The first week of uni- Fresher's week and how to make the most of it

So, if you’re starting university for the first time, fresher’s week can seem pretty daunting. I’m sure you’ve heard it all before but honestly,the best thing to do is to throw yourself into things. Most universities will give you an orientation meeting and a fresher’s week guide of what’s going on. Go to as many events as possible to get to know what the uni has to offer and to help you learn your way around too.


Societies often put on taster sessions during fresher’s week, its good to try out a few activities before spending money to join a club that you don’t actually like. Take a neighbour with you as a way to bond, even if neither of you really have any intention of joining the knitting society.

At the end of fresher’s week normally comes the fresher’s fair, or what we at Exeter called the ‘squash’. Now, most people would advise you to join as many societies as possible but I disagree. Certainly join some clubs but don’t go overboard, be realistic. Will you really go to badminton, rugby, life drawing classes, rambling and write for the student paper in between socialising with friends and of course actually doing work? Plus, can you afford to join all of these societies either? It’s easy to get sucked in and join societies for the sake of it, or because someone else is, but don’t get pressured into anything. Many society presidents know you won’t turn up and will happily take your money anyway. Only join societies that you know you’ll go to and enjoy. I had friends who joined an expedition society and enjoyed many weekends away as a part of it, but I knew I didn’t have time to do this bearing in mind I saw my boyfriend every other weekend. So make sure you have a good look around before hastily signing up for country dancing or a cheese tasting group. Of course joining societies helps you make friends, but most people become closest to the people they live near and go to lectures with on a regular basis. All of my housemates I met in my halls rather than as part of a society. If you think you are  missing out later you always have the opportunity to join half way through term, or after Christmas at the refresh once you’ve settled into your course and found out how much free time you really have.  

Your uni will probably give guided tours of the library facilities, don’t do what I did and not bother to go. I had no idea how to take out or return a book and it took me over a month to build up the courage to ask my friend to show me. This meant that all my essays were written from online journals and honestly just weren’t that good. By third year the library will become like a second home to you so get to grips with it early, unlike my housemate who hadn’t taken a book out until he needed one for his final year dissertation! Just remember to make sure to return any books you take out, as library fines can build up quickly especially if people request the books that you’re using. I know that work won’t exactly be the first thing on your mind in fresher’s week but remember, at the end of the day, you’re paying a lot of money for your degree and you don’t want to have to retake a year.

Of course, partying does play a major part in your first week and I completely encourage going out, it’s a great way to get to know the city, the people around you and it breaks the ice; loud music drowns out any awkward silences in conversations. Of course you won’t remain friends with every single person you meet whilst out in fresher’s week, but that’s part of the fun, meeting new and strange people. Of course at the same time, don’t over do it. I bailed on a night out as I was feeling tired and ended up bonding for life with the girl who lived opposite as we discovered our shared love for duvets, hot chocolate and Twilight (don’t judge me). Don’t feel like you have to drink stupidly in your first week, you’ll probably end up making more enemies than friends if you’re the one that throws up down the hall corridor which ends up smelling for days after. Similarly, when people don’t know you that well they aren’t going to exactly jump at the chance of being the one to hold back your hair or put you to bed in the recovery position. Know your limits, of course, if you like a drink by all means have one just remember that you’ve got to live around the same people for a year so it probably isn’t best to create a scene banging on the hall door because you've forgotten your key card at 3am or to sleep with half the corridor before the week is out.

Just get stuck in, do what you feel comfortable with. Remember why you’re there and what you hope to gain from your university experience. It’ll go quicker than you think and trust me, you’ll have a blast! 

There will be more articles about settling in and making friends to come.

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