What you think Welcome Week will be like VS the reality at Birmingham University

Tertiary education is often sold to us as the best years of our lives. Between TikTok vlogs, coming-of-age films and enthusiastic university marketing, it’s easy to arrive at university expecting Welcome Week to be one long montage of new friends, exciting events and life-changing experiences.

The reality? It’s usually a lot messier, and that’s perfectly normal.

So before you compare your experience to that person posting a highlight reel on Instagram, here’s a reality check on what Welcome Week at Birmingham Uni is actually like. 

Expectation: I’ll find my best friends on day one. Reality: Most friendships take time

You might click instantly with some of your flatmates, course-mates or people you meet at events. Equally, you might not. Many students don’t find their core friendship group until weeks or even months into term. Welcome Week is often just the beginning of those connections.

Expectation: I’ll attend every event. Reality: You’ll probably miss a number of them

With society fairs, campus tours, welcome talks and social events filling the calendar, Welcome Week can feel overwhelming. The good news is that nobody expects you to do everything. In fact, most students quickly realise they need a break after a few days of constant activity.

Expectation: Everyone else knows what they’re doing. Reality: Everyone is just winging it

via Unsplash

Even the students who look confident are usually battling the same worries: Will I make friends? Am I on the right course? Do I belong here? Chances are, the person sitting next to you is just as nervous as you are.

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Expectation: I’ll know my way around campus immediately. Reality: You will get lost. A lot of times

Campus Map via My UoB App

Fun fact: Birmingham Uni has one of the largest unified campuses in England. From wandering into the wrong lecture theatre to taking a 20 minute detour because you can’t find the right building, getting lost on campus is practically a Birmingham Uni rite of passage.

Expectation: Welcome Week will define my entire university experience. Reality: It’s only the first chapter

The pressure to have the “perfect” Welcome Week can make students feel like they’re already falling behind. But university life isn’t decided in seven days. Friendships evolve, opportunities appear unexpectedly, and some of the best experiences happen long after the welcome activities have ended.

There is no correct way to experience Welcome Week. Some students will try to attend every single event on the schedule, while others will spend most of the week unpacking and settling into their new surroundings. A few others will also miss Welcome Week entirely.

So if your Welcome Week doesn’t look like the one you imagined, don’t panic. University isn’t a race, and there’s no prize for having everything figured out by the end of your first week. The reality is that most students are experiencing the same uncertainty, even if they don’t show it.

And honestly? That’s all part of the experience.

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