Being a fresher can be a scary prospect. You may be in a new city, surrounded by new people, and most importantly, newfound freedom. 

So we have produced a list of five top freshers’ tips.

Although it may seem a tedious task, managing your budget and looking into a student job is worth the time. You’ll be thankful that you spent a little time budgeting what you need for food, socialising, and study materials.

Check out your student union or university recruitment pages as there are many part-time and flexible job opportunities available while you study. And it’s the ideal balance – you get to work for an employer that understands your workload and gives you time off when you want to go home at the end of term.

Working for the Students’ Union (SU) doesn’t always mean you’re limited to pulling pints. You could be involved in helping with events, working in the shop or union reception. The SU may include specialist roles such as marketing, venue support, or helping with campaigns and representation.

If you only go to one event during Freshers weeks, it should be the Freshers fair. This fair will have representatives from student societies, local businesses that offer jobs, companies that offer products, and services that you might be interested in, as well as local voluntary groups that you can join. 

Freshers fairs aren’t all about free pizza and goody bags. They are an opportunity to discover your university and the services available. There will be lots of societies you could sign up for, and if you don’t see one you like, you can always set up your own society!

Have a look around and collect information on things that will be useful and of interest to you. It can be overwhelming, with lots of people asking you to sign up with them and lots of information thrown at you. Take the leaflets to read when you get home, as they will all contain social media information for you to get in contact if it appeals to you.

It may seem scary at first, but remember everyone is in the same boat. Hang in communal spaces, say hi, and chat with other students in your course. Other social spaces are the cafeteria, SU, and library. Some other suggestions include:

• Join online groups for Freshers, such as online groups on Facebook. This will allow you to meet new people and attend events they post in the group.
  
• Attend your course induction session. It’s easy to make friends with your flatmates, but your course is going to become a big part of your life over the next three years. It’s important to have friends in this area too.
• Try Freshers activities out of your comfort zone as this is a great time to try out different events and activities.

These past few years have taught us that online learning has become the new normal. For many courses, lectures will be going ahead in person, but for those that are still online, it’s important to familiarise yourself with the course and its online materials. Spend some time getting used to where information is stored, any books or external equipment that might be required, and if there are reading lists or activities you can do to ease yourself into the first term.

The first weeks at university are busy and can feel overwhelming and exhausting. 

So make sure you take a break from all the madness and take time to recharge when you need to. You can take a trip to the university gym and let off some steam or go and grab a coffee, read a book or listen to some music. Watching a movie, going out for dinner, and cooking are other great ways to relax while getting to know your new friends better. 

Whatever it is that helps you relax, spend time doing it.