100 Days of University: Humanities Guide
By Bethany from The Library Student Team
Hi there! I’m Bethany from the Library Student Team an MSc student studying global development (environment and climate change) with the school of environment, education and development (SEED). I only recently joined the University of Manchester in September 2023.
Humanities courses are vast here at the University of Manchester. For undergraduate level study there are 4 humanities schools…
- AMBS (Alliance Manchester Business School)
- SALC (School of arts, languages and cultures)
- SEED (school of environment, education and development) — my school!
- SOSS (school of social sciences)
If you are reading this then it is likely that you have a place at the University of Manchester to study humanities, so congratulations! We can’t wait to have you here to study with us really soon. However, it is understandable that you may currently have a few concerns and worries of what to expect when you first come to university, so this is a small overview and some tips and advice of what you can expect from your first 100 days studying humanities here!
First 7 days 16th-23rd September
Settling in on your first day
Wow, the move in day is finally here! It is likely that you’re going to be feeling nervous but also excited and don’t worry everyone will be in the same boat with this. If you’re moving into halls, make sure to arrive fairly early for your check-in so you can avoid any big queues and the chaos of many students trying to move in at once!
It is likely your first day will involve moving into your room and unpacking all your things to make your room feel comfortable and truly yours. I do recommend unpacking as early as possible, as I managed to put most of my things out on my first day, and it just made my room feel more like home, and I felt so much more comfortable. It will also stop you from tripping over your suitcases and boxes every time you leave your room too!
Then have a chat with your new housemates, and get to know them. Maybe on your first night there will be a social event you can go to together, which can also be a way to meet other new people living in the same area as you too. It is also worth noting that there are sometimes group chats you can join before you move in where you may be able to find your flatmates or even just see if there is someone living near you with a similar hobby or interest. These can be found here.
The less exciting stuff…
Freshers week is all fun and exciting but there are some not so fun adult things that need to be sorted too! For example…
- You may need to change your address on forms or documents, or for repeat parcels you may have.
- You will need to register with a local GP and other health services.
- You may need a student bus pass if you’re living in Fallowfield, but if you are cycling or have a car then definitely check the routes and parking places around campus before the start of term.
- You will need to pick up your student card, make sure you have completed your online registration to do this! Also card collection is by appointment only so bear this in mind.
Freshers week
Freshers week is known largely for its club nights and social events, giving students time to meet lots of new people and relax before the hard academic term starts. You may have already received emails or calendars of events, which is really exciting and I definitely recommend getting involved with as much of it as you can.
However, this isn’t for everyone, and if you are concerned about the drinking and going out aspect of freshers week don’t worry as there are still so many things to do and ways to get involved! Last year some of the freshers activities included roller skating discos and trips to the Trafford Centre at night for shopping. There are also our societies, sports and volunteering fairs where you can learn more about these opportunities, and this is definitely worth going to as these can be an integral part of your student life (and also a great opportunity for freebies!).
Meeting people on your course
Whilst term doesn’t start till next week, this week may still provide opportunities for you to meet the people you will spend the next few years working alongside in your course. For example, some courses may do induction talks or lectures giving you an insight into the course and opportunities to ask any questions or concerns you have, and although you may be exhausted by freshers week these are definitely worth going to!
Top Tip!
Take this time to get your bearings of the campus and the buildings you will be studying in as when term starts you don’t want to be panicking on the first day that the building you need is on the opposite end of campus, as our uni is bigger than it seems! We have our interactive map online to help with this if needed.
7–21 days 23rd September — 14th October
This will be your first few weeks of lectures, seminars and general university life (Hopefully you’re not recovering from freshers flu…).
Hopefully this is a fun time where you can start to get to know people on your course, and engage in some interesting topics from the amazing academics that we have across our university. However, this can also be a tough time adjusting to unfamiliar teaching styles, (big lecture theatres can be very intimidating at first!) and maybe learning things you might not really be used to.
During this time it is important to remember that there is support available to you during this transition. Lecturers are always willing to help with questions you have during and after the lectures both in person and online, you can normally book office hour meetings with them if you need extra support on a certain subject.
You will also be assigned an academic advisor at the start of your year. Academic advisors are members of academic staff associated with your degree programme and/or school, who are here to support you throughout your time at university. They will contact you at least twice a semester during each year of study, make sure you’re looking out for these emails. They can help with academic progress, but also future plans and wellbeing too.
As well as this we also have our counselling service where you can get free sessions to discuss any worries and personal struggles you may be having, although there may be a waiting list dependent on demand at the time.
21–35 days 14th — 28th October
As the term moves forward this may be the time where you start approaching coursework deadlines for some courses, which can seem really daunting. As many first year results don’t count towards your final grade definitely don’t put too much pressure on yourself to have the perfect result first time, just try your best with the information and help you have been given, and any errors you make this time can be used productively to help you progress as you move along the year. However, if you have any burning concerns again remember to reach out to your academic advisor and other staff, and they will be happy to help.
There are often a lot of unfamiliar techniques and terms you will hear, such as critical review, analysis and synthesising of literature and this may seem confusing. But here at the library we have our ‘My Learning Essentials’ (MLE) programme which offers support workshops and also online resources for these exact topics and strategies, so book onto one of our sessions for some help and support on this!
35–42 days 28th October — 4th November
For the majority of humanities courses this will be your reading week! This is kind of like a half term, and is an opportunity to catch up on the semester so far, prepare for assessments, or maybe take that long awaited trip home to see family.
I do definitely recommend making the most of your reading week, something I didn’t do enough in my first year! Of course taking breaks is essential, but take this time to maybe do cleaning jobs you’ve been too busy to do, maybe do applications for part-time student jobs or placements for your course, and any other admin work you may need to do for your course. Also it could help to create a plan for how you will study and manage assignments going into the next half of the term.
42–63 days 4th — 25th November
This period will probably be when you will have your first coursework deadline(s), definitely don’t leave these submissions until the last 10 minutes and ensure that you know how to use Turnitin beforehand so you don’t spend ages worried if you have submitted correctly. Also when you do submit make sure you download the Turnitin receipt on Blackboard afterwards so you have proof of your submission.
Above all, try not to start working on these too late, as they are your first university assignments so you will want to leave plenty of time for the many questions you will likely have, and you proofread and give yourself the least stress possible during this time.
Also if you are really struggling with the academic work or personal circumstances there are options for mitigating circumstances or extensions to give yourself a bit of extra time for these assessments, and advice on this can normally be found in your subject handbook.
63–70 days 25th November — 2nd December
As you start to approach the end of your first semester ensure you make the most of being able to ask your tutors any questions in person before they take time off over the winter break and before you also head home too.
Also this will be the time of year that you will probably start organising your accommodation for next year (if you have moved out for uni that is!), and I definitely recommend sorting this as soon as you can as Manchester housing is very popular and will get more expensive the longer you wait! However, understandably this can be worrying if you don’t feel you have yet found people you want to live with, but there are a lot of ways around this!
- You can stay in student accommodation another year, which means you will have new housemates but takes away the worry of finding people, similarly you can move into privately rented student accommodation with a company such as Unite Students or Dwell.
- You can also move into a house-share with sites such as Manchester Student Homes or Spare Room.
- The Student Union and student support services can also offer support with finding accommodation so don’t panic there are plenty of options!
70–84 days 2nd — 16th December
After a long few months term officially ends on the 13th of December and a well-deserved break approaches.
Whilst deadlines and exams are likely still looming over you make sure to make the most of having a break during this time, because you can’t do any effective work with a tired and stressed mind. Also be proud of yourself for getting through your first time and all the highs and lows that can sometimes bring.
84–100 days 16th — 30th December
It’s the winter break! After a long 84 days at university you now finally have a little break, and a chance to go home, see friends and family, and finally relax. (until the inevitable exam revision approaches).
However, the holiday period doesn’t mean going home for everyone, and if you are staying here over the Christmas period then there is plenty of support available to you during this time.
The international society especially often have events and get togethers at this time of year for students who are unable to go home.
Also just remember to maintain your support networks in the city and make use of all the digital tech we have and keep in touch with family!
