Surviving Freshers’ Week (A guide)

With so many new people to meet, clubs/societies to join, and information to learn, the freshers’ week is an incredible time you shouldn’t miss out on.

Usually, there are two freshers’ week;

• one is the official week organized by the University and students union to help you ease off & transition smoothly into the academic life,
• Then the unofficial freshers’ week mostly organized by club promoters, pubs, fast food restaurants specifically designed to run you into debt with their constant attempt of trying to reel you in with discounts and special 2 for 1 offer.

We understand that you may want to enjoy yourself with your new friends, so to Survive Fresher’s Week, here are some of our tips:

Arriving early to settle;

We advise that you arrive as soon as possible to your allocated hall of residence to enable you to unpack and get settled in as quickly as possible so you can focus on the more important stuff.

· Use this opportunity to make friends with your flatmates, get to know each other no matter how daunting and you can help sort out the living arrangement.

· Make your place as comfortable as you can from the get-go with photo frames, beddings and other decorations to avoid getting homesick and eventually catching the freshers’ flu.

· Take advantage of the University support system made up of Student mentors and dedicated student teams who have been through the same phase and would be ready to help you settle in quickly.

The international support teams are also available to help those new to the UK with airport arrivals, orientation, and possible culture shock.

Familiarize yourself with the environment;

After getting settled and unpacking, we advise that you take a walk/stroll around the University either alone or with a friend to know more about your new environment which would be your home for probably a couple of years. Watch out for affordable supermarkets, parks, cafes, coffee shops to act as landmarks.

Go out and explore the city with your new flatmate(s), work out your bus or train routes to the university, and also get to know the taxi service, corner shops and lots more.

Be yourself;

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken”- Oscar Wilde

In an attempt to fit in the new environment, many people will find themselves changing who they are to impress others, but with time, others will see through the cover and find out they were fake. So lose the cover and be true to yourself.

Join clubs & societies;

Go to the University with an open mind to try out new things and opportunities you wouldn’t ever dream of like joining clubs or societies to gain related experience and to meet/connect with new people. But be careful not to burn out!”

During the Freshers’ week, take the time to sign up to these clubs and societies as we cannot overemphasize the importance of extracurricular activities to help you explore varying cultures and to meet like-minded people who share similar interests with you

There are activities such as rugby, football, netball, hockey, tennis, basketball, some societies may specialize in history, art, music, newspaper, religion, and lots more.

Manage your time;

With so many activities at hand, you’ll need to manage your time effectively, so you don’t burn out attending every event.

Schedule your time properly to sort out your course registration and any other academic requirements before attending other activities. Also, take time to rest, interact, and eat.

Get on the student discounts train;

At fresher’s week, a lot of brand and company would be available with promotional/discount offers especially for you. You’ll be offered some special deals, a ton of impressive vouchers, coupons, and discount codes to help you save money. Take the opportunity to ask vendors if they give student discount on shopping or other payments.

Most shops or restaurants offer a student discount, so enjoy whipping out your student card at every given opportunity to enjoy their amazing offers.

Making friends;

As the days go by, and as you get to attend the scheduled freshers’ activities, you’ll get to make more than enough friends before the weekend.

In other words, making friends will become a lot easier than you expect with time, but you have to ensure you meet the right people.

You can also bring a door-stopper when resuming to the University to leave your bedroom door open, as people are more likely to pop their head around the door to start a conversation if you do.

Eat Well;

To keep up with freshers’ week and other academic activities, you’ll have to ensure that you’re eating well and keeping yourself fuel to avoid illness or a breakdown.

Focus on taking lots of fruit, veg, and carbohydrates like pasta, bread, or rice. You can also check online on how to prepare cheap healthy meals and don’t forget your daily multivitamins.

You can also discuss the cooking/sharing food policy with your flatmate(s). Some people opt for sharing all, some opt-in to share only a few items like milk, bread, etc and some even go with the no sharing policy, but we advise you to choose whichever works for you.

Do your admin;

You would have to go through most of your first day’s queuing up and doing a lot of paperwork to complete your school registration process. However, once concluded, you can be more relaxed and go about enjoying your freshers’ week ahead of when Uni starts.

Ensure to use this opportunity to meet with new people, course mates, and even senior colleagues when you get to your department.

Finally, if you’re still struggling with settling or adjusting to the university life, feel free to send us a message and we would love to help.