With Uni season fast approaching, thousands of Maltese students are preparing themselves for a whole new semester. Whether you’re a little rusty after a particularly intense summer or are a little wary of your first year at Malta’s university, here are some useful tips to help you get ready.

1. Download your timetable the second it’s available online 

This one might seem like a no-brainer, but it really is the best place to start. Knowing what your timetable looks like ASAP will help you get a feeling of what your days are going to look like. Knowing which lectures start at what time will also help you make sure you’re where you need to be at the right time (I know, right? Magical!).

It’ll also give you a good idea of when you’re going to be free to meet your friends on campus… and when you’re going to be free for too long, you might as well catch a bus back home or develop a long-lasting friendship with the guy behind the counter of the closest pastizzeria. Or sign up to a gym. Yep, that’s we meant.

2. Check the calendar for when exams start and finish

It’s OK; we’re not saying you should start studying for exams from September. But knowing just when your exams start – and, more importantly, when they finish – can go a really long way in helping you plan that quick getaway with your friends or family. Ryanair are adding even more destinations from Malta for summer 2018, so why not plan ahead? 

3. Clock all the places for food and drinks

Even the biggest bookworms will agree that free periods with friends are an essential part of uni life. Malta’s university has been getting a great deal of amazing places to grab a bite, and this is your opportunity to take note of all your new favourite haunts for the next couple of months.

4. Set yourself a budget for the year ahead

In between all the delicious food joints around campus and the constant desire / need to impress your new peers (and any potential crushes) with the coolest outfits, you’re going to want to manage your funds well. Calculate just how much of your monthly stipend needs to go out into essentials, and see what you’re going to do with the rest. This is as good as a chance as you’ll get to plan for when you’re going to have a job.

5. Get familiar with UOM lingo

This one’s particularly important if it’s your first year and you’ve just downloaded your timetable. Familiarise yourself with acronyms like LT1 (the Erin Serracino Inglott Lecture Theatre Hall), LT2 (the Francis Ebejer Lecture Theatre Hall) and GW (the Mikiel Anton Vassalli Conference Centre Gateway Hall), and you won’t only be glad you’ve found a way to avoid those mouthfuls. You’ll more importantly save yourself the embarrassment of arriving ten minutes late to the first couple of lectures because you “got lost”. Have a quick look at the online UOM map to find your bearings, and remember; that big open space in front of the canteen where you’ll probably be spending most of your free time is called Quad. 

Photo by the University of Malta

6. Look out for all the cool free stuff given out during Freshers’ Week

The first week of university is a freebie extravaganza on Quad, and it’s also a great opportunity to work on all the previous points on this list. All the student organisations will have specific stands set up to give prospective members more information, and it’s the perfect week to get acquainted with the campus. But more importantly, it’s five straight days of freebies, and with anything from stationery to condoms up for grabs, this is where it’s at for the first week of October. More information on this year’s Freshers’ Week can be found here.

7. Download FreeHour and make your whole life way easier

FreeHour is a Maltese app which makes finding out when you and your friends are free together super easy.  It can be used by all students in Malta, from MCAST, to Junior College, and it’s extremely easy to use.  Oh, and it’s free, so there are literally zero reasons why you shouldn’t download it. We raved about FreeHour when it was released earlier this year, but the whole thing just got a big update and introduced tons of new features, just in time for the new scholastic year.

Founded by 18-year-old Uni student Zach Ciappara, the app is literally by students, for students. 

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David Grech Urpani

Lovin Malta's Head of Content, Dave has been in journalism for the better half of the last decade. Prefers Instagram, but has been known to doomscroll on TikTok. Loves chicken, women's clothes and Kanye West (most of the time).