Read Mel's brutally honest article about her struggles to settle in at University
When I first started university, I was scared. I had moved away from my home and effectively made myself homeless, so I knew that I was moving to Stoke permanently for the foreseeable future.
It took me a while to settle in, I'm quite a loud person but I tend to flitter from group to group, so I found it difficult to find a close group of friends. It's mad in halls because you're constantly surrounded by people but it was the loneliest time of my life. The way that it is construed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram is a filtered version of the real experience – people tend to forget this.
I guess the point of this whole message is that no matter who you are, someone else probably feels exactly the same as you. No matter how outgoing they are. It's difficult for everyone as you're all thrown into a situation you're not used to. Even those who are commuting find it difficult as people are bonding in halls, and many have said to me that they felt left out and excluded.
I found my friendship group when I started working in Ember Lounge (and no, I'm not just saying this because that's a part of the union!). It was like my version of a club or society, we had things to talk about and I saw them regularly. That would be my advice, I guess, make sure that you're getting involved. I spent weeks feeling sorry for myself in my room, but that was only hurting me.
To join a society, club or start a part time job only takes an hour of confidence, you should try it!
Just remember that we're all in this together, and the union is here for you no matter what.