How to Survive Fresher’s Week and Beyond: Advice from a post-graduate
The time has arrived! Excitement, nerves and beer pong will be flying around your new dorms and student accommodation. Fresher’s week is a memorable experience, for the most part, to kick off the next phase of your life as well as education but I’m sure that most of you will have some questions. I’ve come up with a few tips which will help to answer these. If I’ve missed any off, feel free to ask away in the comments!
Fresher first aid
You may have heard about something called ‘freshers flu’, it is very real and may last the whole year if you enjoy socialising as much as I do. In my first year I was infected with this common illness which then lead on to tonsillitis, then glandular fever, Covid, then tonsillitis again. You may get lucky, you may be even more unlucky than me. I highly recommend keeping a box of these things to help cope with any nastys that will get thrown your way.
In a box, pack:
painkillers
Lemsip
Box of plasters
Steri strips
Alka seltzer tablets (much needed for hangovers)
Antiseptic cream
Antihistamine
Imodium (for the potential dodgy kebab)
Save it!
So, you’ve been given a student loan and it’s likely that you’ve never had this much money before. The bank is thriving and those numbers seem infinite. They’re not. You don’t want to wake up into your third week and realise you’ve spent everything on alcohol, new clothes and ordering pizza every night. This tip seems so uncool but take it from a post-grad, you need that money. Try this:
Open a separate bank account from your student loan and transfer yourself money one day every week. Separate the day to day from the rent. Start with £100 for food, coffee, social events and then give or take off a little the next week depending on what you need. Be strict with yourself!
OR If your parents are able, send your loan to them and ask for them to transfer you the money every week using a direct debit. It’s out of sight and off your mind.
Get in!
You may be preoccupied with the nights out but make time for the real reason that you’re here, for the degree! Inductions are a perfect way to get to know people on your course and a lot include ice breakers to help with any shyness. You’re all in the same boat so that’s at least one thing you’ve got in common! You’ll be with these people for more or less the next three years and helping each other out will save a lot of stress come deadlines. I some amazing friends in my induction so I highly recommend attending.
Joining a sports team or society could be one of the best decisions you make at university. I joined the dance team and it was the highlight of my whole experience. Not only did I get to continue doing something I love but I made more friends, went to socials and stayed active. It’s a great chance to meet people outside of your degree and connect over shared interests, you never know where it could take you!
Flatmate Fear
If you’re moving into shared flats or dorms, it’ll become quite clear that there are some people that are messier than others. In your first year it may ease a lot of awkward conversations if you create a cleaning rota together; a tally for the bins, a rota for deep cleaning the kitchen etc. This ensures that everyone takes part in a safe and cleaning living environment and everyone knows who isn’t doing their job.
Aside from that, make sure you interact with your flatmates within the first week. Have a get together in the kitchen and play some cards so you can get to know each other and feel more comfortable. Even if you barely see each other, it’s nice to know who’s in the room next door!
Beware of the second year curse
This is more of a niche topic among university students, and you probably won’t realise it’s happening before it’s too late. It’s inevitable that you won’t get on with everyone you meet or even live with. With a rush to get a second year house or flat, usually between January and March, you’ll start planning on moving into shared flats with people you’ve connected with over the past few months. It’s important that you feel comfortable with whoever you decide to move in with, continue cleaning rotas and keep a good communication line. When you haven’t known each other for that long, or in some cases even if you do, the second year curse may break friendships as traits emerge that clash with each other. Do not fear! If you try your best and it still breaks down, you’re just on trend. At this point, it’s a right of passage before you move on to your slightly more calm and focused third year.
Good luck to all freshers and returners! The years will sprint by and before you know it you’ll be in the post-grad phase, so please enjoy every second of your university experience, get stuck in and work hard. Comments are open for any questions you may have!
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