“Life admin: Refers to one’s personal day-to-day chores that are of an administrative nature. This includes tasks such as personal banking, making appointments, paying your bills, responding to personal emails”
Urban Dictionary
And, at this point in the semester there’s quite a lot of life admin to keep on top of. Here are some of the most essential to keep this year safe, healthy and hassle-free.
Register with a GP
A new GP practice has now opened on the University campus. You can register with them in less than ten minutes here.
GPs, sometimes known as family doctors, can treat all common medical conditions, provide examinations, prescriptions, vaccinations, and referrals to other medical services for specialist treatment if required. Your on-campus GP practice, which is in Crawford House, also runs a sexual health clinic and can support with drug and alcohol use. If you live further away from campus, you can find a local GP on the NHS website.
Get up to date with your vaccines
You might have already succumbed to this year’s freshers’ flu but you can reduce your risk of picking up anymore nasties by getting up to date with your vaccinations.
- COVID-19: It’s still circulating! We’re at alert level 2 for those of you who are keeping track. You can book a 1st, 2nd, 3rd or booster dose of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine on the NHS website.
- Flu: Respiratory illnesses like flu circulate more in winter. If you’re eligible for a free flu vaccine, you can book an appoint on the NHS website. If not, you can get one in Fallowfield Sainsbury’s or Boots in the Arndale Centre for £16.99, for £9.98 in Hulme Asda or from your local pharmacy.
- Monkeypox: if you’re a man who has sex with men you can now book a monkeypox vaccination if you’re at risk. Read about eligibility criteria and book an appointment online here. There’s lots of vaccine clinics including one on Hathersage Road, right next to campus, and another in Withington Hospital.
Sort your council tax
Did you know that unless you live in halls of residence you need to contact your local council to claim a council tax exemption? If you live in a Manchester City Council area, you can claim a council tax exemption here. If you live outside of this area, information on how to claim is available on the Student Support website.
All student-only houses are exempt from paying council tax, and houses that have a student living there with other people working are eligible for a discount. If you’re unsure, there’s more information here for you to double check whether you need to be paying.
Register to vote
If you want to get a mobile contract or rent a property, it really helps if you’re on the electoral roll, which is basically a list of everyone who’s registered to vote. This also means you can be a part of big decision-making, including voting for a new government. You can register to vote in less than three minutes here.
Get on top of your finances
As a student, we know that every penny counts, so we’ve put together an article, to help you make your money go further. Whether you’re a first, second or final year student, living in halls or commuting to Uni, we’ve got you covered.
Make your money go further with our tips here.
Check out CareerConnect
As a University of Manchester student, you have access to CareerConnect from the University Careers Service. Part-time job roles that you can undertake alongside your studies are posted daily, alongside internships, grad roles and a multitude of careers events and opportunities.
Find out more on the Careers Service website and read our article about increasing your income with a part time job.
Download SafeZone
SafeZone is our safety and wellbeing app, designed to give you extra peace of mind on campuses across the city or living in accommodation. It’s free to download, easy to use and we recommend that all students have it on their phones.
You can use SafeZone to call for help in areas of Fallowfield and Victoria Park, The University of Manchester campus, Manchester Metropolitan University campus and University of Salford campus.
Find out more about SafeZone.