Being a fresher is both an exciting and stressful experience. As the place you call home will change, so will your habits, routine and friends. This guide is here to help you make the most out of your first few months at King's, and allow you to avoid some of the common pitfalls that new students often fall into.
Conquering the administrative side of life
This is both essential and complicated, rewarding but boring. Between sorting out your accommodation, opening up a new bank account, setting up an Oyster card, and dealing with all the commitments you will have for your first days and weeks at King’s, it can all easily feel overwhelming.
If you’re coming from abroad to London, all of this is even more stressful! You will most likely need to open up a phone plan and go through the hassle of getting a National Insurance number. My best tip would honestly be just to take the time and knock them out diligently one after the other. It can be boring and frustrating, but not dealing with it will never help. Make sure to follow our guide for students who come from abroad to help you in this!
Work and time-management tips
As with the administrative side, one of the best pieces of advice I can give for studying is to stay organised. Have only one calendar where everything is, and put all your deadlines and obligations inside. Plan ahead! Set aside time to work early on, and break down big deadlines into smaller, more achievable objectives.
A big part of having a productive day is also to have periods where you don’t work. There needs to be moments when you switch off, shut down your laptop, and make time for yourself.
Finally, I’ll end this series of tips with a reminder to sleep! Sleep eight hours a night, and try to fall asleep and wake up at roughly the same time every day. I promise this is a better method to have energy than any amount of coffee and is great for your mental health. You will be less stressed, more energetic and dynamic, and happier!
Check out our Help & Advice pages for more tips on keeping up with student life.