How to Survive Fresher’s Week
Happy Fresher’s Week! Here are some tips and tricks to surviving the madness.
Firstly, be yourself
Although the pull to make new friends and share new experiences is strong, make sure that you don’t alter yourself in any way in order to fit in with the crowd.
If you’re heading to university, it’s best to just be you for the three years, you’ll definitely find people who you will click with! Remember to take everything at your own pace.
Try not to be shy!
Whilst it is important, as previously mentioned, to not get too overwhelmed by the need to make friends, it is also important to make sure that you’re friendly and approachable, this way, if a friendship is going to be happen, you’ve created the perfect situation for it to blossom within.
A few great tips are to prop your door open so that flat mates can come in and say ‘hi’ or to volunteer your room for pre-drinks on one of the evenings of fresher’s week!
If you see someone walking by, don’t be afraid to invite them into your room for a chat, they’ll probably be very relieved that you’ve asked!
Please make sure that you do your admin
Whilst it’s important to enjoy fresher’s week, it’s also handy to complete all the boring but important stuff, from registering at the doctors through to picking up your student ID card or grabbing your timetable.
In order to physically and mentally survive fresher’s week, it’s best to really ration which events you do end up going to! Heading to a massive fresher’s event every night will become less and less enjoyable and will definitely end in exhaustion.
For survival, have 2/3 days off in the week; host a flat movie party or just have some time to yourself. You’ll head out the next evening raring and ready to go!
Remember that homesickness is a natural emotion
So many people suffer in fresher’s week because they feel guilty for feeling homesick during their fresher’s experience.
In order to fight this and to survive your first week of uni, it’s best to simply listen to your emotions and give your friends and family a call.
You’ll feel much better after taking the initiative. Never feel like you’re bothering them, they’ll probably be very relieved and happy to hear your voice on the other end of the phone- they’ll probably be experiencing homesickness from you!
It’s best to be ready for fresher’s flu
It might not hit in the first week of fresher’s, or in the second, but it will find you and it will infect you with a runny nose, a banging head, exhaustion and a nasty cough. It’s best to just ride it out and dose up on painkillers and paracetamol, cough syrup, lozenges, basically anything you can possibly think of!
Fresher’s flu is viral and can’t be treated with antibiotics so don’t head to the doctors, unless you’ve been ill for over three weeks or if you feel that the flu has really clung to your chest, you might have an infection so it’s best to check.
Sleep is definitely your friend, catching up on those extra z’s during you first week of university is incredibly important, so make sure that you snooze through the day!
Make sure you head to the fresher’s fairs
Fresher’s fairs are not only great for signing up for lots of societies you probably won’t end up going to, they’re also great as an activity to do as a group with your new flat mates. Join up for societies and grab all the freebies you can together as a great bonding experience.
Take time to yourself and invest in some self-care
Although the pull of fresher’s week and socialising can be a strong, if you want to survive the experience both physically and mentally; then it’s best to invest in some quality time to yourself.
Whether that’s facetiming your parents back home, watching a film or just having a much needed nap, you’ll feel much better for the added alone time, everybody needs it every now and then. Seriously, don’t be afraid to take a night off.
Make sure that you keep an eye on your finances
Fresher’s Week can be famously expensive, and although the idea is that you’re meant to cut loose and have fun, it’s not convenient to blow your whole budget in seven days.
Set aside a chunk of money for the whole week, that way you can spend freely without being paranoid that you’re going over budget.
Try to not feel the pressure
It can be tempting at times to convince yourself that fresher’s week is going to be the best thing ever, the most incredible experience of your life- and the ultimate life lesson.
Although impressive, this belief can often harbour feelings of disappointment or regret if the experience isn’t all the student imagined it to be. Simply head into Fresher’s Week with a clear head, ready for anything that comes your way- but try not to expect too much!
