Top Tips for Freshers Week
What is Freshers week?
For students attending university in the United kingdom, first year undergraduate students are called Freshers, and Freshers week is their introduction to university life, it’s the week before term starts, where freshers move into their accommodation and meet their fellow Freshers.
The university and other local establishments host a range of events, for freshers to enjoy and meet new students.
Putting Pressure on Freshers Week to be everything
Media has painted this picture of university has painted this picture of university being one big party interspersed with frantic study sessions, and whilst university for the majority of people is a great time, spent with what may become lifelong friends, cinema doesn’t usually capture the totality of the university experience.
With that being said, there now becomes a subconscious pressure for students to live up every second of freshers week and if you’re not doing that that means that you’re failing. The reality is you do not have to enjoy every second of freshers and don’t let social media lie to you, remember that social media is a highlight reel and needs to be taken with a large grain of salt.
Remember Freshers week is just the beginning of your university experience not the sum total of it. So don’t put too much pressure on the week to be everything and more, have a great time by all means but remember the real memories are going to be made in the years to come!
Say Hello (Making Friends)
Arguably the most important part of Freshers week is making friends, and this can be a source of great stress for many a fresher. Freshers week is a fairly rare situation in life where there are thousands of students in a very similar situation, which means if you are feeling anxious about making friends chances are there are many many people that feel the same way.
Make sure you’re friendly say hello to as many people as you can (not just the ones that look friendly), you may be really shy and not like interacting with people but your fellow freshers don’t know that and this and are a lot more receptive to meeting new people that they don’t know than they otherwise would be.
You may get quite tired of telling people your course, where your accommodation is and where you’re from, but hang in there it’s just for a week and you’ll be happy you did.
If you’re living in halls invest in a door stomp and keep your door open as you’re moving in, it will give your fellow house/flat mates the opportunity to pop their heads round and say hello, if there is one relationship that you’ll need to nurture early it will be with the people that you are living with. There is no obligation for you all to be best friends but you definitely want to have a comfortable, relaxed relationship because you’re going to be living together for at least a year.
When it comes to making friends don’t feel pressure to meet your people in the first week, the people you hang out with in freshers may not be your long term friends, you may not even see them again after freshers week! The more you spend time doing the things you enjoy and going to the places you like, your long term friends will naturally gravitate towards you over time so play the long game, don’t feel you have to change for a group of people that are not good for you.
Well rested
Freshers week is going to be very busy, you will want to be well rested before you arrive, also make sure you’re eating properly and having some time to relax. If you do catch the dreaded Freshers Flu (yes that is a thing), you’ll need a strong immune system to fight it off.
Unpack quickly
When you arrive at your university accommodation try to arrive as early as possible and unpack swiftly this will give you more time to do the freshers university admin, meet new people and start exploring campus so you know where everything is.
Have an idea of how you want to spend freshers (but give space for things to change)
There will normally be some kind of event schedule for Freshers, have a look at that beforehand and think about the events that you want to attend, both compulsory academic ones and social events. Although you’ll have an idea of the events that you want to attend, leave space to change, you may find a better alternative or find something else that is better value for money.
You don’t have to go to everything Vs a packed calendar
During Freshers week Fomo (fear of missing out) is a very real thing, PSA: You do not/can not attend absolutely every event, this is why it’s so important to be aware of what is happening so you can select the best events for you to attend. With that being said, Freshers week has a lot of good things happening, so your schedule should be full during the week.
Freshers Fayre
During Freshers week your university will hold the Freshers fayre. This is an opportunity for students to see the full range of activities that your university offers, from student run societies, to sports teams and it’s also a great place to engage with external companies. There is no other place throughout the year that you will be able to see all the different activities in the same place
Do not miss your freshers fayre! Take time and have a proper look at everything that your university has to offer, speak to the students at the stalls, make sure you fill your bag with freebies and vouchers for free food and more.
If your Freshers fayre is over two days I would encourage you to go on both days, because it is difficult to properly go around everything in a short space of time. You’ll be able to sign up to societies, get more information about taster and welcome events and explore other interests you have or even try something new.
Clubs and societies
The clubs and societies that you are part of during your time at university are going to be your main source of extracurricular activities, they will be hosting trials and taster events during the first few weeks of term so look out for that , this is also a great way of making friends because you will share similar interests. A side note to add: they are fully aware that many of the students that attend the early events they will never see again so don’t feel bad about trying something and deciding it’s not for you. Becoming a member of a society will normally incur a fee, this can range in price but sports teams especially will be more expensive if you’re going to invest, make sure you get your money’s worth and make use of it.
Student discounts
During your time as a student, every time you enter a shop or purchase an item online, you need to be aware of the magic phrase and that it is; student discount! Companies know that on average students have less disposable income so most of the recognisable brands and venues will have some sort of student discount. It’s up to you as the student to have a cultural shift in thinking and sniff out these deals. Even if it’s not explicitly obvious, always ask if the vendor offers a student discount. Unidays, is normally the go to for discounts, and I would definitely make sure you invest in a 16-25 railcard especially if you’re moving to a new city, and there will be internal discounts at your specific university, if your university is offering some sort of a wristband do your research because these are not always as good value as they seem used well your student discount can save you thousands over the course of your studies.
Finance (Budgeting)
If you’ve taken out a student’s loan, for many it will probably be the first time you’ve had a lump sum in your account, so you may get a bit excited, this can lead to you surviving on baked beans and pot noodle until the next installment of your finance comes in. If you haven’t budgeted before this is a great opportunity to start, you don’t necessarily need to count every penny but atleast a general idea of how much where your money is going will help you make informed decisions.
You may also need some emergency money if there are issues or your student finance is delayed. It’s generally good practice to have an emergency in general, as much advice as you receive there will be something that you were not able to plan for so in this instance an emergency fund is very handy.
Student services
You’re going to need to know where your student support services are including your University admin, GP and counselling services
Homesickness
If this is the first time you’re away from, it’s likely you’ll experience some home sickness, with all the different activities of freshers week you’re going to be very busy, and after freshers week is completed you’ll be straight in your course so hopefully that will reduce the time you have to miss home. It’s normally a good idea to take some things that remind you of home with you and call home and speak to family, maybe not too much because that can really compound the effect of homesickness.
Document the journey
University for most is a great time, and you’re going to meet new people that your going to share great memories with and have the opportunity to experience new and exciting things (if you allow yourself to) document the journey, through photos, journal entries etc I especially recommend you take photos you’ll create this really cool timeline that you can look back on with fond memories and you’ll be glad you did.
Don’t compromise who you are for one week
Freshers can have you feeling that you have to be something or do things that you are not comfortable with, you don’t! You don’t have to compromise who you are and what you believe. If you’re not interested in clubbing and drinking most universities offer alternatives for you to have fun and meet people, and even if you are on a night out you don’t have to do anything that conflicts with your religious, personal or social boundaries. If the crowd you’re with is putting pressure on you to do this, they’re not your friends, and you need to find like minded individuals. If you are going out make sure to stay safe, for many you’ll be in a new city so make sure you can get home safely. Remember that freshers week is the start of your uni experience. You don’t want to start off the journey with any regrets.
Freshers week is an incredible time for you to meet new people and kickstart your university journey, make sure to enjoy the experience
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