The guide on what not to do during Freshers’ Week

Freshers week. The moment you have all been waiting for. After months of anticipation, endless packing lists and hearing your parents repeatedly ask whether you’re ‘excited for uni yet’, it’s finally here.

You’re officially a fresher; with that comes the inevitable chaos of meeting approximately 700 new people, spending money you don’t have, and making decisions you’ll later describe as ‘character building’. So, here’s what not to do.

Don’t try to become best friends with your flatmates within the first 24 hours.

You’ve known these people for approximately six hours. You don’t need to have already established a 12-person group chat, matching Halloween costumes, a weekly Sunday roast and a holiday abroad together.

Obviously, make an effort. Say hello to everybody, suggest doing things together and don’t hide in your room the first week. But don’t panic if you don’t immediately find your best friends in the kitchen. You have an entire degree to meet people, and you will be making new friends up until you graduate.

Your first-week circle rarely looks like your actual friends by November, so I’d advise you not to rush into signing a Redland tenancy agreement with people you met four days ago at the pub x

Don’t try and go out every single night (you’re not invincible)

Freshers FOMO is real. There will always be a voice telling you ‘Everyone’s going to this tonight’, and suddenly you’re questioning whether staying in bed with a takeaway and Netflix means your uni social life is already over.

It doesn’t. You are allowed to miss things. I would always encourage you to say yes if you feel up to it, but Freshers is a week, not an endurance challenge, and sometimes you might find you can enjoy things more if you allow yourself time to rest. Trust me, that regretful night in Daisies is not worth a week at home with pneumonia (I will tell you that for free).

The best nights you’ll have at uni certainly won’t be during Freshers’ Week, so don’t panic if you miss a couple as you’ve got three years of partying ahead of you.

Don’t skip the Freshers’ Fair (and don’t be scared to go solo)

Go to the Freshers’ Fair and try new societies. Being in a society at university is genuinely so much fun, so I urge you to branch out during those first few weeks – even if it’s something completely out of your comfort zone.

Freshers’ is the one time in your life when it is a hundred per cent socially acceptable to turn up to things completely alone, and talk to total strangers, so lean into it! Remember that you are wanted. And don’t let a lack of wingman stop you from signing up for societies even if it scares you.

Most Read

I was Peter Pan at Disney World, and my stalker’s ‘disturbing’ questions were only half of it

The male reality TV stars whose nudes were leaked, and the Love Islander who now does gay p*rn

‘I lost half of my soul’: Hayden Panettiere shared heartbreak after brother died in 2023 aged 28

I found myself hurtling down Edinburgh Dry Slope in November of my first year in competition with people who had skied their whole life. And despite my catastrophic face plant further up the course than I’d have liked, I’ve never regretted signing up for ski.

Don’t invite your girlfriend/boyfriend/best mate/(mum!) down to visit in your first week.

You might miss them horribly, but this is your chance to make new friends. Don’t be that person announcing to the flat that their boyfriend is coming down from Edinburgh for the weekend (they might seem happy for you, but I promise they’re cringing inside).

Equally, don’t latch onto somebody you never really liked at school just because they’re a familiar face. You’re trying to meet new people, so don’t neglect your flat for what might feel easier at the time – give it a chance, as you’re living with them for a year!

Don’t stress too much about your degree (don’t forget about it either)

Screenshot

You don’t want to be the first year in the ASS at 10 pm, crying over a 750-word essay that’s worth fifty per cent of a module that doesn’t actually count towards your degree.

I definitely don’t think you should neglect your course, because that will inevitably cause you more stress in the long term (it’s also quite expensive). But on the other hand, if you hand in an assignment that you aren’t overly pleased with, or get a 2:2 in an essay you thought you’d aced, don’t dwell on it.

You are navigating a new life in a new city with new friends. Don’t worry yourself too much over academic approval – you have plenty of time for that (trust me). Just focus on adjusting to your new routines and enjoy the beginning of your university journey!

Don’t fall for the propaganda. Your Freshers’ experience will probably not be perfect.

Don’t go into Freshers’ expecting it to look like one of the TikTok montages that came up on your For You page earlier this week. It probably won’t live up to expectations, and that’s okay.

Funnily enough, it is actually quite strange to go from a summer filled with family and friends to non-stop nights out with people you don’t really know. It can feel pretty lonely at times, and you will be sharing that feeling with everybody around you. Even the self-proclaimed party animals who seem to be absolutely thriving are probably having moments where they’re thinking, ‘God, this is a lot’.

What I’m trying to say, as a girl feeling rather sad to be entering her third and final year at Bristol, is that it definitely gets better than Freshers. So if you happen to have the best week ever, or one you’d rather forget, you’ve got plenty to look forward to – so don’t stress!