From making friends to managing money: Students' advice for this year's freshers

With a record number of 18-year-olds expected to start university this year, current students told BBC News what they feared before arriving, how they got past it, and the advice they’d give to freshers. Isaak Hewitt, moving to Cardiff with no contacts, said he overcame anxiety by starting conversations at lectures and seminars, relying on shared course study. Grace Morrell, commuting to Nottingham, met people through her student magazine plus radio and theatre societies. Mustafa Dassu credited pre-arrival WhatsApp chats before starting at King’s College London. Others worried about homesickness and money; Kieran Miller compared accounts to secure a free 16–25 Railcard and discount schemes.