Joining a university can be one of the most exciting moments of your life. However, the thought of adapting to life in a new city can be nerve-wracking. Whether you are moving across your state or across the country, leaving a place you are most familiar with for a new city can overwhelm you. But with the right tools and attitude, you can rest assured that you will finally settle in your new abode just fine.
Below are some of the smart tips students can count on to settle in a new city:
Visit the City before Moving
Moving is one of the most challenging parts of settling into a new city. To make things easier for you, you can visit the city sometime before the actual moving date for you to familiarize yourself with the university and its environs. This will ensure that that you will be relatively aware of where you are going on the day of moving. For instance, you will know your way to various important areas within and outside the university. This will significantly ease your anxiety and enable you to settle in more swiftly.
Give Yourself Time to Acclimatize
One of the main reasons why settling in a new city can be difficult is that it involves change and it is human nature to resist change. But a lot has to change when you join a university in a different city. You are not just changing houses; you are changing your physical environment, neighbors, friends, lifestyle, and even your daily routine. As such, the new reality is not something you are going to get used to in a day or two. Instead of allowing the anxiety that comes as you adjust to a new environment to overcrowd your judgment, you need to accept that what you are going through is normal, and instead, give yourself time to acclimatize. You just need to organize your stuff, create a new routine, and visit as many places in the city as you can. Remember that everyone is different, and therefore, you may take longer or shorter than other people to get used to life in the new city.
Make Friends
When you join a University, most of the people you are likely to interact with at the university, including housemates and course mates, will be in the same situation as you. They will be new to the city and probably overwhelmed. As such, making friends with them is not going to be hard, and it is going to be the most important step that you can take as you try to settle in. By making friends, you will have people you can call in case you find yourself in trouble. Besides, since you are all new here, you will all be interested in familiarizing yourselves with the city, and it would be safer for you to go out together.
Make Use of Your Phone
When it comes to settling in a new city, your Smartphone can help you in a big way. There are a lot of mobile phone applications that can help you to get used to a new city much faster. For instance, you can use Google Maps to find your way to various destinations around the city. If you would like to discover new places, such as restaurants and shops, installing an application like Foursquare will be quite helpful.
Use SpotyPal
SpotyPal is a Bluetooth device that is mainly used as a tracker or an item finder. The device has several features that can go a long way in helping you to settle in a new city with minimum stress. For instance, losing your items as you try to settle in the new city can be quite stressful, but by investing in a SpotyPal device, such an eventuality can be prevented. If you are afraid that you might forget your keys or backpack somewhere, attaching SpotyPal devices on these items can solve your problem in a number of ways. For instance, the separation alert will ensure that you are alerted before going far when you forget your items somewhere. The device will also make it easier for you to track your items in the unlikely event that they get lost or misplaced.
SpotyPal can also help you in making you feel safer as you get used to life in the new city. For instance, if you find yourself in trouble in a situation where you can’t make a call, SpotyPal has the panic button that you can press to send an SOS alert to a predefined recipient, who can then assist you to find help.
Conclusion
Overall, it is apparent that if you are joining a university in a new city, then there are several challenges that you might face before you completely get used to life in the new environment. But with the right mindset and tools, such as SpotyPal and a Smartphone, you are going to settle in quite seamlessly. Before you know it, the city that is overwhelming you now will look and feel like a place you have lived all your life.