A few weeks before I finished sixth form, my English Teacher was giving our class her guide to surviving University. The one thing I remember her telling us is that you spend the first three months of University trying to get rid of the friends you made in the first three days! But fear not, I am happy to say that her advice never rang true during my experience. From my first day, the people I met in Leeds were the main reason I didn’t drop out with the stress of verging-on-adulthood responsibilities that come with moving to university.
Having said that, being put into such close proximity with people you could never have imagined speaking to, never mind staying up till 3am watching Full House reruns with, is one of the most daunting aspects of Freshers’ Week. So, I have tried to gather my third year pearls of wisdom into a guide of the friends you may well make in your first few weeks. Rather than a box-ticking exercise, I hope the shameless stereotypes into which I’ve grouped my friends, reassures you that meeting as many unexpected and diverse people as possible is the best part of the experience and definitely not something to avoid.
Remember we’re all just freaky humans trying to get along … or at least that’s what I tell myself when one of those freaky humans comes and eats their cheesy chips in my bed after a night out!
The Carrie Bradshaw
By far the most novel aspect of being a fresher is that first student loan instalment. Waking up and having real-life money in my bank account was a bigger shock than realising that not everyone in the UK has the same accent (I was indeed one of those ignorant London types.) Alas, the money wasn’t to be around for long – enter Carrie Bradshaw who lived two floors up and a shopping addiction away from my newly decorated student bedroom. I was only three days into university when I was already natively familiar with the Trinity centre and the power of an NUS card. I blame Carrie entirely. Beware. This figure is also prone to taking cabs everywhere, believing everything you pick up will look good on you and is entirely supportive no matter how much you spend.
The Good
- Carrie is a good’un, always there for emotional purchases and eating and will never have any prior engagement more important than an impulsive shopping trip. It’s good to have a friend who will run away from the looming adult responsibilities as fast as you will.
The Bad
- There are times of the year to avoid Carrie’s puppy dog shopping eyes, namely towards the end of a semester when you’re trying to budget your last £50 so you won’t have to live off pasta for the final few weeks. If you are a fresher who has already met their Carrie, I pity your bank balance as much as mine – I now live with my Carrie.
The Bree Van De Camp
No matter how independent you feel coming to university, there will always be room in your life for an adoptive, slightly neurotic, parent figure. It’s likely that if you have a Bree Van De Camp in your flat, you will already know about it. In case you need any help, they are likely to be the one who brought the coasters, the homemade cookies… and the bottle of vodka. Being a self-confessed child of the fresher’s family, having a friend who makes sure you leave the club with your shoes and checks whether you’ve eaten anything green in the last two weeks will become a huge source of comfort. Having your very own Bree can feel as though you have a little piece of home with you in the heart shaped cookies left in your clinical looking kitchen and the notes under the door reminding you to buy your fruity ticket before they sell out!
The Good
- The best part about Bree is that no one can be an adult 24/7 and so they may indeed be the person you go to for a glass of wine in the middle of the day.
The Bad
- Just don’t spill any on their bed sheets because you will definitely have to find a new Bree!
The Pandora
During the first night of pre- drinks at university, we found our very own Pandora sitting in the shower … on the phone, and from that point on I knew she was going to confuse me and make me laugh in equal measure. Pandora is the friend who you might not see for a few days and will then tell you the tales of her escapades alongside her self-confessed, completely inexplicable addiction to Coronation Street. Having a Pandora will mean that making small talk during dinner is never boring and reminds you that there is someone who feels just as lost at university as you do.
The Good
- My Pandora often comes out with some unexpected words of wisdom and her insane habits actually keep me sane.
The Bad
- Sometimes you actually worry about Pandora more than you worry about yourself – she has to pass her exams too because you can’t do next semester alone.
The Vicky Pattison
This is essentially the person who frightens and inspires you in equal measure. If you haven’t met your Vicky yet, there is still hope for your liver but you’re also missing out on someone you might never meet anywhere else in your life. University is a chance to broaden your horizons, and Vicky will fill that quota with all the sass and jaeger bombs you could need. The Vickys also tend to have a sweet side that not everyone can see, so if you’re lucky enough to find one, you’re in for a treat.
The Good
- They will ward off anyone pushing in the queue for the bar and very vocally have your back when you feel too shy or embarrassed to do it yourself.
The Bad
- There is a chance that Vicky will end up dancing on the table at pre-drinks, but will also be the last one dancing at the end of the night!
The Ann Perkins
This is for those of you who have your best friend from home lurking somewhere in your new city. I don’t mean that random girl who sat in your Philosophy class, I mean the one whose parents you spoke to on the way home from sixth form parties while they passed out in the back of the car. Essentially, this is the ultimate source of moral support and escape from having to be super cheery with all your new friends.
The Good
- Use their new room as the place to eat pizza and watch the Hannah Montana movie on nights when you’re homesick or just can’t muster the energy for a 9th night in a row of Freshers’ week.
The Bad
- Have fun with the awkward transitioning of your old friend with new friends! If it’s any consolation, I now live with them all in a cosy little student dump so there is hope for one big dysfunctional family!
I hope this guide reminds you to seek out as many new additions to your squad as possible, or at least helps you discover which ‘fresher’s friend’ you are. I like to think I’m an eclectic mix of them all… we can all dream.
Sources
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/43/eb/77/43eb7797bf793ee70a6347628dee5d94.jpg
http://community.babycenter.com/post/a47008015/the_great_gif_challenge?cpg=23
https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/pandora-skins
https://media3.giphy.com/media/YaY5AfMmb7cHK/200_s.gif