All the advice you need for visiting your home friends at uni

The summer before first year is filled with goodbyes to your home friends that feel like they are forever farewells. However, it wont be long before the group chats start pinging with messages containing plans for you to visit each other. Though this is an initially exciting prospect, as the time gets closer to board your train, doubts can set in about how successful your trip will be.

So here are some top tips to visiting and hosting your friend’s from home at uni:

Be prepared that your friends may have changed

We’re always told that university is a time to reinvent ourselves, and some people take this incredibly literally. Some friends go down to London and come back up north with gentrified accents, just as friends heading above the midlands (wherever that may be) to a city like Liverpool, Manchester or Newcastle might pick up a certain Northern twang. Don’t bring this up to them, they’ve either not noticed or are trying really hard to fit in with their new pals.

They might have suddenly become 'cool'

cool ?

Maybe your friend has picked up a smoking habit or can now only been seen wearing berets, glitter, and 'wavey garms'.

It's a phase they'll probably get over it.

You're going to be hounded with stories

Though you may not recognise their newfound personality, they are ultimately the same person you used to know. They might tell you stories of their more recent adventures and mishaps, and you might not get the hilarity, and "you had to be there" springs their lips. However, you’ve known them longer and you’ve got the stories to prove it. Tell their new flat mates about the time they fell over rapping Kanye West at a festival or when they were sick after jumping about on a trampoline after a few too many glasses of wine – you’ve been unsuccessful if your host doesn’t slightly regret inviting you…

Your night out could be far more expensive than you're used to in The Toon

A night out at Ministry of Sound may be cool, but give me Basement drinks prices any time

If you're fortunate to have friends living up North, like Newcastle, you are about to save a whole load of money. However, you may be unlucky to have friends who foolishly accepted a place in London – prepare for pricey pints and extortionate entry. With the cheapest pints in the UK costing almost £3 less than pints in London, perhaps think about being strategic of who ends up visiting who for your cheapest night. If you're deciding to visit anywhere below Birmingham think again, suddenly Exeter doesn't sound too appealing.

And just a few tips if you're planning on hosting!

Don’t bombard your guest with all of your new university friends at once

this was about as awkward as it looks …

Though it may seem like a great idea to have all of your flat mates in once place to make introductions easier, this can be insanely awkward for your home friend who will probably be terrified and mumble their way through the next few days, not remembering any of their names.

Let them meet a few flat mates and then have a bigger group around later once your friend has had chance to familiarise themselves with their surroundings.

Actually have somewhere for them to sleep

Three to a six block sofa bed with one pillow, great planning

Whilst inviting five of your mates from home up all at the same time can lead to a lot less awkwardness and far more fun, there is the logistical issue of finding a bed for all of them. When living in a house after first year this becomes less of an issue, but if your accommodation does not have double beds or a reasonable living room where they could all pile on sofas together, think about staggering their visits.

Ultimately, whether your hosting or visiting, seeing your friends after your time apart is always a rad time – just keep in mind you might be paying more than just your train ticket!