Everyone has their expectations of what their first year of university is going to be like. This often consists of finding lifelong friends in the form of strangers, expecting Fresher’s Week to be incredible and realizing that you suddenly love clubbing, even if you didn’t before. Although this may be the case with some, it is equally unlikely to happen.
You probably won’t become best friends with everyone in your accommodation, in fact, you may barely tolerate them. You may find yourself washing your plates in the bathroom just to avoid seeing anyone you live with. But that’s okay. Friends or enemies, the people you live with in your first year will help show you what you like and what you really really really don’t. They’ll show you parts of yourself you didn’t know you had, and parts you wish you didn’t, they’ll bring out smiles and anger, making memories and tainting them with nights of loneliness.
So what do you do if your flatmates aren’t what you expected? Bring your own friends to the flat, go on adventures and see the world outside your accommodation. Explore campus, explore the city, and make sure to join a society.
But what about when you’re alone? Make your room a safe haven. Make it warm, make it cosy. Make it somewhere you want to go to, rather than avoid. Use your alone time to study and learn, after all, you are at University. Maybe even see if you can build bridges with your neighbours.
So what about Fresher’s Week? A week long party, right? It can be, but not necessarily. Fresher’s Week can be fun and exciting, but its best use is to meet as many people as you can and join societies. Go to a society fair, look online, show up to taster sessions, try new things. Explore everything. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Know that everyone is in the same position as you, even if they don’t look nervous or unsure, they probably are. This is a week of finding your feet and living a life you haven’t yet experienced, so you’re going to come across feelings you didn’t expect to. Try going on nights out, but if you hated it before, you’ll probably still hate it, and that is honestly okay.
University is a terrifying, exciting time, and it could be everything you hoped for, but it might not be. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself during your first year, take things as they come and know that no matter what happens, no matter how rubbish your Fresher’s Week is, no matter how lonely you feel in your accommodation, no matter how lost you feel, it’ll all be okay.
Also, know that you can always talk to someone about how you’re feeling. Whether that’s friends, family, tutors, or even a wellbeing and mental health team, you never have to be alone in your problems and feelings.