Tips from ex-Accommodation staff
As the title says, I used to work for Accommodation at UWE. Hopefully these tips are helpful!
(Not trying to be a fun police, just want to raise awareness and keep you out of the final warning zone)
They're long and boring, but read your terms and conditions. They lay out what Accommodation expects from you, and what you can expect from Accommodation.
With the exception of hair dryers/straighteners/curlers, don't bring anything that generates heat. That especially goes for candles (yes, even unlit ones) and fan heaters.
On the topic of heat, accommodation can get cold in the winter. They mostly use smart heaters that keep rooms at a constant heat (about 18-20°c). If that is too cold for you, bring blankets, dressing gowns and jumpers, but do not bring a fan heater. They will find out and issue you with a warning. It's warm enough to keep damp out but not warm enough for you to walk around in a t-shirt.
Accommodation will mostly communicate with you via email. Yes, it's old fashioned but it's their chosen way. Everything you need to know will be emailed to you, so check them regularly.
Socially, you'll get out what you put in. As someone who suffers pretty shockingly from anxiety, I completely get how nerve-wracking this is, but think of uni as a fresh start. Introduce yourself to your flatmates and neighbours straight away. Bring cards and games for ice breakers to get the ball rolling. It might be awkward at first, but it's better to be awkward for a short time than lonely for a long time.
Don't prop your door open. Yeah, I know that sounds a bit counterintuitive to point number five, but they're fire doors and you can receive a disciplinary for doing it.
Sticking with doors, lock your bedroom door every time you leave your flat/house. Your block and flat door locks automatically behind you but your bedroom door doesn't.
Fire drills and inspections tend to happen in October. You'll get some warning from Accommodation about them ahead of time. The key part for fire drills is making sure you evacuate in 4 minutes; for inspections it's making sure everything is clean and no fire hazards are present.
Explore campus and explore Bristol. Like point five, you'll have a better experience the more you do. It's an amazing city to be in, and there's lots happening on campus too. Attend as many events in the first couple of weeks as possible.
Don't bother with a bus pass unless you really need one. You have to get a lot of use (more than three trips a day) out of it to make it worth its cost. Budget your travel into your funds and buy a student single on the day. Bristol has First Bus so download their app for tickets and timetables.
Post and parcels work a little differently on campus. Next day delivery doesn't necessarily mean you'll have it next day. They work really hard to get it to you as quickly as possible but it has to be processed once it's on campus before it gets to you. Don't get too hung up on the rules just yet, they'll be explained to you when you arrive.
Frenchay students, use your common rooms (sorry Glenside 😭). They're a great third-space to meet people from your blocks. Student Village folk, you can use the Student Life Lounge in Purdown View.
Utilise Student Life. If you're not a big party goer, they might be your socialising saviour. They run low-key events throughout the week.
If you're not the best cook, learn some super basic recipes over the summer. A tomato sauce can be transformed into loads of dishes and is cheap to make! If you get homesick, learn a recipe that reminds you of loved ones. Taste is a powerful healing sense.
Laundry can be expensive. Team up with flatmates to lessen the cost. The drums are pretty big so two of you could do a wash/dry in one. (Tbh this goes for meal sharing too.)
Save Accommodation's and Campus Support's numbers in your phone. You never know when you'll need them.
Lean on Accommodation and the other services when you need them. They're ultimately all there to make sure you have the best experience. You'll never have such easy access to expert knowledge again in your life as when you're a student.
And finally, don't advertise where you live on a public forum/comment section. I know you'll want to find your flatmates asap but if they can find your address from a TikTok comment, so can I, so can everyone else. There are private WhatsApp and Snapchat groups you can find via the SU.
If you want any more questions answered, leave them in the comments.