Ah its September! As its the month of new beginnings and the start of many people's University life I thought I would share my thoughts for all you freshers out there.
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| my little freshers fam- miss this |
The summer has flown by
and now it’s the time of year again where nervous freshers pack their life away
into little boxes, anxiously counting down the days until they fly the nest and
live away from home for the first time. The prospect can be daunting, Am I ready? what if no one likes me? What if I don’t get on with the people in my
flat? Just like you I had
all these questions whizzing around my head but don’t worry by the end of the
week I’m sure all these worries will have disappeared. Looking back it is scary
that two years ago I was in the exact same position and now I’m heading back to
Newcastle to be a THIRD year (I’m so old) :(
I can’t tell you how quickly it goes, far
too quickly for my liking but trust me when I tell you these will be some of
the best years of your life, so you got to make the most of it!
Here are some pointers to get you through
freshers week:
Packing:
It’s all about home comforts. University
rooms can be very basic and dreary so it is better to over pack with lots of
photos(remember blu-tac and pins), cushions and pretty things to fill up your
walls and make it feel as homely as possible. Fairly lights are super pretty
and can really make your room feel cosy and special on those cold winter
nights.
Other few essentials people may forget
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Fancy Dress! And I don’t mean go out and buy ridiculously
expensive costumes, gather together bits you may have at home, a school tie,
old dresses, animal ears, just be creative. Fancy dress will be the dress code at some point in your University years
especially during freshers week, so be prepared and get involved, IT’S FUN!
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Loo Roll- this may seem obvious but it’s better
to have a big stash in your room, then going to the loo to find it has all gone
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Painkillers-to help with the dreaded hangovers
or if you are just feeling under the weather.
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Plasters! I went through soo many of these in my
first year after cutting myself with a sharp knife and grating myself with the
cheese grater.. silly fresher.
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Pasta and I am talking the massive 3kg bags you
can buy from supermarkets, they last FOREVER and it will be your basic food
staple if like me you are lazy and love some carbs
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Printer-The ones at Uni charge quite a lot and
it’s so much easier printing out lecture notes at home or the coursework you
did last minute, then walking all the way into Uni to find a printer.
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Tupperware boxes-these are so useful for taking
lunch into Uni or even storing leftover food that you can freeze for another
day.
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Full length mirror- I was lucky and had one in
my room but check with your halls first to see what is provided. I brought one
with me for second year as how can you live otherwise, never knowing what your
bottom half looks like.
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Vodka and Shot glasses- You are better finding
cheap drinks deals in your local supermarket and stacking up before you go,
rather than succumbing to the expensive yet ideally located corner shops- this
will save you money in the long run and what’s better than breaking the ice
than over a drinking game.
Freshers week:
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Remember: Everyone is in the same boat
You may have heard this one a lot but it is very true and you have to
remember that whatever you are feeling, the person waiting in line next to you
is probably feeling just as nervous. Don’t be afraid to start up conversations
with strangers, they will be very glad you did and you never know what may
become of it. I bonded with a girl in my halls as we were both struggling to
control our umbrellas in the rain and wind, we ended up walking together and
then realised we were both on the same course, she is one of my closest friends
at University now.
·
Be Friendly
When you are unpacking, keep your door wedged open you will look more
inviting and welcoming to people who arrive. I remember when I walked into my
flat there was a boy who came out of his room, he was very nice and immediately
put me at ease. Make effort with your flat mates to get to know them, you will
be living with them for a year after all. But this brings me onto my next point..
·
Be Open Minded
You will meet a lot of people from all over the country, from all
different cultures and this is one of the best things about Uni ,you will become
great friends with people who you wouldn’t necessarily have met before. At the
same time there will be people who you do not get along with and that is ok.
Not everyone is going to get on in life, so do not fret if you are not besties
with your flat mates, you will find like-minded people.
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Go to fresher’s fair
Join a society or a few, I made the mistake of not joining any societies
until second year and wish I had only joined sooner! It allows you meet people
with similar interests and you make so many new friends! Then there’s the crazy
socials and the fancy dress, I’ve never dressed up so much in my life.
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Anti-climax
Some people say freshers week is the best week of your life, and although
people have different experiences, having spoken to many students we all agreed
that although it was fun, it definitely wasn’t the best nights or time of our
first year. So if you have a bad experience in freshers, it will get better.
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40% pass
Now some people may not agree with this, you are at University to get a
good degree after all, but I urge you to not take first year too serious! First
year does not count towards your degree and you only need 40% pass, which is
not a lot. So take all the opportunities that come your way, meet lots of new
people, have some fun, get drunk, dance all night and eat cheesy chips until
your hearts content. You are only young once.
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Explore
Explore the city or town where you will be living for the next couple of years.
Listen to advice from older students to the best hotspots in town- they know!
So as the quote goes you only regret the things you don’t do, so go and
do everything you possibly can do at University and enjoy it as you will never
have as much free time whilst living with all your friends again.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post, I really enjoyed writing it and
reminiscing on my first year and what a fab year I had. Obviously this is just
my point of view and everyone will have a different experience.
Is anyone a newbie fresher out there? Or experienced similar things as a
fresher like me?
Mary xo
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| another from freshers week -my hair was so long! |
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My fave fancy dress- SPICE GIRLS
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