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University Survival Guide | Part II: Freshers' Week


As promised, here is part II of my 'University Survival Guide' on the topic of surviving Freshers' Week. I'm not sure I'm really the best person to write about this due to the fact that I'm a bit of a granny, and while most of my friends are queuing up to be freshers' reps for this year's lot of freshers, the madness of Freshers' Week is something that I will be quite happy to only experience once. Couldn't 'hack the pace', as it were- so this will probably be more of a guide for introverts on how to survive possibly the most mental week of your short lives, more than anything.
Obviously a lot of things will differ between university to university but I've tried to make a lot of these tips quite general:

1// Make a good effort
Even if you are like me and Freshers' Week just isn't your thing. It still pays off to make a good effort to go to the different events. Remember it's only one week out of your whole life and you're likely to meet some great people and make a few new friends. Also, once you get into it, it is really good fun.

2// Remember that everyone is in the same boat
I think the best thing to remember if you're nervous about starting university is that everyone is going through exactly the same thing as you are. It's scary business moving out for the first time and a pretty big personal upheaval, especially if you're moving far away. You'll find most people will be really friendly and keen to make friends during Freshers'. Just be prepared for a lot of the usual "what A levels did you do?", "what course are you on?" etc!

3// It's OK not to be friends with your flatmates
I think a lot of people go to university with the expectation that they MUST be best friends with their flatmates. For sure, it's great if you get on well with the people you're living with but if you find that you just don't gel well with your flatmates (it happens!), it's really not the end of the world. I got on with most of my flatmates OK and one of them did end up becoming one of my best friends, but the majority of the friends I made in my first year were mostly just people on my course or people I'd met through other friends.

4// Don't hide yourself away
I feel like when you're a bit nervous in an unfamiliar place like university there can be a bit of a temptation to hide away in your room and lock the door- and  sure, if you need a little space or a little alone time for a couple of hours that's totally OK, but just don't hide yourself away for too long. Make an effort to hang out in your accommodation's communal areas and make a point of eating your meals in the kitchen rather than in your room.

5// Join a club or society
This is the standard #1 piece of advice most people will give you for starting uni- and it is so for a reason! So far I haven't done this and so far I've sincerely regretted it. Most universities have a whole ton of societies so there will definitely be something to suit you, and logically you're going to find like-minded people somewhere where you know you'll have a shared interest. But even apart from all the potential friendships there are to be made, societies sound like a lot of fun too as well as a great way to find some sense of community at university.
Your uni will probably have a Freshers' Fair  during Freshers' Week where you can sign up for different societies. Make sure you don't miss it because it's worth going to see what's on offer and pick up some freebies!

6// Be careful
When you're living away from home for the first time it can be very tempting to just throw all caution and inhibition to the wind but just remember to be be sensible and take care of yourself.
Firstly, know your limits with alcohol, don't drink on an empty stomach and never ever leave your drinks unattended. Also, when you're out, stay with someone else and don't wander off on your own- you need to be especially careful during Freshers' Week when you still don't know the area well.
Remember that you don't have to do anything you don't want to do, so don't let anyone pressure you. If you don't feel up for something, don't do it. Simple as that!

7// Resist temptation to skip class
First year is whenever you're going to learn most of the foundation for your subjects for the rest of your time at uni so make sure you don't skip class or let yourself get behind. Your attendance will be well worth it come exam time when you have all the notes and material you need, trust me!

8// Budget
Set yourself a weekly budget and try not to go over it. There's such a temptation to overspend at the beginning of term when you just have your student loan in, but don't do it! You don't want to be left penniless and living exclusively on cheese on toast by the end of term (been there!)

9// Get to know your campus
It might be helpful to take a good walk around and get to know your campus before classes start so that you have an idea of where your classes are- just so you're not panicking before your first class because you're unsure of where you're going!

I also would just like to add that even though it's also really good fun, going away to uni can be really hard. I certainly didn't have an easy time of it at first. If you need someone to chat to or if you have any more questions you can 100% email me and I'd be more than happy to help. Also, please let me know if you want any other university-related posts and I will happily write about anything you want to know!

For those of you who received their A Level results this week, I hope they all went well and you got what you were hoping for.

22 comments

  1. Oh I wish I had that excitement of Freshers' again. Can't believe it will be 6 years ago for me. These tips are all spot on, although my one tip I would add is don't get overwhelmed by the fear of missing out. I went out every night bar one for my Freshers' fortnight and made myself pretty poorly! It's not worth it! I don't half miss University though, trying to be a responsible adult is so much scarier ;)

    www.thepeppermintpencil.com

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    1. Yeah definitely, that's true! I missed a couple of the evening events and it really didn't matter. I know, as much as student life is a bit crap sometimes I'm definitely not going to take it for granted xx

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  2. I'm going to have to remember not to hide away, I tend to do that when there's a lot of new people I'm not familiar with :P Great advice!

    Every Day In Grace

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    1. Me too! You just need to try and put yourself out there :) I'm glad you found it helpful xx

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  3. This was SO helpful! I'm starting uni in a month and it's so refreshing to see someone talk about it who's a little more introverted like myself. Great tips, any other uni related posts would be great too. I was wondering, do you think buying a freshers pass is worth it?? I'm stuck whether to get one or not
    Helena / helenaterry.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Aw good, I'm glad you got something out of it. Freshers' Week definitely isn't for everyone (which really annoys me!) But there'll be a lot of people there who'll be feeling exactly the same as you. My uni didn't have Freshers' Passes so I'm probably not the best person to ask but from what I know, if you think you're going to end up going to most of the events then I would buy one since entry charges and things like that during Freshers' really start to add up so it may be beneficial to have paid a capped fee like that. Though I think you're going to need to decide whether or not you'll get the full use out of it if you do buy it! xx

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    2. I actually just asked my friend who goes to Queen Mary because I know they had Freshers' Passes and she said she doesn't actually think it is worth it "because you can buy tickets at the door and sometimes people want to go to different events than the ones on the pass so you'll probably end up wasting money" though she did add "but it's cool to have the wristband and stuff" haha. So there you go, I think it's probably one of those things that varies between unis so it's difficult to really say xx

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  4. This was a great read :). I'm a fourth year and whilst I'd love to have that Freshers excitement again, in reality I'm glad I'm past it. I was the partygoer but it made me VERY ill!

    Tilly Enn // A Beauty and Fashion Blog

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    1. Yeah I agree, I'm very much looking forward to not being a fresher anymore! xx

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  5. I hated freshers sooooo much! Luckily, I found all the other people who hated it too, and we ended up forming a really tight knit group. Even though we've now been out of university for almost as long as we were there, we're all still really good friends. So my bit of advice is NOT TO WORRY if you don't make friends straight away or if you don't enjoy anything that happens at the beginning of your first term of university. I am 99.9999999999999999% sure that most people who say they loved it are lying at least just a little bit.

    Owl Girl | A London lifestyle blog

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    1. Wow that was lucky! I was definitely not as fortunate, I still don't actually know anyone at uni who doesn't really enjoy going out! But yeah 100% agree, a lot of people definitely don't enjoy it as much as they say they do! xx

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  6. This is really helpful! I am actually moving tomorrow and am going to have to get over my introverted ways so I can find some friends. I'll definitely keep these tips in mind! :)

    The Lawn Flamingo

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    1. Aw good luck, Alex! I hope it all goes well for you!! :) xx

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  7. Reading this freaked me out at how quickly freshers went for me last year! Can totally relate to relate to being a granny though, i'm quite happy to sit in bed with my kindle and a cuppa haha, great tips and good luck in your next year :) xx

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  8. Great tips!!! I enjoyed it a lot!

    Monday mask have just began, for a healthier hair visit: www.hairtohips.blogspot.com.es
    Just beginning but it would mean a lot! Thank you so much!!! Kisses from Barcelona :)

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  9. This is a great list! I'm a bit like you - an introvert when it comes to the total madness of Freshers' Week! I actually missed out on some of the more crazier aspects as I didn't live on campus when I went to uni but some of the stories are really quite legendary, even years later!!

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  10. Thanks for this advice :) I got my A level results last week and I'm off to Uni pretty soon! It's nice to hear that not everyone wants to go mental on Fresher's week. Although I love a night out, I don't want to go crazy, especially when you don't know many people and unfortunately I won't have anyone to rely on so early on in the year xxx

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  11. Great post! I'm a fresher too this year and the points you've made really do make a difference! You've just got to put yourself out there!

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  12. These are really great tips.I personally loved Freshers and look forward to doing it again for my final year, but I know it's not everyones cup of tea, but I really think it's important to go along to things because it's a great way to bond with your flatmates and also meet people. I was lucky to get a flat that were like family, annoyed the hell out of me but I loved them, most of my good friends came from meeting people through other people during freshers though. One of my biggest regrets is not joining any societies and I'd deffo recommend it to people. I've actually started a series on my blog giving advice to people starting uni, you can have a read here if you'd like.

    Emma x
    Writing Essays With Wine

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  13. These are really helpful tips! I'm a bit of a granny too, I'm not really into the whole clubbing scene so Fresher's is going to be a time for me to really try to get to know people. It's scary stuff but I think I'll keep your tips in mind when I feel like locking myself away. Thanks!

    Amy | amylouiseloves.blogspot.co.uk

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  14. Definitely some good points here - I don't feel like I got involved enough in my first year. I did some volunteering with the uni, but for my final year I'm definitely planning on joining a club!

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  15. Helpful tips. Thank you. X
    www.lemontierres.com

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