The title of this article was slightly untrue. The graduates weren’t giving their advice to other students… they were giving advice to themselves. We took a microphone along to our 2025 graduation ceremonies with one simple question: “What advice would you give to your first-year self?”

Here are some of their answers:

Finding your people

“Probably the only regret I have from uni is maybe not jumping into more extracurricular things. In my final year, I did the student radio which I loved, and I had so much fun doing that, I wish I’d done a few more things.”

“Don’t worry if you don’t get on with your first-year flat. There’s plenty of other people to make friends with, so don’t stress about it.”

“Really put yourself out there. Join a society. It’s the best way to meet new people and make new friends for the three years.”

And succeeding in your studies

“The best piece of advice I could give anybody is just don’t give up. Even when you feel like you can’t give another ounce, just keep on going. I promise you’ll get there.”

“You belong here. Don’t let anyone tell you different. You deserve to be here and you can make yourself anything that you want while you are here.”

“When I was a first-year student, I felt like I didn’t belong at the university because I didn’t do A levels. I came from an unconventional route. So, if you feel like you do not belong, don’t let that poison parrot get into your head because you absolutely do.”

And our personal favourite for the Manchester weather: “Yes, it’s going to rain but you’re going to be fine.”

You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel, and be sure to follow the University on Instagram and TikTok to stay up to date with all of the latest content.

For loads more tips and behind-the-scenes from current Manchester students, make sure to join our official Instagram Broadcast: ‘Manchester offer-holders 2025 ✨’ where you’ll find more tips, advice and exclusive content.