Eight things you need to know when you’re a new student
You’re in a new city, surrounded by new people and after you’ve unpacked, what now? Back at home you knew where to go, where the best deals were and suddenly it’s all new. Don’t worry, here’s some top tips to get you started, and after this, you’ll be feeling much more confident!
1. Where to get a coffee on campus
Whether you’re looking to grab a coffee on the way to lectures, relax and chat with friends, or find somewhere quiet to study, there’s loads of great cafes across campus to choose from. As well as hot drinks, there’s a great choice of food too. Wherever you are on campus, you’re not far from refreshing drinks and good food. You can also get money off if you bring your own KeepCup.
2. How to make the most of your new accommodation
If you’re in halls or in private accommodation, making your room feel like home is really important. It can be daunting living away from home, perhaps for the first time.
Definitely print off some photos — your family, friends (and pets)! They can be really helpful if you’re worried about feeling homesick. If you’re in University accommodation, find out what’s in your room to avoid bringing too much — you’ll only have to move it all when you move out.
If you can, arrange with your new flatmates about who’s bringing what, and remember there’s loads of shops (including a pop-up charity shop at the beginning of term on campus) where you can get any other things you may need.
Feeling homesick is perfectly normal, and you’ll find lots of people experience it. Find out how to help manage feeling homesick.
3. Keeping fit and exercise
Living away from home perhaps for the first time means you can stay up all night, eating pizza for every meal and do lots of lying down. However, it’s really important to look after yourself and keeping fit and exercising is a great way to meet new friends. Get Out Get Active is a programme of activity that has walks every weekend, as well as running, Pilates and yoga taking place on campus every week.
The campus gym (The Edge) offers a swimming pool, climbing wall and classes — don’t forget you basic membership included as part of your rent — you could always pay for an upgrade if you want. There’s off campus facilities too, such as Sports Park Weetwood where you can find pitches, coaching and much more. There’s also Bodington playing fields, which also includes the Brownlee Centre where you can find the longest cycle track in the UK!
If you don’t fancy the competitive or commitment side of sport, why not join the social sport side of things? There’s even fun and relaxed social leagues to take part in with your friends. Find out more about sports and activities for fun.
Discover the A-Z list of all of our sports clubs.
4. How to travel (sustainably) around Leeds
Whether you’re getting to your lectures, going shopping or visiting friends, there are many ways of travelling sustainably around Leeds.
Why not travel by bike? With loads of bike shelters and the Bike Hub (a great place to hire, volunteer and learn to fix your bike) it’s a perfect way to find your way around that is free, keeps you fit and is often faster than a car!
There are so many other ways to get involved in sustainability at Leeds including volunteering in your local community, becoming a Student Architect, a halls of residence green rep or helping the university to become single-use plastic-free by 2023.
If you’re living at home, find out about the commuter society, and their guide to traveling to campus.
5. Looking after yourself
This might be your first time away from home, and it’s perfectly normal to miss family and friends in the first few weeks. Don’t worry, you’re not alone, and so we’ve got lots of help.
Making new friends is probably the biggest concern students have, whether new to Uni, or in year two, three or beyond. Here’s five tips to making friends. Remember, Uni might really feel comfortable until you’ve found your people, which might be in the second year or beyond. It’s never too late to make friends!
Looking after yourself is important at all times, and making sure you’re taking care of yourself is the most important thing you can do to stay fit, alert and healthy and enjoy yourself! The NHS has created 5 steps to health and wellbeing — here’s how you can make it work at Uni.
It’s a really good idea to register with a doctor when you’re in Leeds. It’s easy to do, and you’ll need your passport/drivers license, student card and proof of your Leeds address.
Help and Advice from Leeds University Union provides all the guidance you need to succeed, and with online support and daily drop-ins, they’ve got your back and will be with you if you need a friendly word of advice or guidance.
Leeds University Union also run loads of drop in sessions weekly, almost all of them are free and range from postcard making to Kung Fu. Find out what’s on.
6. A great way to make friends — join a club, society or volunteer
Being surrounded by nice people really helps every day be a good one, and yet the thought of making friends is sometimes quite daunting! If you’re coming from another country, find out what new students just like you thought of coming to Leeds.
Here’s some top tips on meeting new people and doing new things:
Clubs and societies
Joining a club or society is one of the best ways to meet new people. First year student Holly certainly thinks so. Read her guide to joining clubs and societies. The people there have a common interest, and you’ve got something in common immediately. Find your club and society, and you’ll probably find your new friends right there.
Volunteering
You may want to get involved in some kind of volunteering whilst here at Leeds. As well as meeting new people, gaining valuable insight into different organisations, cultures and beliefs, it’s great for your CV and helps develop leadership and other skills. Additionally, you can volunteer with Leeds Sport; as well as coaching roles, they offer opportunities in the local community and more. Leeds University Union often have volunteering opportunities too!
7. Where the best places are to take the hottest Instagram pics
Before you came to Uni, your camera roll was filled with amazing pics of you and your family and friends, that cool little coffee shop you love going to, great shots of sunsets on holiday and you standing in autumn leaves. However, whether you’re coming to Leeds for a term, a year abroad or full-time study, then it’s surely one of the most photogenic campuses in the world!
See our top twenty Instagrammable spots on campus, 11 walls to refresh your Instagram feed and 10 Instagrammable spots in Leeds to get you started.
If you’re not already, why not follow the University of Leeds and Leeds University Union Insta feeds — perfect for inspiration for your own pics, and also nice places to go and relax, or check out 25 Instagram accounts to follow to discover more of Leeds.
8. Plan your weekend — explore campus, the city and beyond
Moving somewhere new can be incredibly exciting, but can be daunting too. There’s no better way to get your bearings by getting out there and exploring. Before much longer you’ll have your new favourite places and be keen to share them with your friends and loved ones.
Campus
Our campus is a unique blend of styles, where old and historic buildings rub shoulders with their new gleaming new neighbours, hidden spaces wait to be found where you can relax and study, and is home to a breathtaking range of classical and thought-provoking public art. It’s also bursting with bio-diversity!
We’re fully accessible too, check out our step free routes across campus.
Leeds and beyond
So, you’re living in Leeds; the biggest city in Yorkshire, with the fourth biggest student community in the whole country. Unlike many cities which made their name specialising in one industry, Leeds has always been diverse, and from a rich history of textiles and engineering, it’s evolved into the cultural and financial heart of West Yorkshire. Today that diversity continues, and you’ll find something for everyone — here’s a guide of what to do in Leeds.
Fancy seeing more of the county? Here’s eight must-see places in Yorkshire nearby to visit, and find out what trips Leeds University Union is organising.
Read more on these topics, written by students like you.
- Get outside in Leeds
- The Grey Outdoors
- Celebrating the spirit and diversity of Hyde Park
- Great independent cafes near campus
- Cinemas in Leeds
- 12 must-see shopping spots in Leeds
- Best places in Leeds to go for brunch
- Discover the historic pubs near Uni
- 30 things to do in Leeds on a weekend
- Leeds has no shortage of things for you to do — whether that be on campus, in the city centre, or in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside…
We’re really pleased you chose Leeds to be your new home. You can always keep up to date with everything that’s going on by joining our current students Facebook group, or following our current students Twitter.
Don’t forget to keep an eye out in your inbox for your fortnightly newsletter “Life at Leeds” where we’ll keep you up to date with things you need to know, events and opportunities across campus and beyond.
The For Student website is where you’ll find everything from how to register when you get here to your graduation.
See you on campus!
