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.