-taking. Nothing much more to say on that topic if I'm honest. My tip is to pay attention to what you're writing, figure out if the information will be useful or not and cut out the connectives, you'll understand what you've written if you're smart about it. I am currently assembling a page of templates and will update this blog with the link for it when it's ready!

That should cover everything you're going to need for that crucial week, good luck to you!