Saturday was my university’s Summer Ball, an event where the tagline “the best night of the year!” actually lived up to its expectations. There was fancy dress, live music tents, a very long queue for a fairground ride and about fifty “where the hell are you?” text messages of varying legibility, depending on how much alcohol the sender had consumed at that point. I’m already planning for next year.
However what this (amazing) event meant was, I have finally come to the end of my first year at university. It was the last official university event of the year and it only really hit me on the bus journey there… I am no longer a fresher. Nor will I ever be. Oh my god, I’ll be twenty at the end of this year too… that’s old.
So for all the uni freshers feeling nostalgic and the freshers-to-be for next year, here’s a list of some of the things I feel I have learnt this year.
1. Freshers Week does not have to be ‘the best week of your uni life’. There’s no saying it can’t be as it’s definitely a lot of fun, but for me some of the best nights out at uni have definitely been the ones in the second or third terms, when I know more people and am closer with the people I met during Freshers Week. Some people bond with each other instantly, but if you’re not one of those people don’t be put off if Freshers isn’t quite what everyone raved about.
2. Sign up for everything. In your first couple of weeks you will have the opportunity to go to or sign up for hundreds of introductory activities, social groups and sports clubs. Try and find a couple of things from each of those activities to go to, even if you don’t know if it’s really your thing… that’s what it’s there for. Even if the club or activity itself ends up not being something you carry on, you’re out there meeting more people that you would just sat in your new room staring at the wall. I met one of my best friends at university at a meeting for a Leadership Course I never took part in after that first one. And I made even more new friends (and went to some epic socials) on trying, loving and joining the Climbing Club. I even bought and learnt to play the ukulele in the uni’s Ukulele Orchestra. Get out there and meet people… it really does work.
3. Talk to your house/flat/street mates. When you’re not out trying every new activity under the sun, make an effort to bond with the people you live with, or you’ll spend a large majority of the time at home alone. I know people who didn’t make too much of an effort with the people they lived with and had a horrible uni experience.
4. Locating the best cook is a good idea. If it wasn’t for the fact one of my housemates for next year is the kind of cook that is scandalised at the thought of packet pasta and beans on toast, I’m pretty sure I’d develop scurvy fairly sharpish. I could probably count on both hands the number of meals I have made for myself this year that included vegetables.
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Obviously the student aisle |
5. Social events don’t have to involve alcohol. There’s an amazing American diner round the corner from my house that my course mates and I (if you’re reading this Harvey, that was for you) can often be found at. And of course, living near a beach definitely provides something to do in the afternoon after classes have finished. A lot of socials are club nights, but you can still have a great time and get to know people during the day.
6. High school is a million million miles away. My previous blog post goes into this in a bit more depth, but in a nutshell everyone has done a lot of growing up since high school. Cliques don’t exist, the ‘cool kids’ are friendly to you and people are judged a lot more on personality than social status. It’s awesome. Make the most of it.
7. The drunk third years in the club toilets are right. Listen to them, they’ve already lived through what you’re about to. On one of my first nights out at university in fancy dress, we were ambushed in the ladies by a girl asking “Are you freshers?” and then proceeded to give us a stream of useful/uplifting tips on first year. She told us to get ready for the best years of our lives. I’ve only lived through one of them, but already I’m thinking she was right. Maybe next year I’ll be imparting my drunken wisdom on the freshers.
8. Not everyone is a nice guy. This is one of those things you need to trip up on before you learn, but just keep in mind… sometimes the lovely guy you met at the bar who you have tons in common with isn’t telling you the full truth. Someone once said to be that second/third year boys at fresher’s events are there for only one reason. This may not be true of all of them, but just be a wary.
9. Starting a 3,000 word assignment at 10pm the night before is generally a bad idea. Don’t try to re-define ‘last minute’. Just don’t do it. No, really.
10. Take photos of everything, and be in photos at everything. Make memories but don’t forget to be in front of the camera at times. If anything, you’ll need all the photos next year to cover up that disgusting student house wallpaper in your bedroom.
I’m sure there’s more, but part of the fun of first year is learning it all for yourself. Making a lot of mistakes academically, socially, romantically… it’s all part of the experience. If anyone has something to add, post it in the comments.
Also, here’s me at the Summer Ball as the Mad Hatter with that friend from freshers I mentioned as Tweedle Dum. If you make friends as cool as this, you’re sorted.
