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Uni Life

How to make the most of freshers' week

Freshers' week is your very first week at uni. It’s one of the most exciting and, at times, terrifying journeys that anyone will go through in their lives. Here's how to make the most of it…

Eleanor Foulds
by Eleanor Foulds
Last Updated:
16 Feb 2024

University can be the best three years of your life. Not only do you get a chance to pursue a subject area you’re passionate about, it gives you a real sense of freedom that school and college just doesn’t quite offer. You also have your first real opportunity to be truly independent whilst still under a safe university blanket.

Not only that… before you start the hard work, you have an entire week to do as you please without having to worry about your degree. Amazing, right?

The only catch is, one week will fly by – so here are a few tips on how to truly capture and utilise this time to its fullest potential...

Be yourself


Everyone wants to reinvent themselves at university and why shouldn’t you? These people have no idea that you posted YouTube gaming videos in year 7, when you had a really high-pitched voice, that you puked all over your crush in year 9, or that terrible haircut you got in year 11…

The people you’ll meet at uni don’t know anything about you, so you’ll want to make a great first impression. However, this doesn’t mean you need to blare loud music on move in day or try and out-drink everyone on the first night, or even think you’re too cool to speak to anyone.

What you want is to be yourself. Tell some funny stories about your past, be kind, help other people if they’re moving in and, most importantly, talk to people. You may well be conversing with a new lifelong friend.

Put yourself out there


One of the hardest things about going to university is adapting to a new environment with so many new people. Inevitably, some people will find this easier than others, but it’s very important to remember that everyone is in the same boat.

It’s rare that friends go to university together and even if they do, they’ll still want to branch out and meet new people. This is one of the biggest pulls for students to want to go to uni, so be confident and get yourself out there.

Get involved


Freshers fair. That is all…

Just kidding! Freshers fair (or whatever it may be called at your institution) is an amazing opportunity to find out more about what your university has to offer. It gives you a chance to explore activities and clubs to take part in alongside your study and explore other interests you may have, or even just to try something new.

Don’t be afraid to go and talk to people at stalls. The likelihood is they’re very eager for new members, so will be happy to discuss what their society does and how you can get involved.

If there isn’t a society for something you have an interest in, then contact the Students’ Union and see if you can get the ball rolling to start one. Universities are always enthusiastic for students to create more, and it may well bring together other students who have a shared interest. All helping you to meet people with similar interests!

Freshers fair is also very likely to have a ton of freebies, so make sure you take full advantage. Mine had free pizza!

Attend events


It’s very likely there will be nights out during freshers’ week, which can be a good opportunity to meet people who aren’t on your course or in your halls.

There will also be other events planned, such as open mic nights, themed parties and pop up cinemas. On top of this, aside from freshers’ fair, the university will have some fun day events which you should attend. This may be things such as taster sessions for different sports, coffee crawls, quizzes, speed mating, etc. These will be great chances for you to firstly: enjoy yourself and settle in and, secondly: meet even more people.

These events will be for both drinkers and non-drinkers alike (most freshers will attend just to be social). However, if you do drink alcohol, don’t feel the need to drink too much! You may well forget the whole night (and also the names of any new friends you’ve made); make a fool of yourself in front of these new people; or possibly miss out on the next day’s events, due to feeling the effects of the night before.

Familiarise yourself


Freshers’ week will be enjoyable if you follow these tips, however, it’s only a week or two. It will most likely be followed by the first week of lectures and seminars which are also very important for you to attend.

This means you should find out your timetable ASAP in order to familiarise yourself with which buildings you’ll have classes in, and make sure you go. There’s no use looking at your timetable on your first day and realising you have a class at 9am in a building you’ve never heard of, as you’ll probably end up missing it.

If you’re in halls you may be lucky enough to have a flat rep whose job it will be to make you feel welcome. They can answer any questions you have and, hopefully, help guide you through your first year.

If this is the case, it might be worth asking them for a tour of the university and asking where specific buildings are in order to prepare for your first lectures. If you don’t have a flat rep, then it’s likely there’ll be guided tours throughout Freshers’ week.

Don’t forget the admin


Whilst this week will undoubtedly be very exciting, try not to forget the reason you’re going to uni. Before starting, it is important that you take care of sending off any required documents the university may require, such as filling out any forms, ensuring you have the right funding and sharing details of your next of kin.

This is pivotal, as without all the right documentation, you won’t be able to properly enrol and won’t be able to start your course.

You should also look into your reading list for your modules and start sourcing the books you’ll need. Make sure to equip yourself with appropriate note-taking resources – no one wants to be the student who turns up on the first day without a pen!

Find support


Remember, it’s only natural to feel nervous about going to university. It’s a whole new experience, where you’ll meet tons of new people all in one go.

Not to say you won’t hit the ground running, but be aware if you do find yourself struggling there are support systems in place, They will understand how you’re feeling and want to help make your university experience the best it can be. Why not spend some time in your first few weeks checking out what the student support teams have to offer you.


For more about the start of your uni experience, take a look at tips for staying safe during freshers’ week. Or, if you’re still thinking about where to apply, start searching for unis now.

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