Jobhop Jobhop's blog : 5 Ways to Survive Your First Week at University
Starting university is a huge change, and so understandably the excitement is going to be tinged with more than a little anxiety.
The prospect of having to feed yourself, create an entirely new network of friends while also adjusting to the demands of higher education can seem overwhelming, but with the right attitude and lots of preparation you can easily get off to a flying start.
These tips will help you to get the most out of your first week...
1. Research what's going on during Freshers' week
There will be a huge number of events and club nights throughout Freshers' week, and some universities require you to buy tickets in advance.
Make sure you check Facebook for any Fresher event groups, but don't worry too much if you decide to just wait and see what happens. There will be a lot of students who won't have decided what they're going to do or haven't bought tickets either, and sometimes the best nights will be spent in the halls getting to know your new housemates over drinks.
But for those of you who are planning to go to anything and everything, don't - by any means - blow half of your loan during Freshers' week.
2. Go to the Freshers' Fair
There will be hundreds of clubs and societies to join, and it's a great place to meet new people. You probably won't ever learn how to breakdance or go along to those skydiving classes, but I'm sure you'll have fun nevertheless. Don't forget that you're always able to join clubs at a later date if you're not sure about anything straight away.
Seeing as you've probably got a whole day or the afternoon dedicated to the Freshers' Fair, you may as well register with the university doctor while you're there. It's something you'll wish you'd done if you're suddenly plagued by an illness later on in the term.
3. Always be early
This not only goes for the large classes that have 50+ students, but also for those smaller classers. Get there early, you don't want to end up sitting awkwardly in a random chair at the very front of the whole class because there's nothing else available.
4. When meeting new people...
A huge proportion of Freshers' Week is going to be spent socialising and the best way of dealing with meeting so many new people is to just smile and try to relax. Remember that everyone is in the same boat, and one of the best things about the first few weeks of university is that most people are approachable and you'll be amazed at how easy it is to fall into conversation.
Keep your door open and whenever you make tea offer some to your neighbours. Swap numbers with anyone you get on well with early on, and if you're bad at putting faces to names (like me), try saving their number with a distinguishing fact or characteristic in their contact information.
5. Make the most of it
The single most important thing to do in Freshers' Week is to make the most of it. It's the only week you'll get without the worry of work and with so much going on. The start of university is a great time to branch out and try new things and meet different types of people. Among students, anything goes, so don't worry about being judged. Just be yourself.
While some universities are likely to set deadlines during Freshers', you can get a lot of this work done before you arrive. And as your first piece of work, your tutors won't be expecting perfection! Take your time to get to know the place and people around you, absorb all the information that you can, and have fun!
On the whole, have a fantastic time and don't waste the opportunity. You'd be surprised how quickly this is all going to be over.
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