How to make the most out of your first week at College
The first day of term is slowly creeping up, so it’s time to get yourself prepared and make sure that you make your first week of College the very best that it can be. You may be feeling a bit nervous, but there’s no need to stress. Just follow the steps below and it’ll be a breeze!
Get prepared the night before
To ensure that your first day goes as smooth as possible, it’s best to organise yourself the night before so that you’re not rushing around in the morning. Get your bag ready with a pen and a notepad/laptop in case there’s anything important you need to write down on the day, pack a water bottle, and gather your lunch and snacks if you don’t want to make use of our onsite coffee shops. It’s also a good idea to work out exactly how you’re going to get to campus to avoid being late – visit our travel page to discover the different transport options and routes.
We would also advise that you energise yourself for a full day in College by giving yourself plenty of rest. You’ll be meeting all sorts of new and exciting people, so you want to make sure that you’re on top form – it’ll be a long day otherwise!
Find out more about what you should bring to College, including more details on our college laptops in the FAQ section on our Next Steps page, which you can find here.
Get to know your new classmates
We understand that it’s nerve-wracking to be starting a new chapter of your life in a new environment where you may not really know anyone, but it’s important to start building relationships with those that you’ll be seeing on a weekly basis. Well, at our Welcome Week, you can do just that.
Running from September 6th – 10th, you’ll be given your timetable and student pass, and get to meet your classmates and tutors for the first time. Discover more about Welcome Week here.
Remember – you’re all in the same boat and it’s a new experience for everyone. Just be yourself, radiate positive energy with a smile, and you’ll make a great first impression.
Ask questions
College will be a completely new environment to you, so be sure to ask your classmates, teachers, and other College staff questions if you have any – no question is a silly question.
You could find out where’s best to store your bike, what time the College is open throughout the week, where the closest disabled toilet is, or where you should go if you’ve lost one of your personal possessions, for example.
Top tip: at Chaffron Way campus, you will find that the classrooms or study rooms are named with a ‘G’, ‘F’ or ‘S’ before their room number – this is just short for what floor you can find the room on. ‘G’ means that you will find this room on the ground floor, ‘F’ on the first floor, and ‘S’ on the second floor. For all rooms in the ITC, ‘CB’ is for all ground floor rooms, and ‘CBF’ is for first floor rooms.
At Bletchley campus, any room with a number under 100 will be on the ground floor, rooms starting with a ‘1’ will be on the first floor, and rooms starting with a ‘2’ will be on the second floor.
To put it simply… just enjoy it!
You may be feeling nervous, but there’s absolutely nothing to be worried about – there are lots of people at College who can support you or give you guidance should you need it. All first-year students are in it together, so just be yourself and enjoy the day!
If you have any questions before your first day at College, visit our Next Steps page. Here you can find lots of useful information, including what you can expect on your first day, to the full list of 22/23 term dates. Alternatively, go to our Contact Us page if you require any further information or still need some answers to your queries.
We will see you very soon!