Editors note: Please note that these group chats are not managed or monitored by the university, they have been created by students for students. Please be cautious of anyone who you share your information with.

Welcome to the University of Nottingham! We can’t wait to welcome you over the next few weeks and months. There will be lots of activities in store for you, including the Welcome Fair which will introduce you to all of the offerings that our wonderful student-led societies can give you.

If you have any burning questions about the University or student life, feel free to browse some of our previous blog posts throughout the years, I’m sure you’ll find an answer there. If you’d like to connect with current and prospective students, join the official University of Nottingham help and advice Facebook page here.

One of the best parts about university is connecting with your fellow students and future flatmates. However, trying to find the ways to do this can be nerve-wracking, so, let us alleviate some of your anxiety by providing you with a list of all the 2024-2025 academic year group chats available to you. Don’t see yours here? Drop a message on the Help and Advice page to get in touch with your peers!

Accommodation Group Chats

• Albion House
• Ancaster Hall
• Beeston Hall
• Bonnington Student Village
• Broadgate Park
• Cavendish Hall
• Cloister House
• Cripps Hall
• Dagfa House
• Deakins Place
• Derby Hall
• Florence Boot Hall
• Hugh Stewart Hall
• Hydrogen
• Jubilee Hall
• Lenton and Wortley Hall
• Lincoln Hall
• Madison Gardens
• Melton Hall
• Morris House
• Newark Hall
• Nightingale Hall
• Nottingham Two
• Raleigh Park
• Riverside Point
• Rutland Hall
• Sherwood Hall
• Southwell Hall
• St Peter’s Court
• Triumph House
• Varsity
• Willoughby Hall

Course Group Chats

• Accounting
• Aerospace
• Architecture
• Biochemistry
• Biology
• Biosciences
• Business and Management
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Criminology
• Economics
• Engineering
• English
• Finance and Investment
• Geography
• History
• International Management
• Law
• Liberal Arts
• Maths
• Medicine – Graduate Entry (Derby)
• Medicine – Lincoln
• Medicine – Nottingham
• Midwifery
• Modern Languages
• Music
• Nursing
• Neuroscience
• Pharmacy
• Philosophy
• Physiotherapy
• Politics
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Sport and Exercise Science
• Veterinary Medicine

The post Staying Connected at University: Your One-Stop Guide to UoN Group Chats appeared first on Student life.

Whenever I heard the saying ‘humans are social creatures’, I used to think ‘Yeah… not me, though.’ But I realised connecting with others is really important to my wellbeing and has allowed me to make positive memories at university. Still, I’ve found it takes conscious effort to connect with others as an adult. You might have realised that it was easier to make friends at high school, simply because of being around the same thirty ish people all the time. Luckily UoN’s huge range of societies makes it easy to bond with people over shared interests, no matter how niche (you’ve seen the medieval combat society, right?). I’ll also talk you through some other ways to connect.

Here are my offerings

Organise a catch-up with friends

If you’re reading this and thinking ‘what friends?’, don’t worry. I’ll cover that one later. Anyway, the simplest advice I have is: if you have friends and you feel a bit lonely, go see your friends! Life gets busy and it’s easy to just interact in the groupchat but never arrange anything in person.

This year was my second year and I was still living in halls, with my friends all living in different houses. How could I know if they were free to hang out? Let me ask the audience… You got it! Just ask them if they’re free! I found it was better to arrange things a couple days in advance, since people weren’t as spontaneously available as they were in first year, when we lived in the same hall. But this means that instead of waiting till you feel lonely to make plans, you can look forward to hangouts you’ve scheduled.

My favourite easy hangouts are the cinema (usually the Arc in Beeston on Student Mondays), a library date, or just in our rooms.

Connect with new people!

Sometimes it’s tempting to avoid meeting new people because you’re not sure if you’d be friends or not. But it takes the pressure out of social interactions if I tell myself I don’t necessarily need to make a friend. Connecting with others is valuable, and you might learn interesting stuff by talking to people who are different to you. So, make a friend or just have a fun connection – there’s not much to lose by connecting with new people.

Where do you find new people, though?

Our campus is full of people, so how do you figure out which people to connect with?

Try societies

An obvious answer is through societies, because they provide a shared interest or identity to bond over and contain a great variety of people. I’d recommend looking into societies for your subject, hobbies, sports and interests. Don’t be intimidated and think you’re not good enough at the sport/hobby, or don’t know enough about the society’s topic. If you’re interested in it, that’s all you need. I’d never done anything theatre-related and literally ended up on the committee for the Nottingham New Theatre on campus after taking on backstage roles for a couple of plays. Now I have guaranteed connection with others all next year through going to meetings and helping people to put on plays.

No really, try societies

Ok, so maybe you’re not into societies. I like one-on-one interaction a lot more than group hangouts, so I’m with you there. But one last bonus about societies is that you can just turn up for long enough to make your friends, then dip back out again. For example, my friend went to the RPG gaming society until he’d found a group of friends to game with, and now they just game together.

Talk to people in your lectures

Not everyone in the lecture hall is going to be your sort of person, but again, just enjoy connecting. I quite like to sit in a different seat each time to see who I end up with, as if I’m putting the room on shuffle. It was a big thing for me to just talk to random people, but I actually made my best friends at university by doing this! Try to see it as a connection, not necessarily as searching for a certain kind of person. Think about friends you have who are a bit of a surprising match for you and remember that you might really get on with someone different to you.

Connect with yourself

I’ve done a few blogs on wellbeing now and I think the most crucial part is being kind to yourself. If you have a very critical internal voice, try asking yourself if you’d talk to a friend the way you talk to yourself. Like, if your friend’s shoelace came untied again, would you really tell them they’re Just A Bad, Bad Person Who Can’t Tie Shoes Tight Enough?

Also, it’s easy to feel like studying is the most important thing and any self-care wastes time that can be spent working. Yet my best work always happens when I’m connecting to myself and looking after myself. Have a little spa day, you know? Buy the little treat in the supermarket. Press the flower and keep it. Actually hang up your clothes instead of putting them on that chair.

Lastly, have a look at HealthyU’s Connect events

There’s a couple of events coming up that I think are really helpful for connecting. ChillChat is literally what it says on the tin, you chill and chat. The next one’s in the Atrium on Jubilee Campus on May 28^th, 12-2pm. If you’re a University Park campus student and haven’t been to Jubilee yet, I suggest connecting with the absolutely epic nature vibe they have over there. In the water features, you can see little baby coot chicks and goslings swimming around, the library’s on water too. Then on May 29^th, there’s an online workshop from 1:15-2:15pm all about managing anxiety and stress.

Happy connecting

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Mature student Katie Green, who is about to graduate with a degree in Child Nursing, talks to us about what it’s like to be a mature student at the University of Nottingham. She shares some useful insight and some words of wisdom for anyone considering embarking on a degree as a mature student.

What made you decide to study Child Nursing at UoN?

I chose UoN to study Child Nursing because they have been teaching nursing successfully for 30 plus years. Their academics are made up of a variety of professionals who all come from different working areas of nursing, with some having speciality knowledge around subjects such as intensive care and cardiac conditions. The academics presented as friendly and engaged during open days and made me feel welcome right from the moment I entered the building. The employment rate for UoN graduates was also greater than that of surrounding universities.

What was your background prior to studying at UoN, and how do you think this prepared you for your studies?

Prior to starting my journey with UoN, I worked in retail for seven years, before pursuing care work, where I worked on the bank for my local hospital, as well as in the community, and at a mental health nursing home. Working in retail, believe it or not, has proven to be my biggest assistance when coming into nursing. By working in retail, I was able to develop better communications skills and was exposed to a variety of people from different backgrounds, as well as people who had medical conditions or learning disabilities and/or difficulties which required further assistance when shopping. This allowed me to develop my empathy and understanding of people’s struggles and assisted me in leaning how to approach difficult situations with a kind and thoughtful manner.

Working in retail also exposed me to tougher situations, such as confrontation, which encouraged me to learn conflict management and how to remain calm and ensure I am always safe. It also made me more aware of families and how they functioned and communicated with one another, helping me to learn the positives and negatives to everyday functional families. This was vital as it made me think about ways I could better care for and support families like these in the future.

How have you found the experience of being a mature student at UoN?

As a mature student at UoN, I have found that I was greatly supported by my academics. They always made time for me and talked me through tasks which I may have found difficult getting my head around. My personal tutor was also my greatest support during my journey, and she often made check-ins with me to make sure I was okay, especially after going through a difficult situation whilst on placement. The university also offers many mature student-based support groups, all of which are informal and designed to help mature students come together and build a support network. Unfortunately, I was not able to experience these much during my journey due to COVID, but I have heard many good things about these support groups from other mature students. However, I did experience a fantastic online mature student support group during the COVID period through KickStart, which is a mature student-based group offered to all mature students at the start of their university journey.

What is your biggest challenge as a mature student, and how have you overcome this?

Being a mature student can be difficult, especially when trying to balance university work, placements, my wonderful daughter, and general life and social life. I have sometimes found this balance very overwhelming. After struggling with it for so long, I began to set time aside for each thing. I made sure to block off one day a week which was purely for me, whether that was to enjoy time with friends and family, a day out with my daughter, or just time to myself to read a book. I also blocked out time to complete academic work in. This encouraged me to start assignments early and break them down into smaller chunks, instead of one big task, and it assisted greatly in helping me feel more settled and prepared. I also took steps to make sure I didn’t keep my emotions bottled up. I made it a point to talk through what I was thinking and feeling with someone I trusted, often a friend, and this helped me feel more relieved and less overwhelmed. It is always a comfort to know that you are not the only one struggling with the balance.

Another challenge I faced with being a mature student was my own confidence. I spent a lot of time doubting my choices, feeling uncertain of the path I had taken. Moving away from a job with a secure income to university was daunting, and I had periods where I wondered if I had made the wrong choice. I found many of us mature students felt the same way. We also all doubted our skills and abilities, but with help from academics, peers, and practice supervisors, I found my confidence improved and I began to feel more stable in my choices and abilities. Now I am five weeks away from qualifying as a children’s nurse, and it was 100% the best decision I ever made for myself.

What has been your greatest achievement at UoN?

During my time at UoN, I have been able to accomplish so much. I was able to undertake an internship between year 2 and 3 – where I successfully gained a teaching award (AFHEA) – I took part in research, which was then published, I assisted in improving student experience, and I helped to adjust the curriculum. I was also shortlisted forthe Student Times Nursing Awards in the category of Student Nurse of the Year: Children.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering enrolling on a university course as a mature student?

Just do it. As mature students, we have so much to offer. We are keen for our careers, we are determined, we are capable. Taking that first step is scary, but it will all be worth it in the end. You are destined for so much more; you just have to take that chance and be willing to accept the support where you need it.

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According to the NHS, we should aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. I can see why they said ‘per week’ because it definitely sounds better than ‘an average of 21.429 minutes per day’. So how can you be sure you’ve done your 21.429 moderate minutes? Moderate exercise raises your heart rate and makes you breathe harder. Normal daily activity doesn’t really raise your heart rate (submitting your Turnitin assignment at 2:59pm doesn’t count). So, moderate exercise has to be done on purpose.

But why bother counting out 1286 sweaty seconds? Admittedly, I’m a very unlikely source for fitness advice. I didn’t come to UoN for its sports university status (it was a sunny open day, I’d managed to parallel park, the English department were lovely, and I saw a bunny-). But the sheer volume of exercise facilities here has won me over. I found that exercise really helps to reduce stress and make me feel better.

Being in halls gives me free access to the David Ross Sports Village, the main part of my physical activity But there are lots of other ways to be active at university, so I’ll share my findings.

Walking on campus – this is an easy way to fit exercise time into your day

There are certainly times where I’ve walked around campus just wanting to get to my destination. You know the one: walking back to your room again because you forgot your laptop charger. Recently though, I’ve gone for long walks on purpose. I’ve really connected to the campus lately by focusing on its green spaces. I use the PictureThis plant scanning app and am now obsessed with identifying trees. Do my walks take longer? Yes, and my boyfriend has to stop once a minute while I’m pondering whether it’s a hazel tree or a small-leaved lime. But are my walks fun? Yes, and I go on so many walks now!

These are my favourite plants to spot on campus. You can click for images of the plant and some Google Streetviews of where they are located on campus.

1. Coralberries. Cute little pink berries on green bushes all over campus.
2. Cedar and cypress trees. Between Monica Partridge and Hallward, click for streetview of the trees.
3. Hazel trees (by Cavendish Hall) and walnut trees (outside Nightingale Hall, click for streetview).
4. Tasmanian Blue Gum. In Highfields Walled Garden behind Trent, or outside Rutland Hall (streetview).
5. River Red Gum. By the steps leading from Cripps Hall and Clive Granger (streetview).
6. Silver birches (top of The Downs) vs paper birches (lower on The Downs and by Monica Partridge).

Getting a bike

Ok, so sometimes you have to get places quickly and can’t scan every plant. This is where cycling comes in. At first, I thought a bike would be more trouble than it was worth. But I changed my mind when I realised how insanely fast it was! Of course, our campus can be a little bit hilly for cycling (petition to rename The Downs to The Ups). However, that’s when I just shamelessly hop off my bike and wheel it along. The time you save is mostly on the flat parts of campus. You know how when you’re walking, you probably walk behind the same person the whole way? With a bike, you pass that person, then the next person, then the next, and a jogger.

I think my £15 Facebook Marketplace bike has more than paid for itself just for the feeling of whizzing down from Trent towards Florence Boot Hall. It’s easy to navigate the cars on the road, as University Park campus has a cycle lane and a 20mph speed limit. The Portland Building Spar sells bike locks and all campuses have tons of cycle storage. The university also has a cycle hire scheme and often hosts ‘Dr Bike’, who fixes bikes for free. There are handy little bike pump/repair stations around campus too, with spanners and such. Finally, I’d recommend trying the Lime e-bikes for a fun boost!

HIIT workouts

This is a great option if you don’t have a gym membership or just want to exercise in your room. ‘High Intensity Interval Training’ involves a huge variety of exercises, which keeps things interesting. Workouts constantly switch between muscle groups so nothing gets too tired. I find my workouts on YouTube and enjoy following along. Often, I end up doing exercises that would normally spook me, since each one only lasts 30-40 seconds. There is no world in which I would normally do the ‘t-plank’ and I sigh every time it comes up, but I’m definitely getting better at it.

Doing HIIT workouts means that exercise fits very easily into your day. It is challenging, but mostly because it’s condensed into a quick and effective session. The challenge aspect makes HIIT very motivating for me. I’m still trying to make it through a thirty-minute video I found on YouTube, but I manage more each time. I pause the video when it gets too much and have fun browsing the comments. Everyone comments the same thing: ‘only made it through 7 mins the first time but keep going everyone!!!1!1!1!’. I wonder how all those people are doing.

Exercise at UoN’s gyms

Have you ever been on a manual treadmill? It is a hoot. David Ross Sports Village has a few. If you’ve stood on an escalator as a child and convinced yourself that moving your hand on the black rail was making the escalator go, that’s what a manual treadmill does. The treadmill speeds up when you do and slows down when you do. It’s like running on the ground, but if the ground kept moving for a second when you stopped, meaning you had to keep running or you’d fall. Can you tell I’m fascinated by it? I was trying to think of the equivalent for the rowing machine, but I realised that would be a boat…

Anyway, the university gyms are full of exciting equipment like this, as well as the standard stuff. It’s been really inspiring trying new things, like the different strength training machines. I never thought I’d use them, but the diagrams on them show you exactly what to do. The gyms also have the coldest and most exquisite drinking water you will ever try. I don’t even fill my water bottle up before leaving my room, because I’d rather fill it with the beautiful Arctic water. Polar bears would be jealous of this water.

David Ross Sports Village

David Ross is nearest to me, and I love visiting at night for the industrial disco vibes created by the new lighting. The big windows are excellent too. Since the cardio machines all face the windows, it helps me to feel less self-conscious because I’m not looking at anyone else. It also feels surreal watching the football practice from up high like some airborne spectator. I distract myself from those long cardio seconds by focusing on one specific player outside.

My favourite part of my gym session is playing sudoku on the gym machines’ screens. I totally forget that I’m sweating from my Moderate Exercise because I’m frantically trying to solve the sudoku before I finish my session. Admittedly, I play on easy mode, but you try placing a 9 when the machine’s telling you that your workout has now powered 400 lightbulbs.

HealthyU’s BeActive campaign

Hopefully, I’ve convinced you to try something new for your exercise. It’s great timing, because all your physical activity can go towards the April Active Steps Challenge on UoN’s Moves app! If you download the Moves+ app and log in with your Nottingham credentials, your phone’s activity tracker will work with the app. You can join the April challenge and more, or just collect points generally. Points are earned for different kinds of physical activity and can contribute towards rewards like UoN merch, sports massages and catering credits. The April challenge has a student prize draw for a £100 Amazon voucher or Polaroid camera. If you really like Amazon vouchers, you can also submit a photo of your favourite outdoor space to be active in to Healthy U’s ‘My Great Outdoors’ photo competition.

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Have you ever thought about sleep as an investment? Not in the stock market sense (then the Wall Street Crash might be the story of a sleepy, jetlagged American finally curling up into bed): it’s an investment into your physical, mental, and academic success.It makes sense that investing time into your sleep gives you more success the next day. Most of us know that we need 7-9 hours to feel fully rested. But sleep quality is also important, and you can invest in that too.

Revenge bedtime procrastination

For a lot of this academic year, it feels like I’ve fought against sleep rather than ‘investing’ in it – I have no Sleep Portfolio to brag about. I end up sleeping at the last possible minute when I can’t hold off any longer. Somehow, I had thought that uncomfortable phone-scrolling/worrying before this exhaustion point was a relaxing thing. I knew it didn’t feel healthy but during the day, when I’m working on academic things, I feel guilty for relaxing. Surely you should be productive for as long as possible, then only sleep when you absolutely have to?

Not so! Everyone has to sleep, and refusing to prioritise it gives you poor quality sleep. That sets you up badly for the next day. It’s more productive to get good sleep that really rests you. Sleep fixes physical stresses from during the day, like if you’ve been to the gym or walked a lot. It resets you emotionally too, helping you to feel like yourself the next day.

In fact, I had been doing ‘revenge bedtime procrastination.’ This term has been popping up recently. It means ‘needlessly and voluntarily delaying sleep, despite being foreseeably worse because of it.’ A lot of nights, I don’t even remember the point when I fall asleep. I put my phone down, then worry a lot, then sort of… ‘save game’ and black out.

Making my sleep routine

So, I’ve recently been working on a sleep routine. The biggest pull for me was that instead of waiting till I got really tired, sleep could just be something nice to look forward to. A routine makes it easier to actually get to sleep too. If your routine starts at the same time every night, your brain will begin sending bedtime signals to your body at that time. Then you can fall asleep faster and more predictably. At first, I found it hard to go to sleep at the time I’d chosen. When I set a wake-up time as well, I found I was always tired enough to sleep by my set bedtime.

But my bed is also my desk…

My main problem was that I studied on my bed, so it was hard to make it relaxing. The consensus is to only use your bed for sleeping, but that’s not easy in a student room. Most of us only have two things in our room, bed and desk! I usually study in libraries to avoid getting distracted, but if I am studying in my room, I never really sit at my desk. It’s always covered in stuff. A clear desk would be lovely but it’s the obvious place to put stuff. If I come into my room with a bag of shopping, it’s desk, bookshelf, or floor.

I had a solution for the desk problem, and – hear me out – I used masking tape. Basically, I used the tape to cordon off a huge section of my desk. Nothing’s allowed on that bit of the desk except work stuff. That means I only have a small section to put other stuff on, but that makes me tidy it more often. Before bed, all the work stuff on the desk goes into a drawer, completely out of sight. Doing this reminds me that prioritising the routine creates good sleep, whereas continuing to work would not.

My desk is usable, but there’s still no way to save my bed just for sleeping – it’s my daytime sofa. Imagine having friends in and saying ‘Sorry lads, that’s Sleep Zone! But you’re welcome to the Floor. One of you could sit on the spinny chair. Or the desk, but not the cordoned off bit.’ So, I made the bed transformable as well. In the daytime, I cover the bed with a throw blanket and put some cushions on the long side of it to make it look like a sofa. Then at night, the bed looks and feels different for the bedtime routine.

HealthyU’s sleep events

Now we come to HealthyU, who are running UoN’s University Mental Health Day (14^th March). Luckily for us, the theme this year is sleep! There’s a range of lovely sleep-related events from 5^th March to 15^th March. I’m willing to bet that none of you have ever attended a Sleep Workshop, but thanks to HealthyU, you can absolutely do that. For the next two weeks, HealthyU is running plenty of useful events (find them here) like sleep workshops, drop-in sessions, yoga, lavender bag making, and even an event for international students to exchange recipes for sleep-related food and drinks. To keep up with HealthyU’s other events this year, visit their calendar here.

For advice on other topics, such as managing stress, healthy eating, LGBTQ support, university life and self care, check out UoN’s mental health page, linked here.

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For some it’s after 3 months, but for others, we are away from our families and home for a year! Going home for the first time after acquainting yourself with the university life can be enriching or disappointing. I’m here to share my experience as an International student flying back home for the first time in 9 months. 

Despite the many low moments I had in my first year, I recall feeling nostalgic for only the nicest things. I found myself reminiscing about the most cherished memories. Be it the moments, places, or people that had become a part of my life in the past year. It was a nostalgic reflection, one filled with a sense of accomplishment for having embraced a new environment and learning so much about myself in the process. I was ready to finally meet my family back home and tell them all about my time here. But my experiences after returning home couldn’t have been further away from my expectations.

University abroad is a massive investment for international students. So the questions that I couldn’t seem to escape were: “What did you learn?” And “How was it any different to how you study here?”. It was overwhelming because the most profound lessons I had gained during that year weren’t confined to education. I had learned about self-discovery, forging new friendships, navigating unfamiliar territories, ensuring my safety, and the art of self-sufficiency. I had learned how to make a living as an individual and, most importantly, how to make decisions for myself. I had grown more confident and independent. Yet, these were not lessons that came from formal education; they were the products of the entire experience of living and studying abroad.

Returning home, I realized that the true value of my international education was not merely in the academic knowledge. Rather, it lied in the personal growth and transformation I had undergone. I had become more adaptable, open-minded, and culturally aware. My horizons had expanded in ways that couldn’t be measured by grades or certificates. While it was challenging to articulate these intangible gains to those who asked, I knew within myself that the experience had been profoundly enriching.

I share my experiences here today, to empathise with everyone who found returning home for the first time to be a mixed bag of emotions. There is comfort in living among people and having someone to care for you. But it’s equally important to yearn for personal growth and appreciate little accomplishments! 

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You’ve probably heard by now that joining societies at University are one of the best ways to immerse yourself into the student community and to make friends. However, it may feel a bit daunting if you believe that most of our societies are sports-orientated, but you’ll be glad to know that this is not the case! There are a plethora of societies at the University that you can become a part of, and there is something for everyone.

Firstly, it is important to know that there are a number of different sporting societies at the University at a variety of different levels. To play on university sports teams (the most competitive level), you will need to have a David Ross Sports Village membership. For lower-level, less competitive teams, you do not need one. Sports teams are a great way to meet people whilst staying fit at the same time. You will be expected to attend training (oftentimes weekly, although it may be more). As well as attending games that may be both at and always from the University. Whilst sports teams are great – they are not the only type of society available. There are plenty of opportunities for those who aren’t as athletically inclined (such as myself!).

There are a variety of societies ranging from academic to just pure fun! We have a large variety of societies at the university, and it is likely that you will find a society aligned with your course or school. As I come from the School of Medicine, there are absolutely loads of medicine-related societies (such as MedSoc, the Clinical Skills Society and MedSoc Support). Societies are a great way not only to make friends but also to boost your portfolio. You can apply for positions on a committee and play a role in how it is run! This also means that you can form close bonds with other committee members, getting to know them by having meetings and keeping up society communications.

To apply to be on a society, you will need to keep an eye out of the society’s social media to see when committee applications are open (this is usually around March, but keep an eye out all year round). These social media posts will detail how to apply for the role. You may need to fill out a form or send an email detailing why you want to be a part of the society and what you can bring to your position. Positions that you may be able to apply for are Social Media Officer (where you produce social media posts), General Secretary (who takes meeting minutes and is responsible for the general admin of the society), and President (who oversees and runs the society). These roles are voluntary and are done alongside your studies, so make sure that you are prepared for any time commitments that may arise as part of your being on the committee.

Other non-academic societies that you can join include DogSoc (where you get to walk dogs), Cocktail Society, and musical societies (so you don’t need to forget the instrument that you’ve learnt over previous years!). All societies have to have a committee, so you can apply to be on any committee that you fancy. Society membership can incur a cost, and this differs by society and the activities that they put on. Some societies can be as cheap as £1 for a year’s membership.

There are plenty of society options at Nottingham, so I’m sure that you’ll be able to find one that you like. You can find out more about societies on the Student Union website.

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One of the most exciting ways to find like-minded friends at university is to find your interests in our societies. If you’re unsure of the societies you want to join, we have a long list of societies that include both activities and sports on our SU website. Want to know more? You can also visit the upcoming freshers fair to interact with their committees and find out more. But for now, here’s a random highlight of societies that I found interesting on the website:

Allotment society

For farming and gardening enthusiasts. There is some soothing in spending time with nature, Looking at all those basil pots in supermarkets, I’ve always been tempted to get one home and take care of them, but I’m always worried about season. But this society provides you with plots, tools and the seeds to grow plants of your choice. They also have a green house that helps them combat the issues with weather conditions. 

Flair and Cocktail society

This society is for all those who see the art that is…mixology. It’s a fun opportunity to taste a diverse variety of cocktails and get mixology lessons and make new friends with a taste for the same. Fun bonus: You might be able to gain an edge on those interviews for part time jobs at bars. 

Hide and Soc

I’m always surprised by the number of people that are enthusiastic about revisiting their childhood. This society is all fun and games…literally! They organise spaces and groups for us to revisit our memories through childhood games like hide and seek and many more! Can you imagine just how fun that might be in a campus as big as ours? 

Matchmaking society

This literally won a national award. I’ve never tried it myself but I’ve heard about how they take their job very seriously and do their best to find the perfect match for you. Fill out their survey to find your university beau at UoN and join their society for fun activities like pub quizzes, speed dating events and ‘Take me Out’ events. 

There are many more interesting societies for everyone. Check the SU website to browse and join now!

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Decorating your room is one of the best ways to make student accommodation feel like home. As the nights get darker, it’s important that your room is a warm and comfortable place to return to. But any student room will feel rather empty at first, and needs thoughtful work to transform it.

The first thing I felt about my room was that it was a bit… quiet. I came from a very busy household. So, when my family set off home again and I shut the door of my room, the silence was like a thick soup, and I was a lone crouton. The room wasn’t a home yet.

I learned that my room needed a mix of things from home, new things, and clever decorating choices to make it feel cheerful. This can be done cheaply, especially with a trip to Ikea.

Here are my findings:

Big lamps are good!

My ground floor room immediately needed brightening up, since the second floor jutted out above the window. The room’s main ceiling light (or simply ‘The Big Light,’ as it’s called in the North) didn’t really brighten things up enough and I was not enjoying the mineshaft vibe.

The lighting situation

That was until I bought this huge, foldable floor lamp from Ikea. Piece by piece, I screwed the black sticks together and perched the light bulb on top. Unfolding the plastic lampshade created that wonderful ‘fwubwubwub,’ noise. Grasping through the darkness of my room/cave, I plugged it in and turned it on.

A rumbling noise came from the floor beneath my feet, growing steadily louder. The power of a thousand light bulbs in one £9 lamp illuminated the room so brightly that the Earth was attempting to orbit the Ikea floor lamp instead of the Sun. Cups rattled on my shelves and the carpet stretched almost to breaking point, somehow containing the enamoured planet, and convincing it to remain orbiting the Sun.

Dazzled, I switched off the lamp. This was a good purchase.

Small lamps are nice too

Smaller lamps help to make your room cosier at bedtime, or for late night studying. On-campus rooms provide a basic white lamp, but these belong better on the set of An Inspector Calls. If you’re staging an interrogation after a girl has been taken to the infirmary, these lamps are fine, but I’d recommend bringing your own if you prefer warm yellow light over harsh white.

You could also find a coloured lampshade in your favourite colour, or match it to other colours in the room. These were always cheap in Wilko, but if your local one has gone already, try supermarkets or online. Check which kind of light the bulb gives out, to make sure you don’t end up with only bright white lights.

Maybe hold back on the houseplants

I know, you’re planning to have ivy trailing down your walls like Rapunzel’s tower. So was I, till my ivy plant immediately died because my room was too dark. Dead plants are not a good decoration.

Before buying any new plants, perhaps wait until you’ve seen your room. If your room doesn’t get much sun, there are plenty of houseplants which like shade. Cacti might suit ensuite owners – these plants seem to like shower steam! The frosted glass also helps plants which don’t like direct sunlight, such as spiderwort.

Plants that fit on a windowsill are probably best. As well as receiving sunshine, the plants will also get fresh air circulated around them. This avoids root rot, where soil never really dries and the room’s air just hangs around the plant like a wayward friend group. Those expelled H₂O(g) molecules are a bad influence on you, plant!

Cacti just about surviving on my bathroom windowsill

Choosing plants that won’t die

Here’s a slightly tedious quiz I found, which suggests a plant for you. For a longer read, this article tells you what sort of lighting you actually have in your room, and more plants that might have a chance.

Rugs hide the floor.

University halls choose their carpet colours based on how willing they feel to spend hours shampooing away mysterious stains. For most universities, the answer is: not very. The bigger your room is, the more carpet you will have to look at. My room felt a lot more personalised when I chucked a big rug on the floor.

Aren’t rugs expensive though?

Rugs from most high street shops can be expensive, yes. B&M and other discount stores have rugs for slightly more reasonable prices. However, I found a fun little dinosaur rug for a cheap price on Vinted! It was in great condition, and I was fine with it being second-hand – I wasn’t wearing it, it was going on my floor. Plus, I usually kept my shoes on in my room, so an expensive rug would just get stood on.

Alternatively, Ikea sells flatweave rugs (here, I already put the sort setting on ‘price: low to high’ for you). Since they’re thin instead of fluffy, the large ones aren’t too expensive. The smaller £5 one is my favourite though, as it’s multicoloured and very cheerful. It also makes a nice gift to post to friends at other universities.

Standing on my big rug with my shoes on again

Decorating with Scandi trinkets from Søstrene Grene

This mysterious store is in the Victoria Centre, Nottingham’s main shopping hub. It’s easy to get there by tram. Søstrene Grene is like Etsy without the postage cost. Innocuous looking from the outside and seeming to only sell little trinkets, this place will surprise you.

Following the twists and turns of the store layout takes you on an trip not unlike Ikea, as each section focuses on different categories. Many good quality room decorations can be found here, but also stationery and useful household stuff. I’ve never seen a high street shop do pricing like Søstrene Grene – rather than round numbers or .99 price tags, the prices are numbers like £7.34. Very fun.

Decorating with posters

Decorating the walls with your interests is a quick way to feel at home. For a few days at the start of term, a poster sale is held at the roofed outdoor space behind the Portland Building (here’s the Google Streetview). Last year, I think every poster was £5. There are plenty of different pop culture things represented, so you have a good chance of finding posters you’ll love.

Søstrene Grene sells posters on lovely matte paper, as well as cute framed art prints. You can also buy amusing and strange postcards in Blackwell’s, in the Portland Building. Finding posters for free is equally fun. I picked up a lot of interesting posters during my first year, such as this advert for UoN’s Swing Dance society. Don’t be afraid to be a bit of a magpie and build a collection.

Buy a bedside table, or don’t.

Some students are lucky enough to have their desk next to their bed. For the rest of us, though, cups of tea must go on the floor next to the bed, or be balanced on your knee and inevitably spilled all over the covers. The word ‘night-table,’ was first used in 1772, so people solved this problem a while ago.

But bringing a heavy wooden bedside table is a hassle. Ikea has £12 metal ones that only need an Allan key to put together. Mine is green! When you’re moving back home, you just unscrew it all and the separate bits fit into a carrier bag.

If you don’t want to spend money on furniture, you could always repurpose the fridge. All on-campus rooms include a mini-fridge, which can be shunted next to your bed if you have an extension lead. I decorated my fridge with magnets I grabbed during Welcome Week.

Whatever table you find, a long extension lead will let you put a lamp and a phone charger on it. Nice.

Happy decorating!

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You might have heard about people talking about personal tutors before you get to uni, for example, if your parents or siblings have gone to university. However, if you’re anything like me, I had no idea what to expect from the personal tutoring programme at Nottingham. I didn’t know how often we’d expect to meet, what would be expected of me, and how to get the most out of the programme. This blog post will explain a bit more!

Every student at the University is allocated a personal tutor (unless you’re in the schools of Law or Psychology, in which case you’re part of a new pilot project where you get a support network instead!) to support them during their time at University. Your personal tutor will likely be someone who is associated with your school and has an understanding of how your course works and some of the subject matter.

People can have varying experiences with their personal tutor. Some people get on really well with them and become well acquainted, and for other people, they don’t necessarily jive as well and their personalities may not quite match. It’s important that if you don’t feel like you are getting on with your personal tutor or are having issues with your pairing, you should get in contact with the head of personal tutoring in your school. The personal tutor programme is created with you in mind and should benefit you, so if you don’t feel as though it’s working, do reach out.

How many meetings are expected of me?

The amount of meetings you have with your personal tutor may vary based on your needs and your school’s requirements. You may only want to meet with your tutor once a semester, or as frequently as weekly check-ins. It’s up to you how you contact your personal tutor, whether it be by email, a Teams call, by phone, or in person.

What can a personal tutor help with?

Your personal tutor can support you in your personal and professional development, and may support you on topics such as wellbeing, health, interests and hobbies, academic development, planning and organisation, finance, careers, and skills acquisition. During your meetings, you can set goals and action plans for how you hope to achieve these goals. Your personal tutor should also be able to signpost you to relevant people and resources in the University should you require it.

Who can I contact if I need help?

Each school will also have a senior tutor (or a group of senior tutors) that are responsible for overseeing the personal tutoring programme. You can reach out to one of your school’s senior tutors if you are having a problem that you would like to discuss.

What is my role as a student in the personal tutoring programme?

Regarding your responsibilities as a student within the personal tutoring programme, you are expected to engage with the scheme to the best of your ability. You should attend all scheduled meetings with your tutor, or let them know in an ample amount of time if you cannot make the meeting. It’s also important to know that you may require references when you enter the workplace and your personal tutor can serve as this reference provided that you have kept them up to date on your academic progress. They need to know you in order to write a reference!

Whilst the personal tutor programme is supposed to run smoothly and be to your benefit, it doesn’t always go to plan. This may be because you just don’t get on with your personal tutor, they are not giving you the support that you need, or the communication between the both of you is not up to par. If any of these things happen, get in touch with your school to see if you can be allocated a better-suited personal tutor. For more information about the personal tutoring programme, visit the University’s website.

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