No sleep, sober clubbing and silly fresh: The five biggest lessons I learnt from frepping

Because the frep life never stops

1 month ago | UPDATED 2 weeks ago

Frepping (Freshers’ Repping) is, in my opinion, one of the most uniquely Durham concepts. Having a group of people around you dedicated to providing stability and structure in, what for many, is an incredibly strange and stressful week is invaluable.

I don’t remember why Freshers’ Week me set her sights on becoming a frep, and whilst it seems my degree has already taken the hit of two weeks of sleep deprivation, I’ll be forever grateful that she did. So, here’s everything I learnt from the most formative, fun and surreal week of my life.

1. Surviving on no sleep

Despite being told repeatedly of the exhaustion and eventual delirium that comes with frepping, I was optimistic that I’d be able to manage a week of averaging three hours of sleep a night (partially due to me managing to scrape a first at the end of a very Jimmy’s first year). It’s safe to say I was severely humbled.

I felt unstoppable at the start of the week but soon realised that sitting outside clubs until 3am then waking up to trek from the viaduct to college for 7am only to fail to wake up a group of hungover freshers for breakfast really does take its toll. By the end of the week, I had perfected the skill of sleeping literally anywhere – sofas, floors, on tables etc. At a low point in the week, I discovered the restorative power of caffeine pills, Monster and, a frep favourite, “Gonster” (Monster and Guinness – zero per cent, obviously, because Grey actually sticks to its drinking ban).

2. Sober clubbing

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Due to Grey’s drinking ban, I also mastered the art of sober clubbing. Although I once kindly went to Jimmy’s fuelled by only a Diet Coke the night before a summative in order to provide moral support to my friend who was doing Dry January, I’m not a sober clubber (mostly due to my painful inability to dance and the hell that is Jimmy’s dance floor on a Friday).

Frepping was a great chance to try it out, and to be honest I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss drinking (hence the zero per cent Gonster), but I honestly had some of the most fun I’ve ever had on a night out. It also made me feel so much healthier, more clear-headed and refreshingly hangxiety free. Plus, if everyone around you is sober you sort of just match each other’s freak. Would recommend.

3. Losing your inhibitions

Something I didn’t expect going into frepping was that it would provide me with a rare period where I could completely stop caring about what people thought of me. It falls on the freps to break the Freshers’ Week awkwardness, even if that means embarrassing yourself cheerleading to a crowd of silent freshers and their parents, going full send at karaoke or tearing up the dance floor at a Year Six disco style event event.

I think realising that people are mostly just grateful that someone else has broken the ice to the point they don’t even care what you’re doing was pretty life-changing, and I genuinely think that I’ve started the year much more carefree because of it.

4. Silly fresh are called silly fresh for a reason

Yes, having a silly Freshers’ Week is absolutely a rite of passage, and whilst I may be in denial about my own silliness in first year, it surprised me just how silly some of the freshers are this year. Some advice to this year’s freshers: Two bottles of red wine and half a bottle of tequila is absolutely not a light pre’s, and will end in you chunning your guts out outside Loft and getting carried home at 8pm.

Straddling someone in the middle of the Babs dance floor isn’t as sexy as you think it is, and committing flatcest on the first night of Freshers’ Week is a no-go, no matter how good looking they may be, and will make the rest of the year really really awkward (please trust me on this one).

5. Once a frep, always a frep

It sounds a bit cringe, but even after Freshers’ Week I’m not sure that the “frep” in you ever really goes away. Since frepping, I’ve developed some sort of Spider-Man-esque ability to sense when I’m going to need to carry someone home and put them in the recovery position on a night out.

I’ve also gained infinitely more confidence in my ability to be resilient, kind and open-minded – I hope will stick with me for life, all whilst spending a week surrounded by an incredibly lovely group of people. Also, seeing freshers pass out in their own sick has made me not want to drink ever again (although I’m saying this before the five socials I have lined up for this week, so don’t hold me to that).