Getting the most out of Freshers’ Week

You’ve probably heard about Fresher’s Week, especially from friends preparing for university who’ve raved about the week long party. But, as exciting as it all is there are some tips that can help you make the very best of it.

Before you even get to university, go on Facebook and look for any fresher’s groups you can join – there’ll be quite a lot, so try looking for your course or flatmates. Lots of other newcomers will be posting events and activities to do during your first week, including club nights. The University also has the Friends for Life programme so you can connect with people before you get to Lincoln.

Nightclubs around the city will have their own pages where you can buy tickets online. The average price is about £7 depending on the venue, but obviously on campus venues will be cheaper – as well as the drinks – so if you’re planning on nights out,  you might want to book as early as you can for the cheapest prices. But I can guarantee your plans will change more than a few times so you may want to book a few days in advance once you know what you and your new friends will be doing. If you do make different arrangements refunds are available – if you get in early enough.

Concerning the actual club nights themselves, be conscious of what you are paying for. Some clubs may advertise bouncy castles, rodeos and other fun and wacky stuff but when you get there, you may be lucky to get in, let alone reach the bar. Student run venues, like the University of Lincoln’s Engine Shed, have always delivered on their promises of freebies, themes and especially foam! Plus you can guarantee all the people around you will be students too, so you’ll be in good company.

During the day you’ll need to fill your hours with activities, so why not have a look on the Students’ Union website for the Fresher’s Week agenda. The union will organise society and sports fairs for students to get stuck into university life. You can join all sorts of groups like the DJ society, the LGBT+ society, the Surf society or the Dance society and meet like-minded people, there’s so much to choose from!  There is also the Freebie Fair – not its official title but it’s exactly what it says on the tin, a fair for companies in the city to come, set up stalls, and give free stuff to ‘grabby’ students. Incidentally, I went twice and came back with twelve bags of pens, books, t-shirts and free food.

The most important thing about Fresher’s Week is to have the best time of your life, but also to be safe and comfortable whilst doing it – so make sure you have everything you need before you get there such as cold and flu medicine, painkillers or any prescriptions you will need to prevent illness, or even worse, Fresher’s flu. I unfortunately, caught it a week in and ended up with a month-long chest infection, not my idea of a good time.

If your health does decide to go south, it is vital you register with the on-site clinic for any emergency. Also, don’t forget before you go to university, you might want to think about visiting your local GP and getting advice on whether you need a meningitis vaccination.

While we’re on the point of health, don’t forget contraception. Freebie fairs give these out by the bucket load and the on-site clinic does the same. You could be stuck in the mud if the time comes so you’d better be safe than sorry.

A lot of these may seem like the last thing on your mind for Fresher’s Week but things like your health should always come first. But, once you got that covered get stuck into societies, freebies and nightclubs, make new friends and have the time of your life.