I remember my very first day at Roehampton University. I remember making my first friend (yes eleri I mean you-high 5!). I remember feeling unnecessarily confident because I came in to steak out the campus on a Sunday. I remember there were a truck load of freebies and tour guides with cheesy smiley faces and the sun at one point actually made a guest appearance before having to leave for a conference! I remember quite a bit…the important stuff that was written on module readers and leaflets-not so much. Besides that there several things the university may not get round to telling you so here is the idiots guide to the University of Roehampton.
Beware of the winged creatures
Geese, ducks, dragons (we don’t have dragons) you name it, they are dangerous. They may look cute but if you get to close to their cute little kids they’ll snap off your finger without hesitation.
Beware of the squirrels
Another set of animal on campus to be weary of. They usually raid bins, and make love noisily in trees (we have a lot of trees in Roey). I’m not saying don’t throw your pizza crust on the ground for it but don’t get carried away, they hunt in groups. On the upside, they’re photogenic little blighters.
Actually use the RSU
Every year a new team of Roehampton Student Union members get voted into power on the promise that they’ll do what their manifestos claim…make them live up to it! Need information on events? RSU! Want to know what’s going on in and around campus? RSU! Want to get taller? Okay they can’t help you on the latter but they are there for you so make use of them, they can be quite efficient.
Buy an external hard drive
“Why” I hear you mutter. The memory bank that is your N drive at uni just won’t be enough or dependable…trust me. I guess if you want you can still acquire a USB or two but to be honest I’ve lost count of the amount of money I’ve spent buying a replacement USB. They are small and are often easy to forget stuck in a computer…a huge chunky data bank…not so much. Having said that I’ve heard of a lost portable hard drive but that was like once. Long story short-invest in one.
Save you work every 5 minutes
It sounds stupid but it just might save you an all-nighter! There have been many a time computers black out, work doesn’t save, computers have some sort of alien-like error and reboot, I’ve experienced them all and it sucks. What hurts even more is that the IT desk aren’t transformers so they don’t know computers inside out and will only have a solution for you 4 out of 10 times and that goes for the dreaded printing machines too. Save your work, or email it to yourself, just have an updated copy of your work. That’s why you need a portable hard drive.
Always carry change
Always carry change with you (as in coins) There are quite a few places where you can access vending machines but idiotically, not enough places where you can get change. So when you do an all-nighter, or your on campus and the library is closed (library is where the change machine is) you’ll be able to actually buy something. Then again you could tell the RSU to install more change machines.
Food is what you make it
I enjoy food on campus I’ll give it 2 stars. Not because its disgusting but because its just too blooming expense!
Some things are worth it, like the chinese stir fry in Digby, or the muffins in Southlands but generally take out is good and pizza places and chinese as well as kebab deliver. Just remember to ask for spoons. Ah, by the way, Dominoes pizza doesn’t deliver anymore because they always get robbed. Ah well, can’t have your cake and eat it I guess.
Job search
Make sure you put your name down for employment opportunities during freshers week, that’s how I got my job and I’m in third year! Applying for jobs in the library, student ambassadors and other things is also a good move to supply you with vital experience needed in the working world.
Harvard refferencingYou may hate it but it has to be done. The sooner you master how to attribute a text to its author in the acceptable fashion, the better for you…and your marks. Many a paper have lost out on marks not because they were bad papers but because their lack of refferencing left much to be desired-just ask my 1st year papers, they’ll tell you.
Read
With so many events going on, parties, jamming,shopping and the like, its very easy to forget that as student we are exactly required to read. It never hurt no one. A book a day keeps bad grades away. Lecturers always no when someone is blagging it in comparrison to a well read student and they’ll be rewarded justly for their efforts. Some papers just need more research to support a well written piece of work…trust me, i know.
Well that’s all i can think of in terms of what you must know, so apart from watching where you step because of geese poo and making sure you actually return your books and equipment to the library and media centre (fines are steep), thats about it for the guide to university life at Roehampton. Oh, one more thing the condom machines in the mens toilets are ussually empty, don’t waste your money.
