A Guide to Freshers’ Week
It sparks fear in some, excitement in others, whilst some don't really know how to feel about it. Freshers’ Week is the first and arguably biggest event on your first year university calendar, and there's no doubt it has the potential to be one of the best weeks of your life. The tips below will help you to make the most of this exciting week and avoid the notorious 'Freshers’ flu'.
Freshers' Fair-
Go to the Freshers' Fair and take anything you can get your hands on. Literally anything. You might find yourself being handed a cool poster, a silly t-shirt, a tin of beans, a packet of sweets, the possibilities are endless. What's important is that you accept all of them, as you never know when these seemingly random objects may come in handy during your time here.
Budget-
We all know it's tremendously enticing to be rock & roll and blow your loan quicker than Usain Bolt can run 100m, but do you really want to be living on bread and butter for the next three months? Your next instalment will feel more like 3 years away if you don't have the money for the basics. When it comes to money, Freshers can be a dangerous time for the naive and easily persuaded. Make sure to draw up a Freshers’ week budget that means you won't be missing out on things in the long run.
Essentials-
Whilst this might not be the most glitzy or exciting part of Freshers, things like signing up to a doctor and dentist really are important to your health, especially if you have travelled from the other end of the country. Even more so if you plan on testing your limits throughout the week. Leave this too late and you could be looking at the extremely unpleasant prospect of being ill or having toothache with nobody to treat you. You should also look to sort out your TV License as soon as possible too, to avoid a hefty fine.
Societies-
Sign up to societies and sports clubs! Joining a sports club is one of the easiest ways to get to know like-minded people with mutual interests, with an added bonus of helping keep the excess pounds away. The sports and societies fair is not one to be missed, with a plethora of opportunities for socialising and making new friends. There's literally a society for everything, and if there isn't, you can even find a group of people and make one yourself.
Don't overdo it!-
Remember guys, it's a marathon, not a sprint! It can't be denied that a major part of Freshers is about going out and partying, however you should pick the events you want to go to and stick to them. There's still a variety of activities to do over the week that don't involve alcohol, including quiz nights, film nights, city tours and visits. You'll actually be able to remember the people you met on these too! Don't be pressured by others into another heavy night out if you don't want to.
Northumbria always turns out with an epic Freshers’ line up. Check the student union for this years agenda homepage for details of this year's line up once it's been announced.
