My first semester at the University of Northampton
Date 3 December 2024
3.12.2024Going to University can bring up a variety of emotions. Here Catherine shares how her first semester at UON is going so far as she settles onto her course.
Starting at UON
When I first started at UON in September 2024, I had a mixture of feelings but I was mostly excited to get stuck into my course and make new memories and friends!
I was slightly nervous about commuting from home to uni, however it is a lot easier than I thought as there is a bus (18) that goes directly from Northampton Train Station to Waterside Campus.
My first semester at UON has been great. I have enjoyed meeting my lecturers and the other students who I will be spending the next 3 years with. We also had an in-depth introduction to all of the modules we will be covering, what our assignments will be and when they will be due, and the overall layout of Year 1 for Education Studies!
Welcome Week
During Welcome Week, I felt incredibly welcomed and comfortable when I had my introductory sessions to help me get settled into my course, as well as knowing that everyone in my course had the same thoughts and feelings as me, which made it easier to make friends as we are all in the same boat and this is new for all of us.
The various types of support available at UON is comforting to know as I know that if I ever needed help with anything at all, I know who to go to.
Of all the other fantastic events and social opportunities available during Freshers Week, one of the events I attended was the Abba tribute night hosted by the SU (Student Union), which was great fun and a chance to hang out and get to know new people.
Starting my course
After Freshers Week was over, it was time to get properly settled into my course which I found very overwhelming at first, but my lecturers were very understanding and supportive and were there to answer any concerns or questions I had which made me feel a lot better.
As I got stuck into my studies and began planning for my first assignments, I found that there were plenty of spaces and areas to study (my personal favourite is the silent study area on the 4th floor of the Learning Hub!) and I would explore these with my friends on my course. I also found the library staff extremely helpful when asking for advice or needing help looking for a book. Once you get the hang of the system of finding books, borrowing them and bringing them back, it is super easy to follow!
Book an open day and discover what UON has to offer.
Catherine is a first-year student studying Education Studies. She loves going to the gym and going to gigs.