Dear University of Nottingham Freshers,
Moving to university can be one of the most exciting and terrifying things you will ever do. A whole new chapter of your life is just about to start and as a result you may be feeling a touch of fear mixed in with the excitement for becoming a Fresher. However, Impact Features are here to help with some of the best words of wisdom from the University of Nottingham’s finest. These are 16 top tips for tackling your Freshers year, from those that have done it themselves:
“Talk to anyone and everyone! All you need to say is your name, course and where you’re from and you’re set.” – Jo Ralphs
“Before a night out leave yourself a glass of water by your bed, you’ll need it in the morning!” – Tara Peppercorn
“I’d say to talk to everyone, and get involved with as much as you can” – Conor Chawke
“Don’t worry too much, everyone’s in the same boat so just be nice and everything will work out fine” – Jack Taylor
“Force yourself to be healthy in what you eat, especially if you’re self-catered, otherwise you’ll just end up eating rubbish all year (though letting it slide for the first couple weeks is OK as you’ll be mega busy)” – Jake Sutcliffe
“Don’t worry about missing home, everyone is feeling exactly the same, even if they might not be showing it!” – Nikki McCaig
“Don’t feel pressured to go to absolutely everything. Go at your own pace, look after yourself and make time to recover so you don’t burn out!” – Chloe Erin
“Try EVERYTHING! As cliché as it sounds, just try anything and everything you can during your first few weeks. If you’ve missed your chance to sign up to everything you fancy at the Freshers’ Fair, you can still sign up to UoN’s countless societies here; and you can still go to every social, every activity, every meet-and-greet, every night out that you think you can handle.” – Ellen Smithies (For more of Ellen’s great fresher’s advice make sure to check out her article from the previous year here)
“Join as many societies as you can, and even if no one you know is going to an event but you’re interested – go anyway” – Ewa Kunysz
“Don’t be tempted to get with loads of people on nights out because you WILL bump into them all around campus for the rest of the year (and possibly the rest of uni)! Besides, during Freshers week on nights out it’s a better idea and more fun to prioritise getting to know your flatmates; strangers can wait for the coming weeks” – Anonymous
“Don’t tie yourself down in one friendship group straight away; get to know as many people as you can and take your time. In this way university is very much a marathon, and not a sprint!” – Jennifer Peck
“Don’t leave finding a house for second year too late, but also don’t rush it. Ask older students who they would recommend as a letting agent, and make sure you’re happy with your housemate choices! It’s no fun spending a year living with someone you don’t get on with that well anymore.” – Jake Sutcliffe
“A cup of tea is the answer to everything- homesickness, making friends, moving in stress!” – Flora Burton
“Try do as much as you can because you’re more likely to regret not doing something than doing something” – Luke Robinson
“It’s can be hard making friends on your course if you have very few contact hours/too hungover to attend. But do try hard to make some because it’s always better to stress out with someone about exams and deadlines than when you’re on your own!” – Darshana Rathod
“Don’t feel like you’re missing out if you’re not into drinking/going out etc., especially during Freshers week. It may take time, but you find your people.” – Sarah Quraishi
For up to date information on everything you need to know about moving to the University of Nottingham be sure to check out the UoN website. Be sure to also follow Impact, the University of Nottingham’s Official Student Magazine on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news on everything going on in your new home!
If you are interested in writing for Impact we would love to hear from you! Visit our information page or contact us on our Facebook page for details on how to get involved.
We can’t wait to meet you all!
The Impact Features Team
Featured image courtesy of ‘Dovydas ?iom?nas‘ via Flickr. Image licence available here.No changes made to this image.
