‘I let my friend give me a tat’: Students reveal Freshers’ Week regrets you should learn from

Whether you’re just starting your uni journey, or returning for a week of Refreshers’ antics, students across the UK are coming together to make the worst decisions of their lives so far.

There’s a good chance you’ll have to live with the consequences of your actions for at least three years, so your first week is a toss up between making good choices or having outrageous stories. I’ve compiled a list of the biggest Freshers’ Week regrets from ex students, so you can swerve the awks encounters and near-death experiences. 

1. Spending all your money in Urban Outfitters

It can be tempting to blow all your loan the second in lands in your account, but maybe think twice about retail therapy in the first week. Sarah from Manchester relived her pricey Freshers’ Week, saying: “Obviously when moving to a new city I wanted to re-invent myself a bit, and that first student finance payment made me think I was rich.

“A whole new wardrobe seemed like a great idea until I went out and saw the corset top army. That and it was 30p pasta and pesto for dinner until Jan.”

2. Panic joining six societies and then showing face at none

Be realistic when walking around Freshers’ Fair. You might feel like a kid in a sweet shop, but you’ll end up with more rogue commitments than you can find the time for.

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Matt, a student from Liverpool explained it can be a huge waste of money. He said: “Freshers’ Fair was the most terrifying place I’d ever been and the pressure to make new friends was so immense I would have signed up for anything. I don’t regret all the sports Wednesday socials I signed up for, but I did feel a bit out of my depth at the life drawing society meets…”

3. ‘I got so drunk on the first night that I hallucinated speaking to people’

Pace yourselves people! You might end up having to do a whole lot of explaining the next morning if you crash out on the first night. Luke* said about his Freshers’ Week in Edinburgh: “I got so drunk on the first night (at a party in my flat) that hallucinated speaking to people in my room and then walking them out basically but in reality I ended up sleep walking out of my flat just in my pants wrapped in a duvet and had to sleep in the stairwell until my flatmate who I had just met heard me knocking on the door at 5am… I’ve never seen someone look so traumatised.”

That’s not the only example of drunk hallucinations, Ffion had a similar experience at Birmingham during Freshers’. She added: “Every night of Freshers’ Week I hallucinated people doing pres in my room under my desk while I was sleeping! I would try and kick them out but fortunately I never offered to walk them out.”

4. Having awks encounters with your lecturers

You might feel like a kid in a sweetshop on your first night out, but it’s always worth sussing out who you’re going to be around a lot before you take any new faces home. Lily*, a student at Bristol detailed the encounter she came to regret: “Went to the pub with my flatmates and ended up getting with a guy a little bit older than us, thought I was super cool at the time. Wasn’t funny when I walked into one of my lectures and found out he worked at the uni.”

5. Getting Freshers’ Flu three days in 

You’re not going to listen, even though everyone says the same thing: Freshers’ Flu is no joke. Look after yourselves! Antonia*, a student in London confessed: “Got most of my nutrients from Jägerbombs for three days straight and ended up coughing up blood. Beroccas are your friend!!!”

6. Paying way too much for Freshers’ Week wristbands

@rabbitgoesboom

freshers tickets are not worth any money #freshers #universityseries

♬ original sound – richard

It’s always better to figure out your uni city before you commit to any events. James*, a student at Newcastle, was left disappointed with his Freshers’ Week experience. He said: “Just don’t buy the Freshers’ wristbands, I promise you those club events are absolutely scraping the barrel of uni nightlife. 40 whole pounds later the best nights out were flat parties, hands down.”

7. Fear of missing out

You can’t win, stay in or go out you’ll still likely have some remorses. Might as well make the bad decisions. Issy*, a student who survived her Freshers’ Week regrets in Leeds said: “Controversially, I actually don’t think I went out enough, there was so much to do and see and I mostly saw Wetherspoons.”

8. Getting caught looking suspicious by uni staff

Your antics might get you in trouble for longer than you think, so be careful what state you rock up back at halls in. Emma in Lancaster had an embarrassing encounter with her uni porter, explaining: “One time during Freshers’ I went out clubbing and suddenly locked myself out. Went to the porters (super drunk) to get the spare set of keys and the porter was really suspicious of me, which thought it was super weird asking me questions about my ‘night out activities’.

‘Turns out when I got home I saw that I had dried blood from a nosebleed and he thought I had been doing drugs. I didn’t, I just get nosebleeds in cold weather. It didn’t help that I was so drunk I was stood outside tapping coins in my pocket thinking it was my keys.”

9. Trusting your new flatmate to tattoo your neck

There are some decisions that are kinda irreversible, so maybe don’t let the 19-year-old unqualified artist that you just met make permanent marks on your body. Alice* in Brighton said: “Coz I went to an artsy uni, every man and their dog thought they were budding tattoo artists. I let my new friends give me a tat with what I think might have been ink from a biro.  

“It seemed really cool after I’d sunk half a bottle of cheap vodka, but it was so not worth the trip to A&E when it got infected. Though the antibiotics after a week of heavy nights out really cleared my system.”

Tattoos have got to be up there with the biggest Freshers’ Week regrets.

10. Passing your first STI test

@publichealthwales

Ready for #freshersweek? 💃🕺Dont forget to take care of your health too. Order your free STI testing kit today 🍑🍆 #sexualhealth #stitesting #safesex Yn barod ar gyfer Wthynos y Glas? 💃🕺 Peidwch ag anghofio gofalu am eich iechyd hefyd. Archebwch eich pecyn profi STI am ddim heddiw.

♬ original sound – publichealthwales

We know most degrees work on a pass or fail basis for your first year, but aim to pass just your exams – not every test you take. Sexual health is important kids, as Alex at the University of Cambridge stressed: “Got chlamydia. Enough said.” One of the biggest Freshers’ Week regrets is finishing the week with an extra surprise you didn’t plan for. 

Even though the week is chaotic, you’ll end up with memories (scars) for life. Take your vitamins and buckle up for the ride – but hopefully without any of these Freshers’ Week regrets.

*Names have been changed to protect anonymity.