How to Navigate University Life as an Under 18 Year Old

Firstly, congrats on making it this far! University can be daunting, especially if you are a minor but to be fair, every university student goes through many hardships as a first year, so you are not alone. As an international under-18 student, it was difficult to move abroad to a completely new country with must myself and 3 suitcases. But I can assure you, Uni life will be just as fulfilling for you as much as anyone.

 

                    

 

Let’s go through how I navigated my first year at university as a seventeen-year-old.

 

Key tip: Make sure to have all your travel documents on your person at all times, especially your consent forms and CAS statement. If possible, print out your accommodation confirmation and any other mail from the university as a backup. Keep this safe even after you reach Bath since you will need this when you go in and out of the country. The plane, immigration, and setting up on campus will go smoothly, don’t worry about a thing!

 

The most awaited week for all freshers is Freshers’ Week! This week was hectic! I had to handle University shopping, get to know my flatmates, and go to different events all at once. I thought that as a minor, I wouldn’t have much to do but I was proved wrong almost immediately. There are so many alcohol-free socials, give it a go sessions, parades, and fairs that anyone can attend. And although I personally didn’t attend the club nights, my other friends got the under-18 wristband to attend (you need to wear this for safety reasons).

 

                        

 

After Freshers’ Week the real stuff begin- actually living at Bath. While I managed to navigate to my classes easily, there were still a few things that were tricky for me:

So, how did I get past this?

 

For the most part, I used on-campus facilities for everything. I used to go to the co-op for groceries, it was just a 5-minute walk from the accommodation and if I felt like eating takeout, our flat would order food together.

 

It is normal to feel like you are missing out on stuff, but it is important to find your people. I was fortunate to have found many interesting people through classes, my flat, and societies. My group would go to Mixology, which is a weekly event at the Plug and Tub. This was a great place to hang out as there is an assortment of non-alcoholic drinks and mocktails. This was a good bonding experience for all of us because everyone could be included.

 

You cannot avoid homesickness, regardless of whether you’re an international student or not. So bringing some food from home (snacks, pickles sweets) and being closer to your culture by attending socials can really help. Being a part of the Tamil and Malayalam societies made me feel right at home with the many games, movie nights, and traditional food events.

 

                                    

 

During my first semester, I was also a part of the Student Union as a National Union of Students Liberation Delegate. Through this, I understood how the SU works and I built my network as well. I was also able to pass a Standpoint to make menstrual products free and accessible across the university. I also attended the NUS liberation conference at Blackpool where I got to meet and interact with students from all over the UK.

 

Juggling all this with classes was tough and busy but we definitely had fun both in and out of our lectures. Late-night library cram nights before exams, Lime tree group meetings, and random give-it-a-go sessions at the Edge made my first-year experience worth it.

 

While you may be teased for being a kid, there are actually many perks! Most places will have special offers for those under 18 in addition to student discounts. You get 50% off on trainline, tourist places will give you the child fare (often 30-50% lesser than adult fee) and you also don’t have to pay for medical services and medicines! (Though please research in detail for a specific ailment). I remember on saving loads from my trip to the Stonehenge this way. So do enjoy the perks!

 

So overall my top 5 tips would be:

That’s it from me! The Uni experience will definitely not let you down, so have fun and enjoy your first year!