Introduction
Are you starting your student journey but don’t know where to begin? Don’t worry! Introducing ask amber - the ultimate guide for students! Being a new student is fun and exciting, but there are just so many things for you to keep track of. Whether you’re halfway through your journey or just starting, ask amber is here to make things easy for you!
What do we cover?
Your student experience starts way before you first step into college. Before you can even begin applying to university, there is a lot you need to consider. Students take a while to decide where and what they want to study, and rightfully so. Pursuing higher education takes up a lot of your time and resources, so it's essential to think about your decision carefully. Every step of your process requires a decent amount of thought and research. Through ask amber, we want to help students through the three main stages of their student journey: planning, living and settling.
Planning
Once you’ve bitten the bullet and decided that you want to apply to colleges, that’s when your process starts in earnest. The first step is to narrow down on the course you want to study and where you want to pursue it. You can choose to go abroad or even go to a local university. After you settle on a course, that’s when it's time to start looking into the application process for each university and program.
To help with your process, ask amber has episodes dedicated to the different steps of your application, so you have some guidance and clarity on how to begin. If you want to learn more about the IELTS, GRE, GMAT, LNAT, how to choose a course and the visa requirements for different countries, make sure to tune in to ask amber and get all the information you need. We already have a bunch of great episodes out that cover all these tests in detail. Give them a listen here!
Living
Finding student accommodation is one of the most essential parts of your journey. For many students, college marks the first time they move away from home and have to live alone. This new phase of life is exhilarating but comes with many questions. There’s a lot to remember when moving houses, especially when moving to a new country, which is why we want to help! Ask amber has a range of episodes that cover everything you need to know about finding, moving to and settling into a new house.
While looking for a new home, many factors influence your decision. Some of the most important things to consider are cost, location, utilities, amenities and security. As a new renter, it may be hard to know what to look out for, which is why ask amber has released episodes explaining all the different things you need to look out for when choosing a home. Listen to our second episode here, where we tell you how to go about choosing accommodation for yourself.
Before finalising your new home, you must also ensure you have all your paperwork in order. You don’t want to lose out on your dream home because you’re missing a few documents. Each country usually has different terms and conditions for renters, so you must have a basic understanding of what to expect so you can go through your house hunt smoothly. For example, most leases will require you to have a rent guarantor, but many students are often unaware of this. Ask amber has an entire episode exclusively covering everything you need to know about rent guarantors because we want to make sure your process is as smooth as possible.
Settling
Once you’ve started university and moved into your new home, that's when the most exciting part of your student life begins. Exploring a new city, starting a new course and setting up a new home are all incredibly fun, but juggling all these tasks at once may initially be a little overwhelming. Through our podcast, we want to give students advice that will help them through any hiccups they face along the way.
Managing housework and school work simultaneously can be challenging, especially if this is the first time you’re in charge of all your household chores. Another challenge students often face is learning how to manage their relationships with their roommates. Living with new people can be challenging, and getting used to someone else’s routine takes a while. Episode four of ask amber takes a deep dive into everything you can expect when you live with roommates. Listen here!
Why a podcast?
We’ve been dedicated to making student lives easier, and always looking for new ways to help students! Our podcast is dedicated to university students because we want to be able to provide you with the guidance and resources you need as you embark on a new phase of your life.
You don’t always have the time to sit down and do research for yourself, which is why a podcast is a perfect way to get all the information you need. Ask amber is ideal for multitasking - just switch it on while you’re cooking, cleaning or commuting and make mundane tasks more enjoyable with our fun-loving hosts.
Where can you listen to us?
We’re available on all your favourite podcast platforms! Listen to us on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts. You can also check out our podcast page and listen to all our episodes there.
About amber
Since 2016, amber has been students' go-to solution for student accommodation. We have over 150,000 fully furnished rooms worldwide in the UK, USA, Ireland and Australia. With our simple 3-step process, we’ve made sure booking student accommodation is as smooth as possible. Hop onto our website and scroll through our rooms. Find the perfect room using our advanced filters, and a member of our team will be there to guide you through your entire process. Secure your spot without the hassle of mountains of paperwork - our team will take care of everything. All our properties are safe and verified and are all CCTV secured. From private studios to shared apartments, we have a range of options for you to choose from. You can also read our blog on the best podcasts for students.