1. Step outside of your comfort zone! Moving somewhere new can be daunting and it can come with a lot of emotions. These emotions might tempt you into being more reclusive despite all of the exciting events that will be happening around you. In those moments, remind yourself that Freshers is only one week (a fortnight at most) of pushing yourself to meet new people and to try new things. Future you will thank you for it!
2. Pack the essentials! Before you move, make a list of those essential, everyday items that you’re going to need so that you’re not caught short when you realise you’ve not got any forks. Then, see what you’ve got at home that you could take with you and check your accommodation specification to see what communal items are available. That way, you’ll save money by only purchasing what you actually need. I’d recommend buying from the basics range as things can get lost or damaged. Shops like Wilkos, Tesco and B&M will often have offers on university essentials just before Freshers week.
3. Make the most of the week! There will be a lot going on on campus, in the local area and in the city centre too. Make sure you look in advance to find out what events are on and to decide which ones you want to attend. Where possible, get out to as many different events as possible and try a wide variety of things while you’ve got the opportunity. There are lots of things to try, people to meet and freebies to enjoy throughout the course of the week.
4. Organise your time! With SO much happening, it can be easy to end up oversubscribed and double booked. Make sure that you diarise your university commitments and plan your social events around them. Ensure that you also pencil in some down time too – between working, studying and socialising it is easy to forget to look after yourself.
5. Put some money aside! Student finance doesn’t always come in in time for Freshers week, so it is important that you make sure you put a little money aside to see you through. There are a lot of freebies and discounts to be had during Freshers week, but you’ll still need some money.
6. Budget your money! Regardless of whether your student finance came in or you’re living off your savings, you’ll need to learn to budget your money. Make sure you know how much your accommodation and living expenses will be each week and ensure you set that money aside so that you know what you’ve got left to spend on the fun stuff!
7. Do a food shop! One of my first rookie errors… I didn’t think about getting a food shop in on move-in day and didn’t get time to go until about day three of Freshers week. This meant that I ended up eating out and ordering a lot of takeaways and spending a lot of the money that I had put aside for Freshers week. Definitely nip to your local supermarket and stock up on some essentials to see you through.
8. Look after yourself! Nothing puts a dampener on your Freshers week quite like falling victim to the dreaded Freshers flu. With so much going on, you run the risk of getting burned out! Make sure you pencil in some downtime and look after yourself: plenty of sleep, stay hydrated, take your vitamins and eat some nutritious food!
9. Take lots of photos! You are going to meet so many people and make lots of new friends and even more brilliant memories during this week. Make sure you capture these moments to look back on in the future – Freshers week and university in general really do pass by in a flash!
10. Stay in touch! While you’re off having your fun and starting your university journey, it’s easy to forget about home and your family and friends. These people will be keen to know how you’re getting on and chances are they’ll be thinking about you a lot. Make sure you pencil in some time to check in with them – even if it is just to say that you’re pretty busy right now, but that you’re doing well – and they will really appreciate it.