Title: Starting university - part 1
Duration: 5:39
How did you feel?
Eve: I was very excited about coming to university. I had an older brother who'd gone before me and I wanted to follow in his footsteps. But I was worried about being on my own, not having the support of my family around me and having to cook for myself.
Joshua: Well, I had a mixture of excitement and nervousness before I came because I was used to my comfort zone at school and my school friends and I was used to them and their characteristics. I was nervous about going to a new place and meeting new friends and how I would make those new friends. But I soon came to realize that everyone is in the same situation as you and if you approach people with the same openness that you’re willing to be approached you should be fine.
Katie: Before I arrived at university I think I was quite anxious about not knowing what to expect ‘cos I was the first person in my family to go to university so I'd never really experienced it before.
Vongi: Before I arrived I was really nervous because I hadn’t come to Birmingham before so I didn’t know what the city was like, what the people were like. So for me it was starting a whole new journey altogether. I was really nervous, I really was.
Joshua: Well, you can make friends before you arrive by using social networking like facebook because there are groups which are associated with the halls you are in or societies or sports teams. So you can find people with the same interests as you in those societies and you can make friends before you’ve even got there.
Toyin: Four years ago I came to University of Birmingham as a new international student to study a degree in Chemical Engineering. I remember closely on my way over I was nervous; I couldn't even eat the food provided by the air service. I was excited as well, because I felt like I'd achieved something coming to a great university as the University of Birmingham.
Claudia: I felt a bit nervous but also really excited. I remember sitting in car and being a bit like unnerved but as soon as I got there I settled in really well and everyone was in same position.
Hannah: I think I was more excited than nervous. It wasn’t until I was actually coming up drive on my way in that the nerves hit me. I was just genuinely like so excited to be starting this new phase my life.
Jack and Harry: I think initially when you've got a long time to go before you arrive you're very excited but then, sort of, as it gets closer the apprehension kicks in and then on the actual day, before, as you drive up, you're pretty terrified quite frankly. When you're seeing all the, the students coming up it’s like, oh I'm, it’s like a new life, it’s all going to change, but then that lasts for about an hour at the most and then you're absolutely loving it.
Settling in
Holly: Before I came to university I was initially quite nervous, as everybody is, naturally, but, you know, you have the support from university, you have the support from the halls of residence or wherever you're staying, and it becomes a really positive environment in which you meet so many great people.
Eve: There are lots of different things that helped me settle into university life. I think the halls of residence system is very good in Birmingham, there’s, you're in small flats and that almost makes a readymade group of friends for you in that first night so you don't have to go out looking for people. Everyone’s in the same position, everyone’s nervous, but you look after each other.
Katie: During the first week that I in to university I went to the FOCSOC meeting which is the Freshers Off Campus Society, and basically they're just there, for, to help local students settle into the university life. And, during the first week I went bowling with FOCSOC, where I met a lot of people that were staying in Birmingham, I met a lot of people that were on my course as well that were staying in Birmingham.
Amelia: I found that the clubs and societies really helped me settle in, ‘cos you're meeting loads of people with the same interests as you. In the first few weeks of university there’s loads of fairs that all the societies have a stand and you can go and talk to them about whatever you're interested in joining. I think there’s over 160 societies and clubs so, whatever you're interested, there’s always someone to meet and something to suit you.
Ionoa: I really like the fact that you get to know people from all over the world, so it’s not like you just come here and meet people, you know it actually helps you to meet them, I think it’s really useful.
Vongi: To start with I didn’t really like the university experience because it my flat, I wasn’t really close to anybody, so I felt like I was going to have any friends. But then I got to my course ,made friends, and I was really happy with it. I started to enjoy my university experience.
Joshua: Well obvious moving to a new city and a new situation it can be quite hard to settle in straight away. So I think if you just take your time and don’t force anything, which I think is a very key thing I need to stress, and just relax all things should fall in to place.
Hannah: Moving in was all very strange and weird. But if you are just open to meeting people then settling in can be quite easy. Just take your time, there’s no pressure.
Claudia: I found the first term really enjoyable, but I think with everything, you’re always going to have good times and bad times. You can’t expect to love it all the time so just be open to trying new things and get ready to take challenges as they come.
Jack and Harry: I think also the fact that everyone’s in the same boat, everyone’s looking to make friends, and you do, immediately, start good friendships with people. Yeah. And just the fact that we're all a little bit apprehensive at the beginning, we all sort of club together and make the best out of what we… I think it’s harder not to make friends than to make friends at uni.