Academic & Welfare Officer Amy Foxton
Take care of yourself during Freshers’ Week
You’ve seen it on Hollyoaks and because York starts ridiculously late you’ve probably heard all about your friends’ experiences, but now your Freshers’ Week is finally here. Amid all the expectation and excitement it’s easy to forget how daunting your first week at uni can be. For every confident gap year student there’s someone else who’s finding it harder than they expected to live away from home for the first time. And of course just because everyone else seems to be coping well and having the best week of their lives it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re finding it any easier than you are. Remember that everyone is in the same situation as you are, nervous about making friends and settling in to life at York.
The people you socialise with in Freshers’ Week, at least at first, will be the people you live with. It’s likely that all you’ll have in common is your allocation to one corridor or house by University admin and a common bond over the state of your accommodation – perversely colleges with the worst accommodation tend to have the best community spirit. Maybe your new housemates will become your best friends, maybe you’ll just meet occasionally in your kitchen, but it’s best to try and get along with each other. That way when someone drunkenly steals your food you’ll be able to laugh about it rather than taking it personally.
Being considerate to the people you’re going to spend the next 30 weeks of the year living with will make things a lot easier and it’s a good idea to look out for those around you. Maybe you’re having an amazing week but chances are there’s someone on your corridor who’s not having such a great time, and who could do with a friend. Similarly, try not to judge people too quickly; you might form close friendships with people in Freshers’ Week which last the year, but in other cases you might find you bond the most with the people you initially overlooked.
Whether you get on with your housemates or not, it’s a good idea to get to know as many people as possible, so go and introduce yourself to the people who live next door or on the next corridor or even the people you bump into at events. Freshers’ Week is the one time you can do this without seeming weird, so go on and take advantage of it. Similarly if you get to know everyone in your seminar group, you can discuss how you’re all finding the transition from A level to degree and discover that you’re not the only person feeling overwhelmed by the massive reading list your department has given you.
Go out and get involved with as much as possible in your first week – your Students’ Union and JCRC have spent months planning events for Freshers’ Fortnight, with a greater variety of things to do than ever before.
Although you may feel like staying in your room because you miss your boyfriend/girlfriend/pet/family this will only make you feel worse. One of my best friends stayed in her room for her first night at uni because she was homesick and went on to regret it for the next three years. Hopefully you’ll soon be having so much fun that you’ll forget how many miles away from home you are.
If you drink, do it responsibly. Watch your drinks; drink spiking is rare in York but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen to you. Look after your friends and those around you, chances are they’ll return the favour at some point during the year. Make sure you get home safely, and don’t walk home alone. No one in York knows how much drink you can handle, so don’t let yourself be pressurised into drinking more than you would at home or do the same to anyone you’re out with. Look beyond the student myths, there are some students who do go out drinking every night but they’re a tiny minority.
In fact, a survey last year of over 3000 York students showed that 8 out of 10 drank twice a week or less. Similarly the vast majority of students don’t have sex in Freshers Week, and you shouldn’t feel pressured to sleep with someone if you don’t want to. If you do have sex, wear a condom, no one is worth risking your sexual health for.
The media don’t tend to focus on the less glamorous aspects of student life, like hours spent in the library or lab, or doing laundry and going to the supermarket. So if the reality of student life is different to your expectations, don’t be surprised.
It’s important to create a new support network in York and have someone you can talk to if you have any problems or just a bad day – you can talk in confidence to your college welfare reps, ring Nightline (01904 433735) or drop in to their flat in Goodricke D block between 8pm and 8am for coffee and a chat. You can also email nightmail@york.ac.uk for a reply within 48 hours.
Finally, realise that Freshers’ Week will be even better the second time around, when along with your new best friends you can get involved with running it, or be a STYC. You’ll know where all the best bars are and you won’t spend ages getting lost looking for a taxi rank or a decent takeaway.
