Where to start with freshers week? With all the emotions that you feel it’s safe to say it’s unlike any other week you’ve probably experienced or will ever experience!
Having experienced freshers week from different perspectives this article will give you a brief low down on what to expect when you first head off to uni…So shortly after results day you’ll become exposed to a whole realm of different people trying to interest you in events. From your soon to be student union to private event companies and clubs you’ll be invited to a lot! Be it themed club nights, bar crawls, picnics or beach trips with academic societies you’ll be spoilt for choice!
It’s important to mention here that although a big drinking culture has and still is associated with freshers week not everyone drinks, and not all that do have drunk before coming to uni! Coming from a small village in Cornwall and only recently turning 18 before starting at university meant that the first few days of freshers week was a massive eye opener for me, as it will be for many freshers this year!
From working for both the university and the students union at Exeter during freshers week as part of The Welcome Team, in both my second and third year, I can guarantee that the situation new students find themselves in are not unique and the staff have probably dealt with similar situation loads of times before!
It’s important to remember that The Welcome Team are there to help you, they’re part of a volunteering project to help you get settled into your new home both day and night. The Welcome Team help make it easier for a lot of clubs to take care of drunk people, but as a fresher it can be a tiny bit under appreciated. We don’t get paid and we give up our own freshers to ensure that everybody is safe and taken care of, but it’s was such a fantastic project to be involved in and very much worth the long hours! Each Welcome Team member will have their own individual experiences of freshers and will know exactly what you’re going through so don’t be afraid to approach them and ask for help!
To help you settle in over the first few days here are some tips:
- Wedge your door open for the first few days to get to meet as many of your corridor/flat as possible!
- Don’t shy away from just knocking on people’s doors and introducing yourself!
- Think about how you’re going to get home from nights out before you go out! The city will probably be completely new to you so make sure you’ve got a taxi number saved or at least know how to walk back to your halls of residence!
- It may be worth saving your universities security team or campus patrol in your phone so if you’re completely lost or have any issues they can be soon on hand to help out! Many universities increased their response staff during the first two weeks of term to ensure that student safety is maintained so don’t be afraid to give them a call!
- TRY NEW THINGS! So many societies put on taster sessions to try and get you to join up! Over he years I’ve done everything from climbing to kayaking and shooting! This will also let you get to know some of the committee for these clubs and societies and properly get to know how social their club is.
By Jack Caulfield
thelvecollective.wordpress.com 