It’s the beginning of another academic year and while it’s an exciting time of year for everyone in university, it’s especially so for the new freshmen just starting out on their academic adventure. Here’s our guide to navigating those first months of university life so that you can make the most of your time here.
Be nice to everyone. Everyone is slightly terrified during orientation week and the first weeks of classes, so be nice and you might just meet your new best friends while panickedly looking for a classroom. Besides, you never know who you might end up doing a group project with later on, so it pays to be friendly with everyone.
Tutors are there to help you. Even after orientation week, your tutors should be there for you if you have questions or need help. Don’t hesitate to send them a message, they have been doing this thing called ‘university’ for a while now and know what’s going on.
Go to as many social events as possible and check out the various clubs and organisations on campus. There’s so much to do at university and exploring student life as a freshman can really help you find your place and meet lots of amazing people. So ask your tutors about all the different opportunities or look online for things (i.e. HC Helsinki’s event calendar at the bottom of the front page) that interest you, and go have fun!
…But don’t exhaust yourself. The fear of missing out is real when there’s so much going on all the time, but it’s simply impossible to go to every party and join every club there is. So rest assured that you won’t end up friendless and deserted if you decide to take some time for yourself, too.
Put effort into your studies but don’t stress out too much. A lot of the courses you take during your freshman year set the foundation for more advanced courses in the future so learning those things is important and will save you a lot of work later (what was morphology again?) But don’t freak out about the first papers and first exams coming up – if something feels too difficult and overwhelming, remember that you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t good enough. You got this.
Be yourself. University is a hugely diverse, open-minded environment and by being yourself you will be sure to find likeminded people and make amazing friends. Good luck!