Don’t give into homesickness. Everyone feels some degree of homesickness in the first few weeks including fresher’s week. Try to resist calling home too much though, and definitely do not go back for an early visit as this will only make things more difficult. The best thing to do is keep busy and wait it out – once you’ve made a few friends you’ll feel a lot more happy and comfortable in your new surroundings.
Be sociable. If you’re not the most naturally outgoing person then the idea of putting yourself out there in fresher’s week can be a little daunting. Remember though, everyone is in the same boat, and even the people who seem the most confident are probably still a little apprehensive on the first day. You don’t want to be left out while the other people in your accommodation form friendships, so try your best to include yourself and speak to as many people as possible. You’ll get on better with some than others, but without trying, you’ll never know.
Commitments. Be careful what you commit to early on. The person you click with on your first night out might seem like great fun, but don’t wake up in the morning and realise you’ve agreed to put a deposit down on a second year house together and have booked flights to spend Christmas at their parent’s chalet in the Alps. This person might end up being a friend for life, or you may end up feeling differently about them in a couple of weeks’ time. Don’t take the risk and make any early commitments you could end up regretting later. Same goes for part time jobs and signing up for extracurricular activities. Take a week or two to get a proper lay of the land before overloading yourself.
Know your limits. There will be a lot going on during Fresher’s week, and a lot of it will inevitably involve alcohol. It’s easy to get carried away, but you really don’t want to be that guy or girl who has an embarrassing freshers week story follow them around for the next three or four years. In an unfamiliar town with a lot of new people, it also pays to have your wits about you on the first few nights out. The first week is probably not the time to overdo it.
Watch out for FOMO. Also known as Fear of Missing Out. If you really need a break from the action, that’s totally fine. Don’t feel pressured to go out for every single event – you can’t be super-sociable and outgoing all the time. Maybe it would be a good opportunity to go to one of the more relaxed non-drinking events. An early night in your pyjamas and some self-care isn’t going to do you any harm!
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