What can I be doing be doing in the Summer before Uni?

Firstly RELAX and ENJOY YOURSELF! Most people will come from school/college and this will be their first proper break from education in a long time! But there are a few things that those who are keen to get started can be either thinking about or doing.


Earn some money - University is an expensive time before you even think about living costs and a social life! Having a resource of cash in the bank available to you before you come to Uni is really helpful - Especially during freshers week! I worked and built up a pot of 'spending money' and 'rainy day money' for Uni, meaning that during term time I don't have to spend as much of my free time working. I have a reserve fund if something comes up out of the blue, but more importantly I have money that I can spend on what ever I like! This just makes things less stressful when you get to Uni and everything is changing.


Get Experience - If you are planning to get a degree to do a particular job then get some experience of working in that environment if you can. For example, if you want to become a PE teacher then get experience in some schools volunteering. If you want to go into personal training then ask the local gym if you can shadow someone for the day.



Find the reading list - If you want to get a head start on your course then find the reading list and maybe even buy a few books. I would recommend that you don't go on a crazy spending spree because there will be some textbooks on the list that you will only need once and others that become essential for modules. Maybe visit the University Library as a Visitor to have a look at the books first? You won't be able to take them home but it could help you decide which to buy.

Buy Stationary - Think about how you are going to organise yourself whilst at Uni. Are you going to need pens/pencils/folders/highlighters/paper or are you going to go down the iPad/tablet route? Put a plan in action, it doesn't matter if it changes! Look out for back to school deals at the end of August and beginning of September.


Accumulate Living Items (if living away from home) - Yes I mean ACCUMULATE! Many friends/family members will have a surplus of kitchen utensils, bathroom stuff and washing things so ask around if anyone has anything going for free before you spend out on brand new things. I ended up with a microwave, plates, knives/forks/spoons, a few saucepans, a washing basket, a clothes horse, chopping boards, ironing board - and that's just the stuff I took! (I could have had a fridge, washing machine etc. but I didn't need it). This meant that there were only a few things I needed to buy new, and some of those I bought in charity shops! No-one at Uni has matching stuff, it's at risk of being broken/lost anyway so why waste money on it!

I drew the line at towels and bedding - I bought those new/took my own from home!

Add your University on Social Media - There will be loads of groups to join/follow surrounding your University, from official events to freshers events to clubs and societies. These are a great way to interact with people before you get there or even just keep an eye on what is happening so that when you arrive, you feel like you know what's going on. 


I'm sure there are plenty of other things to do during your summer but those are a few. I would highly recommend RELAXING because as soon as you get to Uni, you won't stop until you Graduate - and even then you might have a job to walk straight into!

Support at University

Beds is a great University in terms of supporting its students, whether it's financially, academically or with personal problems. I'm going to introduce you to a few services that Beds offer to support its students but you can find out more here: Support at Beds.

A few of the services include mental health support, disability support, community and faith support, counselling, student money advice, academic support, careers and employability support, to name some. I am going to speak mostly about finding out who to go to, academic support and support for international students.


Who do I go to?

The Student Information Desk (SiD for short) is a great place to start if you don't know who to go to. They are available on campus, online and provide e-guides to common problems students face. If they are not able to find a solution to your query themselves, they have a vast network of specialist services to direct you towards. They are also able to print various letters for you (e.g. council tax exemption letter), can help with forms to fill out (e.g. access to learning forms) and much more. 
Check out their full range of services here: SiD


Academic Support?

The Study Hub offers help with academic study, computer skills and personal development.

You can go to their drop in sessions, book an appointment for a 1-to-1, attend workshops or use their extensive range of self-help guides that take you step by step through common problems students come across. A few of their previous workshops have included note taking for assignments, assignment planning, giving a presentation, referencing and help with reading academic material. 
Check out their website for more information: Study Hub


Support for International Students

This service can help with problems from Visas and immigration to study support and communication skills. I personally have not used this service but if you require more information, please see their website here: International Student Support



It is very clear to me that all the support offered at Beds is designed with the students at the centre. I personally feel that if ever I have a problem, I am well supported by my University to help deal with it in the best way for me. 

One Trick Pony...

This weeks blog is about not being a one trick pony when it comes to applying for Uni. If all you can talk about in your personal statement and at interview is how much you love sport, you'll be at the bottom of the pile! Now if you're applying for a sports course that may seem strange, but Universities want people who are willing to try different things, who have a breadth of experiences not just within sport but outside of it too!

One of my lectures this year actually told us in an employability lecture that if she is reading personal statements/job applications/conducting interviews and all the person can talk about is football then they 'get filed under rubbish'. So from the horses mouth you need to be getting different experiences within sport and outside it. 

This weekend I'm in Wales with my Choir for a weekend of performances and 'socialising'. When I was applying for Uni I made sure that I spoke about my choir, my voluntary work and a range of sports that I was involved in. These TRANSFERABLE SKILLS are what make you stand out from the crowd!

This Summer is a great opportunity to get some experiences! You can do things voluntarily (people are always looking for volunteers!) or even get paid to do it! Coaching companies such as Sports Xtra or Premier Sport (others are available) often run holiday clubs/camps for kids and are looking for people to work for them during the summer holidays. I found it really good fun to work with the kids, I went rock climbing, swimming, canoeing and loads of other things with them - and I got paid to do it! Have a look for jobs like these to broaden your horizons within sport - especially if you want to become a teacher!


Outside of sport is more tricky for some - I've always been a musician too so for me it wasn't difficult. If you don't know where to start try googling hobbies and seeing what comes up. Wood work? Drama? Art? Photography? Gardening? Music? Vintage Cars? Bird Watching? You don't know until you try it!

Make the most of your summer and get lots of experiences - you need to start applying for jobs now ready for the summer, especially for the coaching/kids camp ones!