Your first week on campus

How will you make the most of those seven days?

Week one, where do you start? You've had a chance to get your bearings and hopefully settle in, but you will of course want to set yourself up for the best first year possible. While there are many ways to do that, we have some suggestions on what we'd consider essential for you to tick off as soon as possible. Keep reading to find out how you should spend your first week on campus.

Turn flatmates into friends

You'll be meeting lots of new people in your first week, but you'll likely see a lot more of your flatmates than anybody else. That's why it's a good idea to try to get to know your flatmates by spending time with them doing...well, whatever you like! It doesn't have to always be alcohol-related activities, there are actually plenty of ways you can have fun without drinking.

If you're struggling to come up with what to do with your flatmates, you can always rely on ResLife and QMSU for stuff to do, especially during the first week.

Stay safe on a night out

If you do choose to go on a night out (or choose to go on a few), it's important you know the ins and outs so you and your friends can stay safe while having fun. There are the well-known methods of sticking in groups and making sure to watch how much you drink, but there is London-specific safety advice that you should know about. Also, mastering the TFL (Transport For London) system will not only save you from having to pay a really expensive emergency Uber home, but will come in use for the entirety of your time at Queen Mary.

If at any point you do feel unsafe, we provide safe spaces with 24/7 security on campus and in some of our halls. They will be more than happy to help resolve any situation you find yourself in, or just make sure you get back to your flat safely.

Maintenance, laundry and more

The essential how-tos for living in your new accommodation may come naturally as any problems arise, but if you want to get ahead of the game then we can help you with that! The two most common obstacles you'll likely face in your first week are cooking and washing. We have guides for both areas, covering how to use the kitchen appliances you'll find in your flat and how to do your laundry.

A thing we hope you won't have to deal with in your first week (or fingers crossed, at all) are any maintenance issues. That being said, it can't hurt to know the process of logging an issue if one arises. After logging it, a member of the team will be assigned to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. There are also named maintenance days which you should take note of for future reference.

Post, glorious post

Your post is important and you will want to make sure you are set up to receive any kind of delivery you might need over the duration of your stay. We provide parcel lockers at Mile End, if it is easier for you to pick up your packages on campus. Without using the lockers, you can still receive post delivered to your hall, you will just need to know the details (address, pick-up location, etc) first before making any order. 

What to do if you miss home

You may experience homesickness as you adjust to your new life as a Queen Mary student, especially if you are an international student. The good news is that this is a perfectly normal part of the transition period and you can deal with it by embracing the change! But if you feel you need more assistance with overcoming it, we are here to help.

Taking care of your body, mind and spirit

An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Well, that's simply not true but while you're at uni you'll want to make sure you can access any health services you might need. So better to sort that out in your first week rather than keep putting it off. We can help you register with the free service on campus and we have lots of advice and resources for your sexual health, such as how to get free STI kits and contraception.

And that's it! Everything you can do to make your first week the best it can be. Anything you don't manage to do can always be done later on and we will always be supporting you. So go at a pace that works for you and enjoy your time at Queen Mary.