The Rookie Guide to Freshers’ Week
Freshers’ Week can be one of the most daunting experiences you’ll have at university, but it doesn’t have to be. It marks the beginning of a new academic year every year and gives new students an opportunity to acclimatise to their university, meet other students and explore societies that may be available for them to join. Overall, the concept of a Freshers’ Week exists to support students in making the jump from school to university.
Each university’s Freshers’ Week will look slightly different, but most will follow the same general outline and have similar events. There’ll be something on at a club every night of the week (including the weekend before in some cases), a big fair to showcase all of the different university societies, daytime events, and plenty of opportunities to grab some freebies!
From more of an administrative perspective, universities will often also offer welcome talks (whether these be general or degree-specific) either during Freshers’ or in the first few days of your first week of lectures. These welcome talks are definitely something you should aim to attend as they give many insights into the resources available to you, university policies and the student services.
In terms of grabbing freebies, there's likely to be different stalls set up at your university throughout the week (mine had a Dominos one set up in the middle of campus where tey were giving out free pizza & vouchers!), so make sure to check-in on what's available through the week and get out exploring as much as you can. It's likely that your university will have some kind of newsletter or mailing list that provides all sorts of information about Freshers', so make sure to check your emails for all of the hidden gems!
Freshers' club nights are not something you want to be missing as a new student, but they are also incredibly intense. Various clubs will often tailor events during Freshers' Week specifically to new students and the university student crowd, selling tickets at lower prices (sometimes even free if you’re fast enough) and giving out freebies at the door (I'm pretty sure I remember grabbing a free pair of sunglasses last year and one of the clubs was giving out Boohoo Man hoodies...) so make sure you don't miss out on tickets for these! In saying that, Freshers' is definitely more of a marathon, not a sprint, so don't exhaust yourself in the first 2 days. Remember to refuel and recharge during the day so you can party the nights away!
Finally, university student’s unions (run for students, by students (their favourite slogan)) will almost definitely be hosting daytime events over the course of the whole week such as roller-skating, cooking classes, etc. - these often require you to sign up and buy a ticket (which is sometimes free and they just need to know how many people are attending), so make sure you get ahead of the crowd and don't miss out. These daytime events are a great opportunity to make friends or connect with fellow students you may have met online before arriving at uni!
Whilst there are plenty of opportunities for things you could do during freshers’ week, there are definitely also some things that you either need to do or are highly recommended:
Pick up your student ID! I remember during Freshers’ Week for my first year the line for student ID pickup went around the block so make sure to get there early enough to avoid the queues! (Some universities may require you to book a slot for pickup so make sure you know what you need to do to get yours)
Attend your university’s societies fair - whilst this is definitely a major social aspect and not compulsory at all, going around and seeing all of the different societies is a great opportunity to meet like-minded students as well as look into societies you’re interested in joining and find some others too!
Take advantage of ‘back to uni’ sales and discounts that are only applicable during Freshers’ Week. Whilst this point isn't specific to Freshers' Week at university, it's definitely one worth taking note of as there are hundreds of different sales and discounts available to university students during Freshers' and at the beginning of the academic year generally! There are also likely to be specific restaurants and shops where your university is that hold sales specifically for Freshers' Week so make sure to keep an eye out for those too!
Whilst Freshers' is mostly fun and games (and a whole lot of late nights out clubbing), universities also place a large emphasis on ensuring student safely (especially) during this week. Most institutions provide guidance to both new and returning students on partying responsibly, alcohol use and staying safe on late nights out.
There are several support services and resources that are available at all universities, such as counselling services and helplines, that are promoted throughout the week so make sure to seek help if you need it (or if you just want to go pat an emotional support dog - I understand that too).
Freshers' is full of invaluable opportunities for new students to acclimatise to university life, culture and spirit through both informative sessions and crazy party atmospheres. During this week, expect to find new friends, new interests and definitely not get enough sleep.
What are you most looking forward to for this year’s Freshers’ week? Has your university already had theirs? What was the highlight? Comment below and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in touch through our contacts page.
Freshers' Week might not be the most refined part of university, but it's insanely fun and you gain more than you could imagine. Don't be afraid to meet new people and try something new, everyone else is doing it too.
Mia
