Advice for Freshers

So, it's that time of year again; I am back at university and I know that several others are as well. The new academic year means one thing in particular: fresh blood (a.k.a. Freshers!) I thought I would write a post which may be of some help/reassurrance to those who are going into their first year of university this year.

BEFORE THE OFF

Apply for a student account. For some of you this may seem obvious, whilst for others it may seem a waste of time; either way, I would highly recommend it. There are several advantages to getting a student bank account: some banks offer freebies, and pretty much all of them offer an interest free overdraft. It would be great to think that you will never need your overdraft, but when your loan decreases in your final year (I don't suppose you can complain too much...you still get a lot more than you would without Student Finance), you probably WILL need it. Money Saving Expert offers some great advice on student bank accounts, here: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/Student-bank-account

Meet your future flatmates. I don't mean in person, but it is highly unlikely in this day and age for a student not to be a member of a social networking site. If you have Facebook, for example, and you know the room you are staying in (if in halls), then do a little research to find out who you're sharing with. Most student Halls have Facebook group set up to contact people and you can ask things like 'who else is in flat 26' and see who responds. From there you can message one another and discuss buying things. If you are unable
to do this, then at least hold out on buying everything until you're moved in. This is my next point:

Don't pack your whole room. This one is somewhat hypocritical of me, but I feel that I can advise because after 3 years I am still yet to have mastered the art of packing only what you need. However, for girls I would generally say don't pack the whole of Boots into your makeup collection. You'll want a few quirky
things for fancy dress so, if you can, find out which Fresher's events there will be before moving to uni and that will give you an idea of the silly things you won't need to bring! When it comes to kitchenware I would recommend taking a baking tray (you don't know your new flatmates well enough to know how well they will treat the baking tray, and the last thing you want is to be using a grimey one), several glasses, a couple of plates, a couple of bowls, and a mug or two. When it comes to things like toasters and irons, you can probably wait until you're moved in. You don't want to turn up to find 4 toasters unless you really like club sandwiches! Do pack some items which will make your new room homely, whether it's some photographs or your favourite blanket, you will appreciate them when times get tough.

ONCE YOU'VE ARRIVED

One thing that you're more than likely worried about if you're anything like me, is making friends. The likelihood is that you will have probably spent at least 2 years with the same friendship group which is enough to give anybody concern, especially if you are moving away from home. Personally, I had spent 7 years with most of my friendship group and for me going to university seemed a big leap. Luckily, I only moved about 2 hours away which helped, but it doesn't really make the situation any easier. However, you have to remember that everyone is in the same boat and is most likely feeling the same as you (even though you do get those people who hide it better than others!) When you get to you accommodation, hook your bedroom door open (whilst you're in there!) to show that you're an approachable person - you may even get people offering to help you unpack!

For first year's especially, Freshers' week is extremely important. Even if you are not the type of person to go out drinking usually, you should make the exception and go at least once; let me point out that I'm not saying go and get so drunk that you spend the evening throwing your dinner up and don't actually remember any of the people you met. You can go out and drink water all night if that is what will make you feel comfortable, but DO GO OUT! I can't stress that enough, as I have spoken to lots of people who are in their third year now and are complaining that they don't know enough people outside their courses. Freshers' week basically sets the grounding of who you will meet throughout the duration of your degree. Don't forget that Freshers' events aren't only evening things. Find out when your 'Freshers' Fair' is and go along! Sign up to a few societies (ones that interest you...don't just sign up to everything, because it's really frustrating for the committees to think they have more potential members than they do *ahem*) but seriously, have a chat with some of your new friends and see if they would be interested in joining you. Once you're there, you never know who you might meet! I don't know of any universities which don't hold any Freshers' events at all, but there are no doubt some that don't. Even if this is a case you can still spend some time meeting new people and bonding with flatmates. Of course this will be of little use to those who are not moving away from home, but it will be relevent to most people. 

'Come dine with me' is a great source of inspiration when it comes to chilling out with flatmates. We held nights at other people's flats throughout the first week, where each flat hosted a dinner party. This is something that can be done cheaply as everybody in the flat can contribute to the food. I would definitely recommend cooking from scratch wherever possible, as ready meals are insanely overpriced and crazily unhealthy. Pasta will become your best friend as it's so easy to cook and is cheap to purchase in bulk.

On the topic of food and drink, if you are going to be going clubbing on a regular basis then do predrink at your flat. Not only is this a lot cheaper, but it also gives you a chance to bond with more people! If you go out, draw some money out and leave your cards at home. This means you won't be tempted to spend more than you have, and also if your purse/wallet were stolen it wouldn't be the end of the world.


AFTER FRESHERS' WEEK

Budget! In theory it would be a good idea to do this before Freshers' week and, if you are given basic price ranges before the week, you can do this. However, it is likely to come to more than you have planned and then you'll be wallowing in self pity and guilt for the next week or two. Do limit yourself though, I know of far too many people who have spent £100s on alcohol and they can't even remember doing it the next morning! After Freshers' week, however, you can budget far more easily. Work out how much money you have in total, then subtract any bills you have to cover, and divide the amount by the number of weeks it has to last. If you can, try to allocate yourself slightly less than you have because things will always crop up out of nowhere - birthdays are lethal!   

Find out about your university. Make sure you know who is who heirarchically (i.e. the Provost, union committee) because you never know when you might need to send an email out to someone important! Grab some friends and have a little tour around the university. Most institutions will provide a tour to newbies but normally it doesn't include the places you won't be taught in and, if you're anything like me, you might want a little nosey around!

I haven't covered everything, but with any luck I'll have provided you with some kind of grounding for your next few years. There are some great tips on The Student Room website. If you haven't already stumbled across them whilst researching universities,  they are a forum which often has some really useful pieces of advice from fellow students: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Freshers_Week_Tips

Good luck on your new adventure and treasure every moment!