9 September 2024
4 things I Wish I Knew as a Fresher
Hiya! I’m Summer, a new Marketing Assistant at RateMyPlacement. After graduating from university last month, I have been reflecting on my last three years of studying.
Luckily I have no regrets (well, maybe the hangover weekdays) but there are some things I wish someone had told me when I was a fresher…
101 to making friends at uni
First and foremost, be kind to everyone!
This should be obvious but you’ll come across people who just aren’t friendly…That is okay! Try not to take it personally, you’ll be much happier knowing you maintained your kindness and values.
On my first night, I invited all the flats in my block for a lil’ get-together, knocking on their doors with a big smile and managed to round up six of them. Don’t worry if your flatmates aren’t people you immediately click with, some things take time. You’ll be surprised how quickly you gravitate towards your people – be brave to take the first step, go knock! 🙂
Invite everyone to everything in those first few weeks. The more the merrier.
I went to surfing socials even though the sea TERRIFIES me because a friend invited me. Turns out I ended up making some great friends. Go to everything you get invited to (within your comfort zone) and vice versa.
Need a little bit more inspiration? Here are 8 ways you can make friends at university.
Ways to budget
The broke student stereotype is all too true, and with the cost of living crisis at the top of many students’ worries – there’s a lot to think about. But, there are ways you can make and hold on to those coins…
If you can, pick up a side hustle or part-time job, a lot of the time you will have big gaps in your day, so try to utilise this.
Here are some side hustles I did;
- Sell on vinted
- Babysit (there are loads of apps available to help find parents)
- Sign up for a mystery shopping website
- Part-time roles in retail or hospitality (the free food is a blessing!)
- Anything with flexible hours, the extra money will be a lifesaver.
There are also loads of ways you can make money around campus too! Whether that’s a job in the library or the SU coffee shop, you might not need to look far.
You could even become a brand ambassador. It’s a great way to earn some cash, meet people and bag some work experience. Here are 8 more reasons to become a brand ambassador.
Don’t overspend on food shops. Take the first couple of months to evaluate what is essential/what goes out of date before you eat it. I wasted so many spinach and carrot bags, (random) yet continued to buy them.
Try to have a shopping list that you can make at least five meals from and budget for a couple of fast food takeaways as well. You need comfort and ease sometimes.
If you want some more money-saving hacks, find out how below:
You’re more than your grades
Try not to put too much pressure on yourself, it is easy to forget that in the first year, you only need to pass!
Of course, try your best (don’t get me wrong, the academic validation is always nice).
Really try to participate in seminars as much as you can, I was shy for so long and it hurt no one but myself… No one cares more than you, and that wrong answer you gave on a random rainy Tuesday morning will be forgotten as soon as you step out of those doors, I promise.
It’s important to get yourself into a routine halfway through the year so that you don’t struggle much when the second year rolls around (quickly might I add) but for freshers’, prioritise getting loads of the experience!
As long as you find a balance, do not stress if you aren’t top of your class.
First year = Fresh start
Remember anything that held you back in the past gets wiped at uni. Nothing is ever that serious, and you get to live a double life at uni if you want to.
Embarrassing moments can and do happen, but trust me, they will be forgotten within 24 hours.
I definitely didn’t stack down a flight of stairs walking into my lecture… But if I had, I would just need to remember that in a university with 30,000 students, no one is going to remember that ten-second palaver, even though it got a laugh at the moment.
Finally, push yourself to try new things, as daunting as it may be, the time will fly and you will likely only regret the things you don’t do.
If you’re still a little unsure, that’s okay. Everything is new! But there are ways you can ease into doing the tasks that you’re not used to. Read on for more.
Good luck for freshers’ week, you’ll have a fab time! Be open to trying new things, and just remember to always be true to yourself and follow your instincts 🙂
