Welcome back!

With the new semester here, it's a good time to reflect on your experience so far and think about what you might want to get out of the next few months in Halls. 

The first term has been about settling in and finding your feet at university but now you might want to think about trying something new, meeting new people and get involved in your Hall's community.

Throughout the year, the Halls Life team will bring Halls based activities with everything from Craft Nights and Paint & Sip to Activity Packs that you can do from the comfort of your own home. Follow us on Instagram @livunihalls and stay tuned on our events page for what's on!

Try something new…

It can be easier said than done to try something new and to push yourself out of your comfort zone but in Halls we want to make this as easy as possible for you!

1. Why not book onto a Give it a Go activity or trip and meet new people? Trips are either free or heavily discounted for Halls students! 
2. Stay tuned for events in our Sustainable Halls programme! Learn new skills like how to sew and repair your own clothes or go on a nature walk. Find out more about Sustainable Halls here.
3. Got an idea for your Hall, want to run an event or gain voluntary experience? It’s never too late to join your Halls Student Committee! New members welcome, just email hsc@liverpool.ac.uk if you want to get stuck in! HSC training will take place online on 5th Feb 2025 - stay tuned for details!
4. Want to get more active and try a new sport with no commitment involved? Keep an eye out on our events page for Halls sports sessions!

Try to stay open-minded

Often there's an expectation that things become a lot easier in second semester now that you know the university and the city a little better...but this isn’t always true! If you still feel as though you’re navigating your new life at University, that’s absolutely fine. 

Second semester can bring about new challenges e.g. changes to your modules, a new timetable and maybe you haven’t found the friends you thought you might have by now. Rest assured that you’re not alone and there will be lots of other students in a similar situation. The most important thing to remember is to not be hard on yourself or to add any more pressure. There’s still plenty of time to reach out to a lecturer or peer for more support or to join a new society or sport club to meet new people. 

Student Space has lots of advice and online support for settling into university and dealing with the challenges that can come along with uni life such as exam pressure, studying and loneliness! Click here to read more.

Get a study plan in place

So we’d never suggest an all-nighter in the library or spending every evening revising, but having a bit of a plan of how you want to manage your studies will help you feel organised and more prepared for when those essays and exams come along.

A great way to manage your time is to take 5 minutes at the start of your week to write down everything you’d like achieve. Remember to be realistic and not over-challenge yourself as this will lead to disappointment if you can’t quite meet your aims! Why not start simple and try to dedicate mornings to coursework and afternoons to essay writing for example? A little bit of structure can really help make your studies a little bit more manageable.

Don't be afraid to reach out

There will be new challenges throughout the semester and that’s totally normal. Remember, your Residential Adviser is on site to talk over any issues you may be experiencing in Halls. Talking about any struggles you might have can be relieving and your RA can signpost you to other support should you need it.

Find out more about support available at the University and external services here.