MANY of you or your children will be getting ready to start university or may have already started in the past couple of weeks.

For some this will involve moving away from home for the first time, which can be both daunting and exciting.

It is no secret that everyone who moves away to university has some worries.

Jordan-Louise Smith, 19, from Barrow, who moved away from home last year to study BSc accounting and finance was one of the many who was worried.

She said: "I got myself really worked up and stressed which happened quite a lot.

"I wasn't sure who it was I would be living with at uni and how I would get on with them.

"But once you are there it is completely different."

To help you on your way, here are 20 tips from The Mail whether you plan on attending a local campus or have plans to fly the nest.

Accommodation:

Find out what you can take to halls. Some places don't allow you to have kettles or mini-fridges in your own room. It is almost certain they will not let you have candles or stick up posters on the wall, so don't even bother buying or taking these with you.

There are lots of forums online where you can meet people that will be living in the same accommodation as you. This is a great way to find a little bit more about the people you are going to be living with over the next year, if not longer.

Finance:

This is often one of the biggest worries of any student. It is guaranteed that every parent will worry you are living off 10p super noodles.

Catherine Barnard-Rivero, 19, from Barrow, who is studying education studies at Leeds is about to start her second year.

She said: "I was really worried about money and that I wouldn't have enough money when I got there.

"But I kept my job here at home and came back once a month and worked and managed to get a part time job there in the town as well.

"That helped out a lot, buying food and paying for nights out."

Open a student bank account today. If you can, choose a bank that has a branch near to your university or accommodation so if you have any problems you can get help.

You know where you are heading to university, make sure Student Finance knows too.

Thousands of people are trying to secure their student loans so the sooner you do this the better chance you will have of starting your course with it.

What to take:

Find out what is available in the accommodation. There is no point duplicating on items that are already there.

Don't forget the essentials like a bottle opener, scissors, tin opener. Less important is alcohol, but it is a great ice breaker.

But possibly more important are cleaning supplies and get into the habit of cleaning your halls before they become uninhabitable.

Don't forget:

Think about transport.

Will you really need your car?

If you are only going to use it to drive home in the holidays then don't bother. A train ticket with a rail card could be much cheaper.

Beware of Freshers Flu. Stock up on all remedies before you go. It is real and it is unpleasant, you'll feel even worse if you are hungover and haven't got into the routine of cooking proper meals yet.

Buy a cookbook and practice some of the recipes. You'll be a hit with all your flatmates if you can cook.

There are some great student cookbooks out there and it might be something to put on your Christmas list if you haven't already got one.

It is most likely that you will get a reading list from each of your modules. They can be expensive and it is likely you will never read it more than once. Instead, head to the library and make use of the facilities or seek out second year students who will be selling them off at a fraction of the price.

Will Adams, 19, from Dalton, who is studying business at Lancaster, said: "You've got to know what to expect when you got to uni."

Freshers' week:

Mr Adams, said: "Freshers' week is always a really big experience for people.

"It is about making the friendships and making the bonds that you will keep throughout the year."

As exciting as freshers' week is, don't forget the point of it, which is to get used to your new home and sign up to some societies.

You might hear that signing up for loads of different societies is a freshers' error, but it's better too many than too little and you can always quit if you decide it's not for you.

Your student union or halls will probably organise an event every night of the week, nine days in a row.

This is a great way to meet new people but don't forget to swap numbers with someone who lives on your corridor, in case you get lost or separated.

If you can't wait to get out every night and make the most of the drinks offers we don't blame you, but pace yourself. You don't want to be known as the person that threw up before midnight, got lost or locked themselves out of their room.

Remember everyone else is in the same boat.

You're all in a strange city and don't know anyone, so don't be afraid to strike up conversations with random people.

Don't drink? Don't worry. The university will put on alcohol-free events during freshers and throughout the year.

Make sure you chat to everybody on your corridor. These are often the friends you make for life so start early.

Leave your bedroom door open as much as possible. Everyone needs a bit of privacy once in a while, but if you're just unpacking or watching TV it will let people know they are welcome to come in for a chat.

Get to know your university and the city. You are going to be spending at least three years there so go out and explore.

Make the time to find the buildings that your lectures are going to be in. You don't want to turn up late to the first one and miss something important.

Tiffany Walmsley, 19 from Dalton, secured direct entry into second year to study chemical physicals at Edinburgh.

She said: "My worries were that it was completely out of the blue. I was a medical applicant. I'd chosen this degree on results day and phoned up and thought what is this going to be like.

"Turns out everything was fine."

Every fresher has worries before they start university so don't think you are alone with anything you are worried or scared about. There are always people to talk to. Every university has student services that are there to help and support you so make use of them.

Remember to enjoy university. There may be a freshers' week every year but nothing will live up to this one.

Meet people, explore, and have fun.