The build up to university is nerve-racking, especially since you don't know what to expect. Today I'm focusing on the best tips for your first year, targeting move-in day and freshers.
The thought of moving into your university accommodation is, frankly, terrifying. Not knowing what to expect, worrying about your flatmates… Despite this, the actual move-in day isn’t that bad at all. In fact, it’s quite exhilarating: seeing your flatmates for the first time, seeing your room, immediately picturing how you’re going to decorate it and thinking of all the good memories you’re going to make.
Image from @makarnayiyorum on We Heart It.
Even before move-in day was approaching, I was anxious about meeting my roommates, because I had no idea if they would like me, or if I would like them. It was the fear of the unknown. I quickly realised that I had nothing to worry about, because as soon as I found out which accommodation I was staying in, I was added to a Facebook group chat with my soon-to-be-roommates. On this chat we talked about our plans for freshers, who would bring what (eg. kettle, pans, etc) and just random things related to our flat and ourselves. Honestly, I was so nervous about talking to these ‘strangers’ on a group chat, but I understood soon enough that everyone was on the same boat, just as nervous as I was.
Top tip: don’t be shy in the group chat! Give a good ‘first’ impression and be kind and welcoming to the others.
Although my move-in experience was, in a word, scary, that doesn’t mean it will be for everyone. My friend, who had been in boarding school since she was thirteen, said that it was a “typical move-in day” for her. She mentioned that she was eager to meet the people she’d be living with, and also that she was stressed about what to wear. However, as soon as she got to her accommodation, she came to the conclusion that no one was bothered about what she was wearing, or what she looked like because they were just as anxious as her.
Top tip: bring a door-stop to put under your door while you’re moving in, this way you can chat to people in the halls and casually get to know them.
After I had finished moving in, my thoughts were “okay, so now what?”. I still had half a day to kill until freshers started. I went to the kitchen, and most of my flat was there, just chilling and getting to know one another. It was fun to understand where they all came from and what they were going to study. They were all super friendly.
Top tip: spend a lot of time in common social areas (kitchen, lounge, etc) of the flat, especially when you first move in. On top of that, join in the conversations. As I mentioned, everyone just wants to make friends!
Freshers. “The best week of your life” is what I kept hearing. Needless to say I was incredibly excited... but then the ‘c-word’ happened (whispers *Covid*). It didn’t completely ruin my freshers week, but it did limit the number of new people I met. All of the clubs were temporarily shut, so we resorted to house parties- which, to be fair, were really fun.
As there were less people, we got to chat and bond with others a lot more than if we were at a club filled with thousands of us. As a positive outcome to this, a lot of the people I met during these parties remain some of my closest friends. Oppositely, another friend of mine went through his freshers week pre-pandemic, so he experienced what this week should have been like for all of us that missed out. He told me that he went clubbing every night, with a bunch of new people. “Most of the time, you don’t stay friends with the people you meet at freshers, because a stuffy club isn’t the right environment to get to know people” he said.
Either way, it’s super important to know that everyone is as nervous as you are, and that once again, everyone wants to make friends. Bearing this in mind, don’t be afraid to approach people and start up a conversation. They will be much more willing to chat to you during the first weeks than in a couple of months, because by then friendships will have formed and they’ll feel more comfortable and less scared, therefore they will feel less of a need to make to make new friends.
Top tip: friends- everybody wants them, especially when you’re in a new environment. Don’t be afraid: be bold and make the first move, it will be worthwhile!
I hope these tips can be helpful to you, especially if you're moving into uni accommodations or a new environment soon. If this is the case, good luck and have lots of fun!
If you haven't read my post about what to bring to university, go check it out now! Read it here.
Thank you so much for reading, I hope you are all well and I wish you the best of luck and happiness! Until next time!