Freshers’ Week: What’s it all about?

Ah, Freshers’ Week.

I know people in their thirties who still reminisce about their first week at university, and two years after my own, I’m sure I’ll be the same. Looking back, it was a non-stop party with freebies galore. Whether daytime or night, there was always something to do, and when the time comes for your Freshers’ Week, it’s guaranteed that you’ll have an immensely enjoyable time.

My first night wasn’t exactly how I imagined it to be. I thought I’d be heading off to the big club event organised that night like everybody else, but it went slightly off plan. Instead, my new housemates and I decided to instead go to the pub around the corner. You might be thinking: “How boring!” but this was a really cool way to gel with the people I’d be spending the year with. We trudged down there equipped with some free meal vouchers (hooray for free food!), ate a pretty decent dinner, and with a bit of Dutch courage, we became familiar with each other.

It was around the second or third night of Freshers’ Week that things really got going. We’d planned to go to the ‘Back 2 Skool Disco’ and a few hours before, we were discussing what we could wear when one of the girls in the flat mentioned a certain chequered school skirt that was up for grabs. So, being a real top lad, one of the guys quickly claimed it before rushing into his room and coming back out in this bright pink miniskirt. As if this wasn’t unfortunate enough (for us, I mean!), he then accidentally locked his bedroom door with the key inside. It was fantastic. (However, the moral of the story is probably to not try too hard to impress your newly made friends, otherwise you may well end up stranded outside the safe haven of your room, hairy legs bared to the world.)

The rest of my Freshers’ Week went very similarly to this, and I (mostly) remember every second. Memories were made and so were friends, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that it was one of the best weeks of my life.

As you’ll see from the line-up, there are lots of events you can attend from Saturday 21st September 2013 to Sunday 29th, but here are just a couple of my own Freshers’ Week musts:

The Freshers’ Fair: This is a great opportunity to get some really cool freebies, from meal vouchers to expensive toiletries. I’d recommend doing about three rounds of this, just to make sure that your eyes see everything there is on offer. Warning: there will be free pizza – do not miss it.

The Sports and Societies Fair: A marketplace full of social activities and hobbies for you to take part in. Representatives from each will be trying relentlessly to scout new members, and this will give you a chance to see what – if anything – is for you. At one point, I was almost roped into the Medieval Society by some guy dressed up with a sword. I thought to myself: “Awesome, he has a sword – I want a sword!” But it was probably for the best when my friend pulled me away before I had chance to put my name down

Freshers’ Week has always been a great way to settle into your new university life, but also an amazing way to make some hard, fast friends. A wee bit of advice for you is this: beyourself and enjoy yourself. At this point, that’s all that matters. A few years down the line, you’ll be remembering this time just as I am right now