7 University Tips for Freshers From a Graduate

University tips for freshers. This post is a short guide to tackling freshers week at university from a recent graduate. 

It is SO odd for it to be September and for me to not be getting ready to go back to school or uni... This is the first time in 17 years that this has happened and I'm really not sure what to do with myself. I used to love school, I absolutely loved uni, it was all just a fab time and I'm secretly very jealous of anyone who is going back to uni this September!

But, that time is behind me now, and with no masters or further study on the cards, onwards and upwards it is... Becca is soon to be out there in the big old working world. Anyway, I've literally been there and done it all, so why not pass on some of my wisdom to y'all and save you some time/money/patience. Sounds good huh? In case you've missed them, I've also written many a blog post about my university experience and you can see them all here. My personal favourites include 7 Things no one tells you about going to university and Choosing the perfect student house.  

Onto my University Tips for Freshers... 

001. Don't buy the freshers wristbands/tickets in advance! 

Hopefully, I'm not too late with this one and you're still yet to make any purchases... Now, I know these wristbands look great and you really don't want to miss out on anything, but genuinely, very very few people make it to everything. Heck, I didn't even go to most of the university organised events.

I can only speak for my uni here, but during my first year, there were 2 different lots of freshers events: 1. the events run by the Student's Union and 2. the events run by the local clubs. Now, this distinction is important because a lot of the hype and posts you see in the freshers groups are from reps for said club events, making them look far more popular than they are. I bought a ticket to a paint party, thinking that it really was going to be the 'biggest freshers event of the week' and I didn't even end up going because no one else I knew had tickets and had been tricked by the reps... So, my advice here is to go with the flow, and don't pay for everything in advance. See what your flat are doing, what you feel like doing on the day, don't spend the £70 (!!) on the wristband because you're almost certainly not going to get your money's worth.

002. Make the most of allllllll of the society free taster sessions. 

Go to all of the freshers' fayres, speak to all of the societies you're vaguely interested in and find out when their taster sessions are. The majority of clubs will run a free (or very heavily discounted) session for people to try out their activity so make the most of this! In my first year, I went out sailing (something I'd never done before) for free and had a fab afternoon in the sunshine. These tasters are not only a good way to try out the society, but also a good way to get to know other people and the clubs' committee.

003. Batch cook where you can! 

It took me a while to discover the absolute delight that is batch cooking. Not only is it far cheaper in the long run, as it's almost always easier to buy in bulk, but there is no greater joy than lying in bed hungover and suddenly remembering that you have an entire homemade dinner ready for you in the fridge that just needs heating up. 

My favourite thing to make in bulk was bolognese, so much so that it became a long-standing joke amongst all of my friends. I used to make 8 or 9 portions at a time, put most of them in the freezer and defrost them as and when I wanted them! (Yes, I know takeaways and ready meals exist, but after a few weeks of those you'll soon notice a huge dent in the old student loan!) 

004. Never pay full price for a Domino's. 

Speaking of, ALWAYS USE A DISCOUNT CODE WHEN YOU INEVITABLY ORDER 47293 DOMINOS'. I cannot stress this one enough. We had SO much pizza during our first few months at uni (read: the whole three years) and it's not the cheapest of things. That being said, there are always student offers and discount codes, you've just got to find them. We had a freshers code for 50% off which we kept on the pinboard in our kitchen, I suggest you do the same. Never pay full price for a Domino's, especially as a student!!!

005. Refrain from going home and having friends/family visit in the first few weeks if you can. 

The first few weeks at uni are so important when it comes to meeting people and forming friendships etc. You don't want to be that person that missed out on the flat's first homecooked roast dinner because you were too busy at home-home, or to feel left out of your tutor group because you skipped the first session to go for coffee with a relative.

Now, I know everyone's circumstances are different, but my advice, even if you're hating it, is to stick it out for a few weeks. Get involved with what your flatmates/coursemates/societies are doing, and then, after that you're free to do that you want, see your friends etc. Not only does it make seeing them again even nicer but you'll have so much to catch up on. If you have friends that aren't at uni who are desperate to see you and aren't quite getting the message, send them to this post - it's v important in my opinion!

006. Don't sweat the small stuff. 

People are annoying. Strangers, in particular, are annoying. Strangers, who you happen to be living with, are annoying. Things will get to you and drive you mad. My advice: try not to react to the little things. You've got a whole year (at least) living with these people, if they've borrowed a plate without asking and it's annoyed you, don't make a huge deal out of it. Yes, I know it's frustrating and I know its the principle, but people aren't all like you, and sometimes it's just not worth the hassle. That being said, if anyone is being genuinely nasty, threatening or abusive, speak to your halls or university staff immediately! Basically, what I'm trying to say is people are annoying, don't let it get to you.

007. Go out and do all the things !!! 

First year, and ESPECIALLY the first few weeks, of uni don't count. Go and make the most of your time. The lecturers know how much of a big change moving to university is and how it's going to take a while to settle in, even if you were to take away all of the hangovers and exhaustion, so, they tend to take this into account with the first few weeks of content. The lectures tend to all be introductory ones in the first few weeks, telling you about the course, the content etc... So, go on those nights out, just set your alarm beforehand and you'll be fine. Make the most of being a fresher! This also doesn't mean you have to go out and get drunk every night, there are always lots of other things going on - just get stuck in! Do. All. The. Things. The first few weeks are always nuts, do as much as you can you've always got the rest of the year to recover.


And there we have it, my university tips for freshers. The underlying message is very much 'have fun, do all the things and just go with the flow'. I would absolutely love to go back in time and do it all again, but I can't, so I'll live vicariously through all of you...