Freshers’ week rather sadly has by 2016 become to be seen as a sort of hazing for new students more than a week of partying in which to make new friends, have fun and celebrate having made it all the way to university. Hence, it is these days important to know how to survive the week with ending up with alcohol poisoning, embarrassing photos plastered all over social media or otherwise embarrassing oneself before term even begins in earnest. Fortunately, everything you need to know about surviving freshers’ week is contained here; more, observe the following tips and not only will you survive the week you might just enjoy and even remember most of it too.
Drink Aware
Whilst ‘drink aware’ is not the most grammatically eloquent statement to ever be penned, it is one of the most sensible statements to offer a fresher. After all, not only does being aware of what you are drinking and how much you are drinking stand to save you a fair bit of money and a fair few killer hangovers, it could even stand to save your life.
Therefore, whilst being drink aware is neither cool nor particularly likely to make you the most popular face on campus, at least during fresher’s week, it is likely to ensure you remain the most fresh faced and least red in the face the next morning when remembering or being told exactly what it was you did the night before, or worse who.
Then, to learn how to drink aware, visit the official Drink Aware website and give their own Fresher’s Week Survival Guide a read through ahead of hitting the clubs.
Eat Well
With the booze flowing more during Fresher’s week than just about any other in a student’s social calendar, it is never more important than during the first week to eat well. What is more, when living in shared halls or student digs and especially with people you don’t already know, being the student who can cook more than beans on toast or cup noodles is likely to earn you friends fast.
So, further to remembering to eat well, learn a few quick, tasty and nutritious recipes with which to wow your housemates. To do so you needn’t fork out for costly recipes books on top of your uni and study supplies either. Rather, just give the BBC Good Food Student Recipe Collection a browse through and pick out a few recipes that take your fancy.
Pace Yourself
Pacing yourself during fresher’s week is not all about resisting the urge to take part in that shot drinking competition…at midday. It is equally important to pace yourself when it comes to your finances. When the booze flows and with the pressure to make an impact, impress your fellow students or simply make friends and get out as much as possible, it can be massively tempting to spend, and to keep spending.
To ensure you don’t overspend end consequently end up living off pasta and scrounging from those around you or simply moaning about all the things you can’t afford to do, pace yourself when it comes to your spending.
You might want to look like the student everyone wants to know, but make sure it is for the right reasons; ultimately nobody is going to want to hang out with a moaner or sponge, even one who happened to be particularly good at getting the rounds in during freshers’ week.
Treat Yourself to…a Reality Check
Amidst all the fun, foam parties, flirting and yes, morning afters that come with freshers’ week it can be easy to get swept up and forget that whilst being a student is about the best thing in world, it is not without its responsibilities…and that getting to grips and embracing these from the get go is likely to save you a lot more work and pain in the long term.
Then, to ground yourself and remind yourself exactly why you are here, begin by giving the article: 11 Life Lessons You Will Learn at University featured on the Bellvue Students website a going over. Suffice to say, it is better to learn these lessons now, or at least be prepared for them, than to learn the hard way…and whilst nursing a monster hangover.
Carry a Map
Finally, want to have the best freshers’ week ever, make friends fast and not only survive it but own it? If you answered yes or are guilty of having nodded vehemently, the best way to achieve all of those things is to learn your way around.
Really, few students moving to a new area, city or place stop to think or realise just how easy it is to get lost. Too ften students fall victim to thinking other people will know their way around, forgetting that many of the other students arriving are also coming from far away. Therefore, to prevent falling victim in some far more frightening, unfortunate or dangerous ways whilst out and about, and especially at night when even familiar streets can seem foreign (especially after a few vodka and Red Bulls), have a map at hand.
Whether you opt to make use of the Google Maps App via your mobile or go old school and pick up a foldable and credit card sized wallet map, such as those made by Pocket Maps, just ensure you get one that you are likely to keep with you and remember to carry it around. Ok, you might never use or need it, but you can guarantee if you don’t have a map, you will suddenly need one.
More Tips
For more tips and tricks to not only surviving, but actually living up freshers’ week, head over to the aptly named Save the Student website and give their 10 Tips to Survive Freshers’ Week a going over…before going over to the pub.