Fresher’s week was one of the most hectic weeks I can remember having at university.
I moved into my student halls on the Saturday and spent the morning unpacking and meeting the other flat mates who had already arrived. We were told to meet in the courtyard to walk to Coopers (the campus bar) for ice-breaking events and food. I spent the whole night just walking up to people and introducing myself with my flat mate in tow, I thought this would be a good idea seeing as many people seemed too scared to talk to anyone. There were loads of games arranged where we had to find people with the same course, wearing the same coloured top, same first letter of the name, same county etc. in an effort to get people talking. Through these games I met a friend who I still sit next to in lectures every day.
On the second night, before we went out, I cooked a huge meal for all eight of us in the flat. I did this so we could all sit down and get to know each other before going on our first night out. It really built a bond as a flat and it made the rest of the year so much more enjoyable together. The rest of the week passed in an manic blur of introductory lectures, preparation for the first week and obviously events and partying in the evening, Many of the people I met in the first week I still talk to regularly and it was a great way to start off first year.
My biggest tip to any new student is to try and talk to new people, everyone is in the same boat. I was the loud friendly one, and it did feel slightly awkward at first, but it was definitely worth it in the long run.