The summer is finally here! Among your time spent basking in the sun, celebrating your college results with friends, and generally chilling, you might want to start thinking about heading off to university.

You’ll want to get as much out of your time at uni as possible, so making an effort to settle into the lifestyle straight away is something we’d definitely advise. We’ve rounded up some easy ways of adapting to the change in study routine, making a ton of new friends and celebrating your independence (hooray!).

Make Your Room Homely

You know what they say about making a house a home, so don’t forget to pack some of your prized possessions and personal knick-knacks to decorate your new digs. Family photographs, special gifts from your friends, and souvenirs of your travels are great starters. Avoid packing the kitchen sink though as you might not have quite as much space as you’re used to at home!

Having a few familiar little bits around you will help to ease any homesickness pangs and make your new room feel more like a home - after all, you’ll be spending most of the next year at uni!

Get to Know Your Housemates

It can be scary when you’re thrown in the deep end with a bunch of strangers, but your new housemates are likely to become close friends. No one knows anyone to begin with, which can actually make things a little easier. Whether you’re living in halls or a private house-share, there’ll be a communal space for you all to get together and chat, so just grab a cuppa together in the kitchen or sit down and watch some TV together.

Plucking up this first bit of courage to get to know your housemates from the offset will work wonders.

Get Stuck in for Freshers’ Week

One of the things every first-year looks forward to is Freshers’ Week. Make sure you get stuck right in with all of the activities taking place on campus (and off it!). When you get to uni you should be given an introductory timeline letting you know when everything’s happening. Your Students’ Union will be able to point you in the right direction too.

A visit to the Freshers’ Fair is a must – think plenty of food, freebies, and flyers inviting you to join all sorts of groups and clubs. It’s a great way to hang out with your new housemates and get to know your way around the uni.

Sign Up to a Sports Team or Society

Loved playing hockey at school or were the number one player on the football team? Uni is the perfect place to take part in sports. Most universities will have a fair at the start of the year for teams to recruit new members. Don’t be shy to sign up and give anything and everything a go. Even if you’ve never played a sport before, now is the time to try it out – you might find you have natural talent!

If exercise isn’t your thing, every uni has a selection of societies to take part in too. From the drama club to the environment gang, it’s your chance to get involved with your hobbies. There might be a few surprises too - Harry Potter fans can grab a broom for Quidditch club, amateur magicians can hone their magic skills in a circus tricks club, and sweet-tooths who heart The Great British Bake Off might want to sign up to a baking or chocolate tasting group. (Note: we didn’t make these up – they are based on real societies that we’ve come across at various unis!)

Did we mention? – joining sports and ‘socs’ is also a great way of making new friends and you’ll have plenty of socials to go on outside of the group with your new gang. Get those fancy dress outfits at the ready!

Organise Your Timeline

Once Freshers’ Week is over and the proper work begins you’ll want to make sure you know when all of your lectures are so that you turn up to the right place at the right time.

It’s worth making multiple copies of your timeline so you can leave one in your room and take one with you until you become more familiar with the routine. Try to be as organised as possible so that you can create the perfect balance between study time and socials.

Don’t Forget to Call Home

In between all the busyness of the first few days, don’t forget to check in with your parents. Even though you’re a proper grown-up now living away from home, you can still ring your parents to let them know how everything is going. You’ll probably already have a lot of exciting stories to share! It’s also a good way to minimise feelings of homesickness.

Come Live With Us

Just can’t wait for uni to start but still need to organise your accommodation? We offer super trendy, private accommodation across many of the UK’s major cities. Get in touch with us straight away to check out our availability.

Find out all the low-down on Freshers’ Week with our guide. What are you most looking forward to at uni? Tweet us @comelivewithus.

Want more tips to get you through your first year? We shared some ways to save a few extra pennies on your shared accommodation, with our friends over at Whatuni.

Have a great first year!