Fresher Year: hints and tips
Seeing results day posts filling my social media feeds on Thursday made me so happy but also left me reflecting on my first year of uni (I know I always say this but whyyyyyyy does time go so quickly???? How am I moving into my first house next month????? What are electricity meters????)
Overall, it's been a good year. The start was a bit rocky, but it got so much better. I've compiled a few tips/thoughts, which should be taken with a pinch of salt because everyone's experiences are sooo different
1) ENJOY it- you're never going to be a fresher again, and you're probably never going to have that much free time so make the most of it- go out, get involved in societies, do as much extra curricular stuff as you want, without feeling guilty about giving studies a bit of a backseat. No one regrets going out and trying something new, even if you don't stick with it, but people do regret doing too much work and not enjoying themselves enough when they had the chance
2) Go to fresher's events- and not just the clubbing ones (I know, there are non-clubbing events!!). You meet so many people during freshers, most of whom you won't really talk to afterwards, but it's good to meet as many people as you can. But don't be disheartened if you don't meet your best friends right at the start, good friendships take time to find and blossom. My closest friends I have now I didn't really hang out with until second term!
3) Be on good terms with your flatmates- a lot of people end up being best friends/ future flatmates with the people in their flat, but even if you don't get on that well with them (which is absolutely fine too), you still want to stay in their good books. They can bail you out in tough times- our flat wasn't hugely close but I could always count on them to let me in when I forgot my keys, check I hadn't left my straighteners on or lend me a egg or two in a food-crisis. And of course to listen to your rants about how done you are with revision in the kitchen at midnight when you struggle back from the library
4) Don't completely neglect work- I'm not saying go crazy with work, but if you've done nothing throughout the year, you're going to kick yourself during revision when you've got nothing to revise from. That's all I'm going to say about work (and this of course depends on your degree)
5) Sign up to everything in the freshers' fair- you usually get free stuff just for signing up, and you can always unsubscribe to the emails later on if you decide you're no longer interested- or don't, I still get the odd email about changing to solve climate change (quite inspirational, really)
6) DON'T BUY EXPENSIVE KITCHEN STUFF TO TAKE TO UNI. IT WILL GET LOST/ BROKEN/ BE RENDERED UNUSABLE. Halls are an interesting experience. I broke a few plates, and came home for summer missing a glass, two chopping boards and most of my cutlery. And some stuff I thought it would be for the best to leave- I don't even want to know what the sticky brown stuff covering my baking tray was
7) Make your room homely- without the photos, decorations and nice pillows, my room would've been a sad little box. Having a clean and comfortable room makes the whole halls experience so much nicer, and makes you less home sick because you actually enjoy coming back to your room
8) Bring all the random stuff you have in your closet, even if you haven't worn it in years. You will undoubtably find a use for that flower garland/gross brown top (good for if you're dressing as a turkey)/ old school shirt for fancy-dress events
9) If you're in London, DO NOT WORRY about sorting housing. I know everywhere else you have to put deposits down as early as November, but in London it's totally different. I didn't properly know who I was living with until May, and we didn't even start looking for houses until after exams in late May. So chill. If you're not in London, sorry this does not apply (but still don't worry too much, it all works out in the end)
10) and most importantly, EVERYONE IS IN THE SAME BOAT. Moving to a whole new place, living on your own making new friends.... it's not easy. But like I said, everyone is feeling the same way even if they don't show it- so just be yourself, talk to everyone, don't be afraid to ask for help and have the best time ever.
So there are a couple of things I think I would've liked to have known before starting uni. First year is a weird experience, and it's definitely not all good (uni depression is real, everyone feels it trust me). BUT, it will be one of the best years filled with soooo many new experiences and friends, and if I could I would do it all again!
Overall, it's been a good year. The start was a bit rocky, but it got so much better. I've compiled a few tips/thoughts, which should be taken with a pinch of salt because everyone's experiences are sooo different
1) ENJOY it- you're never going to be a fresher again, and you're probably never going to have that much free time so make the most of it- go out, get involved in societies, do as much extra curricular stuff as you want, without feeling guilty about giving studies a bit of a backseat. No one regrets going out and trying something new, even if you don't stick with it, but people do regret doing too much work and not enjoying themselves enough when they had the chance
2) Go to fresher's events- and not just the clubbing ones (I know, there are non-clubbing events!!). You meet so many people during freshers, most of whom you won't really talk to afterwards, but it's good to meet as many people as you can. But don't be disheartened if you don't meet your best friends right at the start, good friendships take time to find and blossom. My closest friends I have now I didn't really hang out with until second term!
3) Be on good terms with your flatmates- a lot of people end up being best friends/ future flatmates with the people in their flat, but even if you don't get on that well with them (which is absolutely fine too), you still want to stay in their good books. They can bail you out in tough times- our flat wasn't hugely close but I could always count on them to let me in when I forgot my keys, check I hadn't left my straighteners on or lend me a egg or two in a food-crisis. And of course to listen to your rants about how done you are with revision in the kitchen at midnight when you struggle back from the library
4) Don't completely neglect work- I'm not saying go crazy with work, but if you've done nothing throughout the year, you're going to kick yourself during revision when you've got nothing to revise from. That's all I'm going to say about work (and this of course depends on your degree)
5) Sign up to everything in the freshers' fair- you usually get free stuff just for signing up, and you can always unsubscribe to the emails later on if you decide you're no longer interested- or don't, I still get the odd email about changing to solve climate change (quite inspirational, really)
6) DON'T BUY EXPENSIVE KITCHEN STUFF TO TAKE TO UNI. IT WILL GET LOST/ BROKEN/ BE RENDERED UNUSABLE. Halls are an interesting experience. I broke a few plates, and came home for summer missing a glass, two chopping boards and most of my cutlery. And some stuff I thought it would be for the best to leave- I don't even want to know what the sticky brown stuff covering my baking tray was
7) Make your room homely- without the photos, decorations and nice pillows, my room would've been a sad little box. Having a clean and comfortable room makes the whole halls experience so much nicer, and makes you less home sick because you actually enjoy coming back to your room
8) Bring all the random stuff you have in your closet, even if you haven't worn it in years. You will undoubtably find a use for that flower garland/gross brown top (good for if you're dressing as a turkey)/ old school shirt for fancy-dress events
9) If you're in London, DO NOT WORRY about sorting housing. I know everywhere else you have to put deposits down as early as November, but in London it's totally different. I didn't properly know who I was living with until May, and we didn't even start looking for houses until after exams in late May. So chill. If you're not in London, sorry this does not apply (but still don't worry too much, it all works out in the end)
10) and most importantly, EVERYONE IS IN THE SAME BOAT. Moving to a whole new place, living on your own making new friends.... it's not easy. But like I said, everyone is feeling the same way even if they don't show it- so just be yourself, talk to everyone, don't be afraid to ask for help and have the best time ever.
So there are a couple of things I think I would've liked to have known before starting uni. First year is a weird experience, and it's definitely not all good (uni depression is real, everyone feels it trust me). BUT, it will be one of the best years filled with soooo many new experiences and friends, and if I could I would do it all again!
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