Plymouth College of Art
1. First stop – find your local inexpensive food shop! It’s very likely you’ll have an Aldi or Lidl close to you. If not, then consider ones that offer point card systems, such as Tesco or Sainsbury. Moving into shared accommodation? You can also club together with your housemates and do joint food shops to save money.
2. Check out what freshers events are planned, and attend as many as you can. There will be a mix of ticketed and free events, to suit every budget. These allow you to make friends and maybe try something that you wouldn't have before – this is just the start of so many new experiences!
3. During your first week, set a personal goal to talk to at least one new person a day – this is a great way to introduce yourself to others and build potential friendships. Building a network of people who work in all different disciplines opens the door to collaborations – imagine being a fashion student who knows a crafts student to make props for their collections, a photography student to take amazing snaps of their garments, and a film student friend to help them promote their work!
4. Keep on top of your work. Get into the swing of being on top of things from the start – time management and prioritising deadlines are key. This way, tackling coursework in your second and third years will be a breeze.
5. Make the most of every opportunity, have fun, and enjoy yourself. After all, you’ll only be a fresher once!