Freshers’ Week is dubbed by many ‘the best week of university’, and it is relatively easy to see why. It is a week of socialising, drinking, clubbing and very little else, leaving you both exhausted and elated as you sift through your mountain of free pizza coupons and attempt to scrub the collection of club entry stamps off your forearms.
And so, when these pamphlets, coupons, and flyers get replaced with all of those assignments you were meant to have done for yesterday, it is hard to avoid slipping into the post-Freshers’ blues come term time.
However, as the cold sets in, there are a few ways you can help yourself to avoid feeling disappointed in your new student life:
Realise you probably could not handle a fresher’s week every week
It’s called Freshers’ flu for a reason, and ignoring the more medical justification for this, it is a clear reminder about how great, but brutal, your week was. And for this reason settling in to a slightly less chaotic routine could turn out to be incredibly beneficial both to you, and your liver (and probably also your studies).
Although that being said, you could totally handle a Fresher’s Week every week
Thankfully, due to the huge variety of club nights, socials and events that run the whole year round, you can do just that! You can go out as many times as you like, and remember as little of it as you want, for as many weeks as you so wish – wahey! A couple of suggestions include: Hive (a classic, with drinks starting at £1), the Big Cheese (but be sure to arrive early!), and plenty of others a little further out including Opal, WhyNot, Lola Lo, City Nightclub, and billions more clubs, pubs and bars littered around the Cowgate and further out with their own weekly offers and events.
You are likely to make more friends post-Fresher’s
Freshers’ Week is probably as social as it can get, but you meet so many people you tend to struggle catching a name, let alone becoming best pals. Of course there are exceptions, but it’s likely that seeing the same people over and over at lectures, tutorials and societies will help make those names stick.
Clubs, societies and teams!
That team you picked up a leaflet for at the Societies’ Fair? The try-outs you attended? Well, now all of those sign-ups and membership fees will become worth it as you attend regular sessions and things get serious.
You will form a tight-knit group of friends from all the socials, training and events you attend together – and maybe get that toned definition, or learn that skill you’ve always dreamed of. You’ll find yourself getting better at whatever it is you’ve chosen to dedicate your time to, which is something positive and long term!
The Academic bit
Although it is needless to say that the idea of studying and hard work is probably not something to look forward to, it is true that with time you should start feeling more comfortable about your timetable. Although it might all seem a bit overwhelming now, just think about how you’ll be able to show off all of your new knowledge to all of your friends and family, and feel quite smug about it.
It is just the beginning
And finally, it is important to note that although Freshers’ Week undoubtably full of good memories, by no means does that mean they are the only memories you’ll make. There are a whole host of little coffee shops (if you’re as obsessed with them as I am), people with unbelievably similar interests as you on your course, and things to see and do that you are yet to encounter! I, for one, haven’t even been to the zoo yet.
Image credit: John Haslam @ Flickr