10 things every Cardiff student absolutely needs to know to survive Freshers’ Week

The open day tour guide let these slip!

7 months ago

One thing that all us students have in common? We were all once silly freshers, unless your bloodstream was born pure VK. Stop the TikTok scrolling for Cardiff Freshers’ advice, all the info you could need is right here.

Freshers’ can be full on, but with this guide it’s nothing you can’t hack.

1. The SU will become a second home

From Yolo Wednesday’s to Juice Saturdays, a night out at the SU can’t be topped.

Top tip for Juice Saturday, spirits and juices make a very cheap drink! A vodka cranberry never goes amiss.

Not only are club nights a ten out of ten, but The Taf pub is also a great shout. Especially on Fridays, where drinks are 50 per cent off from 4pm, every single Friday.

The SU is also a hub for so many societies and makes a great study space too, so there really is nothing not to love.

2. Flat parties are a must

Wherever you hear music, you go.

Flat parties are a great way to meet new people, and the likelihood of you all heading to the same night out is very high. It’s an ideal chance for flats to merge, quite literally the more the merrier. You’ll reminisce on those sweaty nights in a crammed Taly Kitchen for a pres.

3. Freshers’ wristbands

Very simply not worth the stress or the money.

Embrace the spontaneity of Freshers’ Week as opposed to where your wristband ties you down to.

The only ticket worth worrying about is when Yolo nights at the SU are ticketed, tickets quickly become gold dust.

4. Societies

Get involved !If there’s one takeaway from this guide, it would be join a society.

A chance to meet people with similar interests, no matter how niche there really is something for everyone.

A society can open your eyes to new places around Cardiff you may have missed.

And top tip, if you need an outfit for a Wednesday night social the joke shop lady opposite Cardiff Castle is your gal. She has an outfit for every single occasion possible.

5. Freshers’ Fair

All the information you could need for societies, uni life and external opportunities all in one place. Get yourself to The Great Hall before Thursday and soak up all of the amazing opportunities that the uni has to offer!

Definitely an occasion that you silly freshers can’t miss out on, even if it’s just for the free Dominoes handed out!

6. Blowing the student loan

As exciting as it is to see the student loan enter your bank account, please remember an overdraft doesn’t equate to “free money”.

Apple Pay is a dangerous game, before you know it you’re blindly tapping away for 4 Orange VK’s throughout the night.

7. Get out there

Just because your halls is in one part of Cardiff, don’t feel like you’re stuck in one area of the city. Take the time to explore Cardiff before those rainy Welsh days beat you to it.

Cardiff’s Bute park is certainly beaut and well worth exploring. You can access it from most areas whether that’s Taly or Cardiff town Centre.

Additionally the train from Cardiff Queen Street to Cardiff Bay is a great trip. Whether you want to see a nice sunset, grab some drinks or have a bit of a day trip the Bay is the place. Also a great spoons for sticking to that student budget.

8. Freshers’ blues

It’s easy to compare your Freshers experience with others. Despite what crazy antics you see on social media or feral fresher stories your new and old friends are telling you, not everyone is having the time of their life.

Remember it’s normal to feel homesick, it may be the first time you’ve been away from home. Alternatively you just may miss the comforts of having a home-cooked meal for you. So don’t hesitate to call home, it doesn’t make you any less independent from home life. Whether it’s for a catch-up or some washing tips after you’ve shrunk clothes in circuit laundry, it’s all ok.

9. Don’t put pressure on yourself

Uni friendships can change as time goes on. Just because you’re in a flat together, doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be best friends. Same goes for your love life-if you have not met your uni husband or wife in the first week, you have not failed.

Flats are assigned randomly by a computer, not personality traits, so don’t force something that doesn’t feel right. Alternatively embrace the friendships that do! Just try to avoid any flatcest.

You will meet so many people throughout your first year, so don’t stress yourself out, it all works out how it’s supposed to.

10. Work-life balance

The beauty of first year is that it’s all about finding your feet. One of the most important things to remember is that with most courses the first year doesn’t count towards your final classification. Just focus on passing, anything else is a bonus!

It’s all about learning that balance between ‘uni’ and ‘university’, so think twice before you sack off a Wednesday night for a Thursday 9am. Remember you’re only a fresher once (providing you pass of course.)

Saying that, a course friend or seminar buddy is always a good idea. It’s helpful to share out the academic and admin stuff that initially a fresher feels clueless about, totally normal.