A fresher's survival guide

By Sophie Hutchison, Third Year History of Art

The Croft Magazine // Some nuggets of wisdom for the incoming cohort.

Oh, to be a fresher again – the excitement of moving into halls and meeting new people constantly is a feeling you only really get once. It can be hard to settle in to uni life though, so here are 10 dos and don’ts to help you.

DO expect to cry upon arrival - whilst moving into halls and starting a new life is obviously exciting, it’s also incredibly overwhelming. The first night feels scary and surreal but stick it out - you’ll soon probably dread going home.
DO be prepared for freshers’ flu - corona or no corona, every year there is a beastly epidemic that plagues students university-wide: freshers’ flu. At least this year there are no night outs that you’ll miss when you’re inevitably struck down with a runny nose and a pounding head, but come prepared anyway with plenty of vitamin supplements and Lemsip.
DON’T spend every weekend with your significant other from home. Spending all your time with them will prevent you from making friends. They’re probably going to dump you by Christmas (sorry, it’s true – you’ll be glad later), and besides, you’re definitely going to end up fancying someone from halls anyway and feel really guilty about emotionally cheating. Definitely not speaking from experience here…
However, on that note, DON’T shag your flatmate. The flat above you? Game on. The flat below? Go for it. But do NOT shag somebody who you’re going to bump into every morning when you’re trying to make toast before your 9am.
DON’T be afraid to do what you want. Everybody wants to seem cool when they first start uni but nobody really cares what you do. Want to join Pole Dancing Society? Do it! Want to join your halls’ JCR? Do it! Want to wear the clothes that you actually like? Who cares! You’ll regret not doing those things you wanted to doand you’ll regret not being yourself whilst doing them - uni is short, so make the most of it.
DON’T be disheartened if you look around at your friend group a few weeks in and think oh god, do I actually have anything in common with these people? You’ll meet so many people throughout your uni years and it’s unlikely you’ll meet your best friends in the first week - give it time.
DON’T go out on a Saturday. Especially not to Brass Pig, unless you like randy forty- year-old men. Fridays and weeknights are best.
DO be prepared to share! A super fun way of bonding with your new flatmates is not saying anything when one of them incessantly steals your yoghurt and uses your shampoo without asking.
When lectures start, DO make sure you complete all your assigned reading for every single one of them. Just kidding. But DO at least have a vague idea of what the seminar reading is about.
And finally, DON’T get into the habit of missing your 9ams – once you miss a few, you’ll never show up again.