The information in this Student section is mainly suitable for university students, as most of them will be travelling away from their homes (and for many overseas students this will be their first visit to Britain). Hopefully, this information will help you make the most of your time in Hatfield.
For most students detailed information can be found on your new school's web site or one of the UH sites and the National Union of Students (NUS) site.
The amount of time you need to spend studying depends on your subjects, course level and own abilities.
Apart from the newly-built study centres on the College Lane and de Havilland Campuses, you can use the facilities at the Hatfield Public Library or the Central Resources Library at the end of Travellers Lane (beyond the big roundabout with the walkway crossing Southway).
If it's just peace and quiet you're after, then there are a number of parks and public spaces – and Hatfield is surrounded by countryside. However, if you're likely to need to refer to a book or notes, you may find that going too far away can have its drawbacks.
Simple things – like making sure you drink plenty of water or have eaten properly – can improve your concentration.
The average human attention span is around 30 minutes, so regular short study sessions with frequent breaks may lead to better results than marathon cramming sessions.
It may be that you need to work to top up your student grant or you just want to save some money for the holidays. A list of the large employers in the town can be found in the homepage for this section – Students.
It is worth spending a moment to consider your long-term career plans – if you have made any – before you apply for work.
If you have a particular company or job in mind, try and find work in a related line. Even if it is working for a competitor. This could give you real world experience that could be used to enhance your cv and get you the interview that could lead to a job offer.
Working night shifts may pay more but you may find the disruption to your sleep patterns makes you tired, which can affect your concentration – which could affect your work, and your grades.
Larger companies tend to spend more on training and have a greater range of opportunities – which can be useful if you later realise that you're not cut out for a previously chosen career.
The closer you are to your place of employment the less time you will need to spend travelling to and from there – which is more time to spend on your studies and / or play. Also, it's also likely to mean you spend less in travelling costs, which increases your take home pay.
Only licensed financial advisers are legally allowed to give financial advice. But there are some common sense things you can do:
Ignore flashy offers and READ THE SMALL PRINT before signing up (to anyone or anything). You can easily end up paying several times over for those introductory 'freebies'.
Remember: businesses usually exist to make money – they are not social services or charities.
The Consumers' Association's Which? magazine and website often publish independent product comparisons (the September 2008 issue looked at graduate and post-graduate bank accounts – copies can be referred to free at local libraries or you could sign up to a trial on their website).
Learn to cook – it'll probably be cheaper and possibly healthier than takeaways. Plus, it's a life skill that will help ensure you don't go hungry – and another career option.
A joint tenancy agreement means that one TV licence applies to all sets in the house. If you have a Single Tenancy Agreement you'll have to pay for your own one – not cheap but the fine is even more expensive, and you will end up with a criminal conviction. Remember: you may need a licence for computers capable of showing programmes. If in doubt, more information can be found at: http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/information/students.jsp
Work for a supermarket – after an initial period (usually 12-months) you will be entitled to a staff discount (around 10 per cent) on food, clothes, stationery, computer accessories and fun stuff like games, DVDs and CDs.
Don't smoke / Give up smoking – at around £5 a pack, a pack-a-day habit will cost you £1,825.00 a year. Plus, smokers usually have to pay higher insurance premiums. If you are a smoker, the good news is that you usually get offered a better annuity rate if you reach retirement age as you're expected to die younger – so they don't have to pay you for long.
Buy your textbooks second-hand – ask people in the years above you or check out Amazon.marketplace (but make sure it's the correct edition).
There are a wide range of recreational activities, clubs and associations in the University.
Apart from making new friends and doing interesting stuff, this could also help you after college when you're applying for jobs. Many employers are looking for well-rounded individuals with developed social skills – academic results are only part of the education equation.
Besides, taking some time out to relax and unwind can actually help you concentrate and commit things to memory.
There are also a range of activities in and around Hatfield, and further afield. Details can be found in the local papers, in the Hatfield Public Library and on this site – Leisure.
Student accommodation is usually provided in the Halls of Residence for University of Hertfordshire students for the first year (if required). After that you'll probably need to make your own arrangements. As this is a key area information on this subject is located off the main Student section homepage (but a link is provided below for your convenience).
Enjoy your time in Hatfield – You're only young once!