Five tips to help you through uni: Tip 3

On day three of my top tips I think one of the most important things I can advise students, Fresher or otherwise, is to look after yourself.

Let’s talk about personal safety.

Of course we all know that alcohol lowers our inhibitions, making us more confident where we would otherwise be more cautious. But be sure to think carefully about decisions you make whilst intoxicated. You never know, that nice stranger you just met at the LCR might not turn out to be as nice as they seem…

And of course this does not just apply to the dangers of alcohol. UEA is a big campus, we all know this, and as safe as the university is, and as nice as Norwich in general seems to be, it doesn’t mean there aren’t risks.

In my first year there were reports that two UEA students had been attacked as they made their way back to the university village, which lies just off the centre of campus. I lived in the village, and having walked back there in the dark at night, I can’t say that I’m surprised.

My advice is to be wary of walking home alone; try to stick together in a group, or at least with one other person. If you make friends on a night out, ask around, find out where people live (it’s usually the ice-breaker question anyway) and suggest that you walk home together. Safety in numbers people!