Moving to university was exciting. I had never lived away from home and was looking forward to starting a new chapter of my life as a mature student who had worked for a few years before continuing education.
My new home and house mates
It was an exciting time! I had accommodation on campus in the perfect location as it was close to lots of the university facilities. I was also particularly looking forward to the fact that my accommodation was fully catered which meant I could focus on my studies without the hassle of cooking (and washing up!).
Living in university accommodation allowed me to experience living with people my age, being within walking distance of a city centre and having access to all university facilities. This was big for me as I came from a small village where your friends would be a bus ride away.
I also found that moving into halls allowed me to meet lots of different people and easily access everything on campus without having to go too far.
Lectures, studying and assignments
During Covid, the university introduced blended learning which combined in-person learning with online teaching. The blended learning approach was perfect for me because it meant I could manage my time around when I worked best. For me, it was in the morning and for others I knew it was in the evening. To help support the knowledge from the online materials, the seminars were engaging and allowed us to work together to think deeper about topics to support our assignments. I loved this way of working and it has led me to making friends from my seminars when we worked together as groups.
I found having this blended approach meant that I needed to be organised to plan everything into my week and to make sure that online material was completed before the seminars. Even simple organisation apps or calendars on your phone can help you plan when you are going to work through the material and when you are going to have free time.
What I enjoyed about my first year
I really enjoyed the location of Chester. It’s not a huge city but it has great train links if you want to get to the bigger cities. Some go-to places to travel to are Manchester for the Christmas markets or Delamere for a forest walk and getaway into the countryside. This was one of the reasons I chose Chester. The location meant I could carry on enjoying running and being active whilst being close to lots of amenities and the city lifestyle.
My top tips for getting the most out of university
Keep the adventure going by trying new things every week! There are so many things to experience at university and there's lots of opportunities to make friends if you join in. I really recommend trying the swimming pool at Exton Park (it's free for students!) and the wide variety of fitness classes on offer. There's so many to choose from so why not try them all?!
Another way you can get the most out of your student experience would be to try a new restaurant or bar each week! Chester has lots of different places in the city centre so there's something to suit everyone.
Trying new things is a great way to build on this new adventure. You might be surprised when you discover your new favourite society, sporting activity, or city centre location for hanging out with your friends. There's plenty in store for students at Chester!
Here's all the information you need about Welcome Week 2022! If you have any questions in the meantime, our student ambassadors are available online to chat to at any time.
