10 Tips Every Student Needs to Hear for Freshers’ Week

Mazzy Westwoodon 10 September 2018
10 Tips Every Student Needs to Hear for Freshers’ Week

It's time for Freshers' week and a step into the unknown so we've decided to give you a helping hand with tips on everything from cooking to dealing with homesickness

Every person is in the same, terrifyingly exciting boat when it comes to freshers’ week. It’s a new leap into the unknown, where we have to fend for ourselves and find our way around a new city. So, being the wise old second year that I am, here are my top 10 tips to see you through your first week at university.

1. Bring cheap/old stuff for the kitchen.

I can promise you, with every ounce of my being, that pretty much all of your stuff will go missing at some point.
You can move in with 16 spoons, 24 knives and a bag full of forks and by the end of the second week, those 16 spoons will be a myth. So to save the misery of losing your aunt’s best china, buy the really cheap stuff to start university with.
There’s also a very high chance you’ll break one, two, maybe even seven glasses, so plastic cups are definitely the way forward. (Plus they’re brilliant for beer pong!)

Man cooking, Frying pan sets fire
Source: Giphy

2. Do not buy the bundle package for the freshers’ events.

As tempting as it may be to splash the cash on an all-inclusive ticket to every event in freshers’ week, I’d highly recommend that you don’t.
In freshers’ week, you’re going to want to explore all sorts of events with a group of new friends, and this means a lot of the events that are included in the package may not be the ones all your friends want to go to.
So, before you blow your budget, just think about what you want to be doing in your fresher’s week.

man talks to camera and walks off
Source: Giphy

3. Do not add every Tom, Dick and Harry on Snapchat.

Perhaps the most notorious piece of advice given to freshers…
Not everyone you meet in freshers’ week will stay as your BFF.
This isn’t to say that you won’t make some of your best friends, you will. This is just a heads up that when you meet your new BFF from the toilets of a club, perhaps don’t take their snapchat details…
My friend now has around 30+ contacts she doesn’t remember meeting, and quite frankly doesn’t care what filter they ‘totes love atm xoxox’

Man screaming shut up
Source: Giphy

4. Ditch the heels.

DO. IT.
There seems to be a strange transition when you go to university.
Instead of focusing on looking amazing, you want prime comfort to last as long as possible on a night out.
So, my fellow freshers, ditch those heels, chuck on some comfy Converse or flats, and party till your 9am lectures!
(I mean this isn’t recommended but hey, it’s an experience for sure!)

woman stumbling in heels
Source: Giphy

5. Freshers’ flu is real and it is out to kill you.

I had been warned… I read about it online… I packed many tissues…
But I didn’t think it would happen to me.
Forget about the Black Death or the Plague, Freshers’ flu is one hell of a killer.
Think about the worst cold you have EVER had. Times that by 10, make yourself go out, socialise and get drunk every night for a week. Perfect! You now have Freshers’ flu!
Save yourself before it’s too late. Take vitamin tablets, drink Berocca by the pint, get a flu jab before you move in.
Oh and don’t be silly -
get your meningitis jab.

man in bed
Source: Giphy

6. Don’t sign up to everything at the bunfight/freshers fair.

Unless you want your email inbox to be buzzing 24/7, I’d recommend that you don’t sign up to everything under the sun at your freshers’ fair.
When you’re still getting emails from the ‘Circus Society’ or the ‘Hard-core Ironing Society’ (yes, this is a society somewhere), 7 months into your university life, you’ll wish you hadn’t signed up to so many.
But, one brilliant part of these fairs is the freebies! Take as much as you can, from whoever you can. Trust me, some of the bottle openers they give out will be a lifesaver at pres.

squirrel drops food and runs off
Source: Giphy

7. Get cheap easy meals for your freshers’ week

Not many students are Michelin Star Chefs, even if you are, save the complex cooking for when you’ll have more time on your hands.
Generally, freshers’ week is a busy time of getting to know all your new flatmates, exploring your new city, and hitting the town.
So, stock up your fridge and freezer with quick, easy meals.
Another good idea is to cook something like fajitas. Not only do they smell AMAZING, but they’re good sharing food to help you meet and bond with the rest of your flat.

puppet chef bangs pots and pans
Source: Giphy

8. Get a doorstop

This may sound stupid but the addition of a doorstop to your university packing is a must.
It is practical for helping you move in and allows you to keep your door open so your new flatmates can come and chat to you.
If you don’t have a doorstop, a friend of mine used a spoon to wedge under their door, not a bad idea if you ask me.

woman talks to man
Source: Giphy

9. Explore the university so you don’t get lost

Chances are you’ll be very new to the surrounding area of your university, and definitely won’t be familiar with the campus layout.
Believe me when I say getting lost will be inevitable in your first week of starting lectures. However, if you take some time before lectures start to wander around the campus with some friends, it should hopefully give you a better idea of where you should be going.

hobbit running
Source: Giphy

10. Homesickness

I hate to end on a down note here, but you’ll most probably encounter a little bit of homesickness along your freshers’ week journey.
Most of the time you’ll be out having so much fun, getting a little tipsy (or a lot), making new friends and living up the uni life, but when that all starts to calm down you may start to miss the comfort of home.
There is perfectly normal, in fact, most people are in the same boat.
So yes, call your family, give them the VIP FaceTime tour of your halls, but don’t let it stop you from putting yourself out there and making some amazing friends. Not before long you’ll be calling your university home.

girl reading a book
Source: Giphy

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Mazzy Westwoodon 10 September 2018