Dear 'Fresher Me'

Here we go!

My name is Hayley. I’m a second-year computer science student and today I’m gonna spill the highs, the lows, and the nitty-gritty of my course. All the tea I wish I knew when I was a fresher because if nothing else, I’ve gained years of wisdom since freshers!

My first piece of crystal-clear advice is:

It’s okay to be homesick and heck even a bit lonely sometimes!

For me, it was my first time staying away from home and it sure felt like it, some days it was even a struggle to go shopping because of how bedbound I felt. I wish someone had just told me, that’s okay! It’s not a problem to feel like this, you just need time and you’d grow accustomed to your new surroundings. It sure doesn’t hurt to join a society and attend the odd event when you feel it either! Keep yourself busy, start a new book, watch a new series, play a new game and even meet up with those classmates going for a drink! Give yourself a chance to feel better and you will! It’s just a waiting game honestly and at the end of the day, remember you’re not alone feeling like this. Chat to people you meet about how you’re feeling and I can guarantee you’ll be surprised by the replies you get.

Next up is slightly more academic:

Books

Now my first-year books came to a handsome £180. That was second-hand by the way, big up to “world of books” because I saved like £150 buying them second-hand but I promised to give you the nitty-gritty so here we go. I did not use anywhere near all of those books; in no shape or form did I get my money’s worth. Yes, some of them were amazingly helpful (‘C# Player’s Guide’ kind of carried one of my modules, I won’t lie) but it was not something I needed to fork out money before my lectures began to make sense. I mean if you are like me then no shame in being prepared (and an impulsive shopper) but for real wait at least two weeks to a month into your semester before you hit that buy button for those books, that way you’ll know what you’re doing, what you need help with and most importantly your lecturers will most likely plug the best books for what you need and when push comes to shove, some of mine were not even on the reading list. Imagine!

Next up is slightly less academic but I know for computer science specifically it’s a big deal and a massive factor to what made my university life less stressful and more at ease so it’s worth a mention. As a university student managing multiple platforms and networking options (emails, etc) is a must but specifically for your peers and course...

Stay in the loop!

If your course has a society, join it. If they have a group chat, ask to be a part of it. If they have a discord server or chat, join it. When you’re sick in bed with freshers’ flu and need the notes from the coursework overview you’ll be glad you made those connections. The easiest way to know what events people you know are going to or even get help with different modules are gonna be those groups. The computer science discord was a lifesaver for me starting the year, it was a judgment-free area for me to get advice and help on anything coding-related (even if it was a side project!) Get those groups and get networking! Find people who are studying what you are and you may even find your next study group!

My next few tips are pretty heavily related to computer science so fair warning, I’m sure they can be applied to other degrees but they are gonna sound a bit precise. When I joined Hull for my computer science course, I loved the idea that I needed absolutely no experience at all, not a dime. I was so anxious about it that it almost felt too good to be true! My word of advice:

You do not need to have a second of experience in programming and you do not need to be a master mathematician.

I’ve heard it all trust me but believe me when I say, I started my degree with not doing any math and any computer science content in nearly 4 years and by November I was on the high end of my classes! You’ll be fine, don’t be put off by others’ experiences. It’s fine to come to university not knowing any content at all because, at the end of the day, you’re coming to learn it not to revise it! The course content and lecturers are all very beginner-friendly, you’ll have more than enough time to get your head around the theory and ample time to practice it in lab sessions too. Be open to asking questions when you don’t understand and do your best to keep up with the content and you’ll be laughing in no time!

My final one. As much as covering, understanding, and keeping up with your content is really important, another factor is to really put your free time to best use. Of course, take time out, go to socials, play some video games and all the rest, but don’t forget that you also have a life outside of university! When you graduate, employers will want to know what you got up to in your years of university, the things you accomplished, the work you did, and also the things you did in your spare time. With this comes my words of wisdom:

Use your free time to the best of your ability (in moderation) and start brainstorming or even working on those side projects!

It’s a rewarding and creative pastime as well as a great way to put all those things you’re learning into application and experiment in a consequence-free environment. So, when you get the chance make a repository, start brainstorming and just go for it and always remember, many lecturers will be more than happy to advise and help you with personal projects whether it be bugs or simply just feedback! Find out what volunteering opportunities the university offers and roles that you can partake in, find out ways that you can beef up that old CV simply in your free time, it could literally be the matter of a job interview or not!

Welp, I’ve lectured your ears off long enough (see what I did there?) and I’ve advised you as much as I can, for now, I’m certain you’ll blossom into great students yet, well every day besides those 9 am days.

Good Luck, congrats, and most of all break a leg, you’ve got this!

Hayley!