Your first term at university might not be easy, but by following a few tips, you’ll soon find that you’re making friends and settling in. Be brave, take your time and remember that all freshers are in the same boat!

Make your first term at university a breeze, find new friends and settle into your home away from home.

Your first term at university may turn out to be many things, but one thing you can be sure of is that it will bring you plenty of challenges. One of the main things you’re going to have to overcome is the potential loneliness if you’re slow to make friends, and the horrible feeling of being homesick if you’re not used to being independent.

Moving away from your family and all that’s familiar can be a real wrench and the shock of having to do everything yourself can leave you feeling ill-prepared and out of your depth. Of course it’s not like this for everybody, some people are naturally very confident and find it easy to approach new people, but most new students will have some kind of teething problems during their first term.

Remember – you’re not alone!

The first thing to remember is that however much you may feel like you’re alone, you’re not; there will be plenty of other new students feeling exactly the same as you. There are thousands of students every year who spend a chunk of time (and money) phoning home and saying they hate their new life, but nearly all of them soon relax into it and start to enjoy things – and the same thing will apply to you. In time, you will make friends and start adapting to your new lifestyle – so go easy on yourself! Take advantage of email, keep in touch with family and absent friends using social media and call someone for a chat when you need a bit of reassurance – they’ll understand and give you the support you need to get you through the tough times.

The other thing you need to do is to start taking small steps to making friends. Sit and read a book in the student bar, giving a smile and nod to those around you, or stick a pound on the pool table and play a few games with some new faces – many a friendship is forged through mutual interests or a laugh over a beer and a game. In fact, bearing this in mind, it can also be worthwhile looking for like-minded people by taking a logical and proactive approach. Join a club where you can meet people with similar hobbies – it could be anything; chess, darts, books, music, walking or whatever you fancy, just think about something you enjoy doing and seek out others who are doing the same.

Make your living situation work for you

If you’re finding your own digs rather than going into halls, it can be a good idea to speak to some local, experienced student letting agents to see where the best areas are for a social life and also to enlist their help in finding others to share with. They are likely to have a list of other single students who need to find sharers so they can apply for a house or flat, so it’s worth a try. If you’re sharing accommodation, whether privately or in halls, offer to cook your student flatmates a meal, or organise a night of beer and board games – however nervous you are, you need to make an effort. People will really appreciate it and you’ll soon start to make friends.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that there will undoubtedly be support services at your university. They’re there to help, and may also know other students who are struggling to settle in – form an allegiance, there’s power in numbers! Try welfare officers, student support or counselling services – or you can even stick a ‘wanted’ poster up on a notice board asking for people to get in touch for gigs/clubbing/pub quiz teams or whatever works for you.

Your first term is bound to be full of ups and downs, but don’t do anything rash. If you drop out in a moment of loneliness, you could really regret it – take a deep breath, relax and take the rough with the smooth. By your second term, you’ll be living student life to the full, and enjoying every minute of it.

Guest post by Louise Nelhams, from Leeds student property specialist, A-Team Properties.

It has now been a week since Newcastle University student Jason Fyles went missing.

On Thursday 16th of May 19 year old Jason, orginally from Merseyside went missing after a night out. Police are appealing for anyone who may have information to come forward. They describe the student at 5ft 9″ tall, of very slim build with a pale complexion and short ginger hair.

He was last seen on Helmsley Road, Sandyford, when he called to talk to a course-mate at 3am. His friend offered him a bed but he declined, and that was the last time he was seen. He is staying at the Bowsden Court halls of residence in South Gosforth. He was wearing a blue t shirt and grey jumper with beige chinos and ankle length brown leather shoes when he went missing.

Friends and family have set up a facebook page and are using the twitter hashtag #findjason

A guest post from Daryl Summers of Summers Property Inventories

Reflecting on your journey to the current point in your life is important in order to move forward and see where you want to go. Whilst having dinner with a close friend of mine, we reflected on how long ago we met and the changes we both have gone through in such a short amount of time. I always start reflecting from 2007 at the tender age of 18 – fresh faced and fresh out of sixth-form with A-Levels in Double Business Studies and ICT and a whole world of opportunities at my feet. But I was stuck not knowing what I wanted to do or where I was going. The fear of going into the world independently into adulthood to start my life outside education was daunting and the prospects didn’t look promising.

At this point I didn’t think I was cut out for University and convinced myself enough that it wasn’t for me, shelving my dream of having that one photograph on my wall where I looked proud of my achievement whilst clutching my degree certificate. Instead I believed going to work full-time in an office environment was the best direction to take to gain some real-world life experience and to trial different job sectors until I found the path that was right for me.

Before the recession in 2008, I was tripping over job opportunities for companies looking for young, energetic and educated talent where they could mould into high achievers through their corporate training schemes. After some trial and error, I finally found a company I felt I could contribute a lot of my time and energy towards. But after a few short months I began questioning if the direction I took was the right choice. I questioned my judgement on how my expectations of working life post sixth-form was a distorted reality and how I was not prepared for the tasks and expectations that came with it.

In January 2008 armed with my last £5 for my UCAS application form, I took the bold decision to apply to the University of Portsmouth to study Property Marketing, Design and Development in September the same year. The prospect of a graduate job with a starting salary of £28k in the housing sector was exciting and I instantly knew this was the direction I was destined for. During the following nine months, I continued to work hard to distract myself from the pending life changing experience I was going to embark on.

The recession hit the housing sector hard, decreasing the amount of opportunities for postgraduate employment, whilst increasing the required entry levels and experience expected by housing sector companies. This spurred me on to obtain my Bachelor of Science first-class honours degree, as I didn’t want to disappoint myself because of the vast amount of hard work I’d invested in my education to achieve the best. Three years of getting to know myself, meeting new people and working the hardest I have ever worked I was proud of my achievement. I felt on top of the world and that I had proved I could set my mind to any challenge and achieve the results I wanted – anything was possible.

But in 2011 the gloom of rising unemployment and the decline of opportunities for graduates was not looking promising. After applying for 147 jobs and failing two job interviews, I felt like I had let myself down and I only had myself to blame. The promise of a high-income salary in the housing sector and a glistening career in property vanished in three long months of unemployment. I was panicking about what my next move would be and if my £20,000 student debt was a complete and utter waste of time and money.

Thankfully blessings come in all shapes and sizes and an opportunity to work for a website design company arose. I’d dabbled in web design as a hobby for a number of years and was self taught, but I thought a job where I could be creative and use complex knowledge on a daily basis was a good challenge to set my mind on. Yes it veered away from my specialist subject knowledge and yes I worried not staying in property would mean my window of opportunity may pass me by, but a job was better than no job!

Two years later with office experience and a whole vast of new knowledge in the world of web design, I am combining these skills and experiences with my degree to create my own company. I’ve learnt many things along the way, but the main thing I’ve discovered is to not let opportunities pass you by, no matter how big or small, as combining them can lead to greater things. No longer will I hope and pray someone else will give me the opportunity to flourish in a career in housing, as past experience has shown that people are not willing to take the chance and invest in me, when I know deep down I can be a valued asset to their company.

If I have learnt one thing in life it is this – if you want something done then do it yourself. I’m looking forward to the day where I am in a position to help young graduates looking to prove their worth in the corporate world, as I will be there to guide them and give them the opportunities they deserve. I want to be the person to prove that combining all your skills, knowledge and experience can lead to greater prospects and opportunities whilst influencing others that investing in yourself is the greatest investment you will ever make. You are the creator of your own destiny and I am busy creating mine – Summers Property Inventories will become my greatest achievement.

The introduction of the £9,000 student fees sparked massive protests, but could universities cope with a reduction in fees?

A report commissioned by the Million+ group of universities has found that tuition fees in England could be reduced to £6,000 a year and remain cost-neutral to universities and the Treasury.

The report suggests a model where universities receive the £6,000 fees from students plus additional government funding.

However, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills says the scheme would leave a £2bn shortfall.

Students that started university this year were the first to pay the £9,000 a year tuition fees, but the Million+ group, which represents the newer universities, says that although everyone agrees that the huge fees are putting students off, there should be more analysis of how a fee cut could be put into practice.

Pam Tatlow, Million+ chief executive, said it was “vital that any alternative proposals add up”.

The study also noted that their proposed model would cut lending costs for the Treasury, as currently not all students repay their loans. Potentially this saving could be used to fund more university places.

The Universities Minister David Willetts recently said that the level of loss on student loans is running at 35%, all caused by fewer graduate jobs and lower salaries.

The new study also examined the possibility of a graduate tax, where the entire current funding model would be scrapped and instead, graduates would pay a higher level of taxation. This would mean much less lending for the Treasury, but would mean a change in accountancy rules too.

“Questions remain about the sustainability of the coalition’s higher-education reforms and their impact on participation, but few details have emerged about the alternatives,” says Pam Tatlow of Million+.

“The modelling shows that these two alternatives could be introduced at no additional cost to the Treasury while also preserving the unit of resource in universities.”

But the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which is responsible for universities argues that the £2bn deficit was too great to ignore: “this report confirms that reducing tuition fees to £6,000 would mean a £2bn shortfall in funding for higher education,” said a spokesman for the department.

“That would be bad for students, bad for universities and bad for graduates. The second alternative of a pure graduate tax would also cost more than the current system, while weakening incentives on individual universities to deliver a high-quality academic experience.

“Our reforms in contrast deliver well-funded universities, more student choice and a better academic experience.”

Armstrong will serve an 18 month sentence for the theft.

A member of staff from an estate agents in Seaham, Sunderland has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after stealing around £13,000 in tenants’ rent.

Michelle Armstrong, a 48 year old administrative assistant worked for Dennis Dowen, looking after 90 tenants, most of which would bring their rent in cash into the branch.

In 2009 around £1,000 did not appear in the company’s accounts and Mr Dowen challenged Armstrong, who denied any wrongdoing. He then questioned his bank, believing it to be an error on their part. Then in October 2012 she claimed that £7,000 of the company’s money had been taken from her car. When CCTV footage was examined no evidence of the alleged theft could be found and Armstrong was arrested.

Mr Dowen, who runs the 31-year-old business, said: “I feel vindicated on behalf of our customers and for the staff.

“If anything is taken, I’ve got to put that back, so no customers were in debt whatsoever.

“I knew about her personal life and she was a good employee, I can’t say she wasn’t.”

As a company regulated by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), any money lost due to staff infidelity has to be reimbursed to landlords owed rent, with the money made up from Mr Dowen’s own resources. In total Armstrong took £13,450 from the company.

As well as a jail term Armstrong will have to carry out 280 hours of community service and adhere to a 6 month curfew.

The impressive facade of the Scandinavian Hotel will be used in the new student development.

A decision to convert an empty hotel building in Liverpool into 240 student beds was met with anger from campaigners.

The former Scandinavian Hotel which lies at the junction of Berry and Duke Streets will be converted into studio and cluster flats with a glazed communal area on the top floor which will allow for views over the city’s cathedral.

But campaigners have voiced their anger that their views were not considered. For the most part they were worried that there was already too much student accommodation in the city,

Florence Gersten, from the Save Our City campaign group said: “We would be delighted to see a long, neglected site back into use.

“However, we are very concerned about the city being left with vast numbers of empty buildings new and old.”

Planning officers said that although the views of the objecting residents (some 51 in total) were ‘valid’ the old building was “crying out for re-use” which had lead them to recommend to councillors that the plans be approved.

Downing developers no have permission to begin work on the site. The project will make use of the facade of the hotel built in 1859 and Downing will manage the student development.

Landlords will need planning permission to convert homes into Houses of Multiple Occupancy.

As of today Reading landlords will need planning permission to modify buildings to HMOs in some areas of the city.

Last May the Council passed a motion to introduce an Article 4 Direction under the Town and Country Planning Act.

The new regulations apply to anyone wishing to change the use of a dwellinghouse (C3 use) to a small HMO (C4 use) in the areas of Park, Redlands and Katesgrove areas of Reading.

The Council took the move after it received a petition of more than 200 signatures at the start of 2011. It then pledged to investigate where, if at all, an Article 4 direction might work to regulate HMOs.

Today’s new laws will make it harder for HMOs to spring up unchecked, but some are worried that the regulations will just push students into other areas of the city.

A spokesperson for the East Reading Community Group said that “these are the areas that most Reading University students live in.”

Reading joins a host of other UK cities that has used the Article 4 Directive to control student housing.

Councillors are worried that families are being priced out of the rental market.

Sunderland Council have introduced tighter controls on Houses of Multiple Occupancy in the city.

Under new regulations introduced last month landlords will have to apply for planning permission to turn a family home into an HMO. The changes will come into force next year and will apply to the five wards of Barnes, Hendon, Millfield, St Michael’s and St Peter’s.

The measures have been brought forward because the council fears that there are too many HMOs springing up. In a report to the council deputy chief executive Janet Johnson said: “High concentrations of HMOs have become an issue in a number of towns and cities across the county, particularly those with universities.

“High concentrations can have a detrimental impact on the local environment, with impacts on social cohesion and services in an area.”

Until now it was possible for a landlord to convert their property without permission but now the Council has invoked Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning Order (see here for more on Article 4)

However, Nigel Flanagan, a landlord with properties across Sunderland, including in Hendon, believes there are already enough rules in place regulating HMOs.

“There are more professionals seeking homes than ever before,” he said.

“And as long as it meets the right standards, I cannot see any reason why we need any other policies to stop that happening.

“I can understand their concerns, but there’s a growing need (for HMOs) so I don’t know what they are going to achieve.

“Just more regulation? They’ve got that already.”

Students from Sunderland University make up a large proportion of those living in HMOs, and the institution was consulted as part of the proposal.

Director of facilities Phil Marsh said: “Article four is used throughout the country and over the years there’s been a lack of regulation.

“The last thing we want is our students to have a poor experience of the city, or to feel they are having a negative impact on their neighbourhood.

“Our students add a lot to society, but we need to make sure that impact is 
positive.”

Courtesy of Walton Robinson.

Original source: Walton Robinson

Unite’s popular Manor Bank development in Newcastle upon Tyne

Student housing giant Unite has reported a strong demand for its student housing and is predicting that the trend will continue in the coming years.

The company said that some 75% of its accommodation was let for the next academic year, compared to 72% for the same period last year.

“This underpins continued confidence in our rental growth guidance of 3% for the full year,” Unite said in a statement.

In Newcastle upon Tyne Unite owns Magnet Court and Manor Bank which cost between £156 and £170 a week, as well as successful developments in most major red-brick university cities across the UK.

“High occupancy, firm cost control, deepening University relationships and positive rental growth prospects underpin our view that we are on track to grow earnings in line with management expectations this year, while further progress with our development pipeline provides good additional support for our medium term growth targets,” said CEO Mark Allan.

“Meanwhile, steady progress with asset disposals and our refinancing objectives mean that we are continuing to strengthen our financial position further,” Allan said in a statement.