THE FRESHER'S SURVIVAL GUIDE #3 | FRESHER'S WEEK

A week of 100 emotions... 

Freshers week isn't just about all the crazy flat parties and nights out; you'll also have your registration and some introduction talks about the university and your chosen subject. It's a busy but very fun week, so here's a little insight into what you may experience and some tips that may come in handy. 

Registering

When I first arrived at my uni, I was sent to a room to register and collect my student card. I also collected a bag full of maps and information about the uni. It took quite a while to register as you had to que up. There were people going around asking if you wanted to sign up for different events and features that the uni offered, however, you still have plenty of opportunities to sign up for these things once you've moved in so don't stress about signing up for everything. 

Moving In

After registering we were able to move in. This involved a lot of signing of paper work so it did take a long time and was a pretty boring experience, but you've only got to do it once! 

Obviously freshers week brings a lot of homesickness, stress and worry over whether you'll fit in and make friends. If you haven't already read our Fresher's Survival Guide post with tips on dealing with homesickness and making friends then you can go and check it out 'here.' 

• Get a door stop

A great tip to get to know your flatmates is to use a doorstep of some kind to hold your door open while you un-pack. Anyone passing by can stop and chat to you and you'll both appreciate that you're already getting to know each other. Also, it means you can't hide out in your room crying because you miss your home life, (I totally did not do this)! 

• Check that everything in your room is up working properly & inform the accommodation staff ASAP if anything isn't 

I noticed early on that me and one of my flatmates didn't have a post box key and my other flatmates did, I thought maybe they were just being cheap and not handing them out to everyone so I didn't bother asking why. At the end of my first year, they charged me £10 for losing a key that I was never given, even after I argued that I never had it in the first place. The staff were really rude and were just idiots. I would have been less likely to be charged if I had informed them as soon as I realised. 

I also lived with a very low power shower for the first couple of months, just presuming that it was because there were so many rooms that they just didn't have great showers, however after actually telling the staff, the maintenance man fixed the shower and it worked amazingly! 

• Buy a box of chocolates/sweets for your flatmates

One of my flatmates bought us all a box of celebrations to share, it was a really sweet gesture and also creates a topic for conversation and of course it's a great treat as we're all poor and hungry students! 

Subject Introductions

I received a timetable in my information pack about some of the events that were planned for Fresher's week. None of the talks I went to were of much interest at all or really that helpful, but at least you get to meet some people that are also on your course. The first was a talk about the university and the subject and another was about how to use the uni computer systems and email etc. As I previously mentioned, I already knew a couple of people from speaking to them on facebook before arriving at uni, so this is where I was able to meet them. After one of the talks, we went to a fresher's bbq and also collected our reading pack, which were absolutely huge for the law students ... I should have realised then that I was going to hate this degree! I spent the rest of the bbq chatting with one of the girls that I'd met from facebook and it was really nice as we were able to talk about the course and were in the same situations. 

Fresher's Fair

Fresher's fair is good for meeting new people, signing up for societies and events and also freebies! This can range from pens to little snacks, which are always warmly welcomed. A lot of companies that come to the fair also give out vouchers and Nandos had competitions that you could enter to try to win a free meal! Mine wasn't the greatest but they're definitely worth checking out anyway. 

Nights Out

And now for the fun stuff! 

• Bring fancy dress

I mentioned this in my previous Fresher's Survival Guide post but it's definitely worth repeating. I think every fresher's week contains fancy dress nights, so it's definitely worth trying to pack some items that will fit the theme. If you love fancy dress then you can go all out, but if you don't then just packing a tie and maybe some spare fake glasses would suffice for a school themed night out. Other popular themes seem to be beach party, so anything flowery! Military is also common so whatever green/khaki items you have laying around and obviously some face paint can come in handy for your camouflage war paint! Pyjama theme also seems like a popular one, but I don't know about you, but I don't fancy going out in my pj's! It's also a great idea to bring a pack of playing cards for drinking games! 

• Share the pre drinks cost with friends

For Fresher's week myself and one of my flatmates took it in turns to buy the drinks for the night, this helped with the cost and it's also keeping you close to your flatmates and building your relationships. 

• Rollasoles are your best friends

If you don't know what rollasoles are, as the name suggests, they are roll up shoes that you can fit into your handbag or clutch for the end of the night when your feet are hurting from your high heels. They are a life saver! 

• Be somewhat sensible

You'll realise that uni is a small place and everyone knows everyone, so if you do something embarrassing or get a little close to a few too many people, word will go around and that's probably not how you want to start off your uni life or reputation, as one of my friends found out. So drink as responsibly as you can and try to avoid doing anything that you wouldn't if sober or that you'll probably regret. 

• Be safe!

The general, tell a friend where you're going if you decide to go off with other people, otherwise they may worry. Always make sure that you travel home with other people...

Fresher's Flu

A cocktail of no sleep + poor eating + alcohol + a load of people in very close proximity = a huge likelihood that you'll come down with the dreaded fresher's flu!

I was lucky enough not to suffer, but then again I do hardly ever get colds and when I do, they tend to go in a couple of days anyway. I still stocked up on cold and flu medicines beforehand, just in case I did catch Fresher's flu! 

Enjoy yourself!

Finally and most importantly, enjoy yourself! It's a great experience and a really fun time of your life. I'm not really a 'big going outer' but I think I went out every night of fresher's week and really enjoyed myself. So go out of your comfort zone and go and have fun! To anyone who is due to start their fresher's week soon, good luck and I hope you have a great time! 

If you haven't already read the 2 previous posts in this serious you can click on the link and catch up:

What to Pack?

Homesickness & How to Make Friends