September represents a significant period of change for students as many begin their university journey. And with that comes the return of freshers week. 

Universities across the country have begun their freshers week festivities this week, with many set to begin next week. This is a chance for students to celebrate their exam results and achievements, meet new people and adjust to a new location. 

In your first few weeks of university, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed despite the fun that Freshers Week will bring. With that in mind, experts at RateMyPlacement share five ways to make freshers week one to remember. 

Introduce yourself 

Join in! Freshers week is a fantastic time to make new friends, grow your confidence and learn about what your university offers. Many new graduates will be relocating to new cities. It might even be some people’s first time in the city, so it’s important to familiarise yourself with your surroundings.

You’ll be at university for a good period of time, so making new friends is essential. Plus, you’ll need a few pals to keep you sane when those deadlines hit. 

Luckily for you, the whole point of freshers week is for you to get to know new people. University halls, the student union and nightclubs around town will be packed to the rafters with students your age. 

Start with simple questions like “What’s your name?”, “Where are you from?” and “What are you studying and go from there”. 

Create a budget and stick to it 

Now that you’ve got a student loan and a lot of control over it, it’s important not to get carried away. Ensure you’re spending wisely to pace yourself and have some money to spare when finances drop later in the term.

We’d recommend using budgeting tools such as Money Helper, which shows how much money is coming in and what it’s being spent on. This will help you stay on top of all your expenses and plan your savings.

Go to your university’s freshers’ fair 

This one’s a must. And not just for the free pens, sweets and tote bags. Freshers is a fantastic opportunity to learn about all the extra-curricular activities you can get involved with. Find something you’re interested in, whether debating, dance or sport and get yourself signed up. Or join a society.

This will help widen your social circle, broaden your skill set and help you maintain that work-life balance. It’ll help boost your employability, too. We know employers love students who have interests outside of their academic studies.

Avoid burnout 

Whilst freshers week has a reputation for non-stop partying, it’s good to pace yourself by having a couple of chilled nights in with your new friends. 

Get to know each other. Likes, dislikes and all. Especially people you live with. The closer your bond, the comfier you’ll feel around them. 

Sort out your admin 

If you’ve moved away from home and are no longer surrounded by the help and support of your family, you’ll need to take matters into your own hands and sort some life admin to make sure you’re settled in. For instance, it’s worth registering at your local doctor – many students forget this and trust us, it’ll come in handy when you catch freshers flu. 

What else, you ask? Well, we’d recommend making sure:

• You’re fully registered for your course modules
• Have access to your student university account
• Created your weekly timetable for all your lectures and seminars
• All your devices are connected to the uni WiFi before classes begin.