Everything you must do during your first week at UEA

So, you’ve just moved to a brand new city where you know absolutely no one and you realise this is probably the biggest thing you’ve ever done in your entire life up to now. You’re excited, but also scared, and you probably have no idea what to do and where to begin.

So before you spend the whole week in your room crying to your mum on FaceTime about how overwhelmed you are and how much you miss a home cooked meal, we’ve compiled a bucket list of some of the most quintessentially UEA things that you could possibly do on campus in order to aid your first week experience and to help you prioritise what is actually important to being a student at UEA. You’re welcome.

Make sure to get yourself your first snakebite at the SU bar

The best thing to do when you first arrive at UEA is go to the red bar and order a snakebite. And another. And another. And another. And another. Trust me when I tell you that you’ll never forget your first night as a fresher. Or you won’t remember it at all. 

you too, could look like this

Go to the Freshers’ Fair

Go to the Freshers’ Fair as early as possible and stay there for as long as you can. If you play your cards right you should leave it with enough freebies to fill a small house. Freshers’ Fair, Societies’ Fair, Sports’ Fair, you want to be there prepared with an empty bag and unrelenting enthusiasm. 

Visit the lake

The lake is one of the best things about UEA, and it’s imperative that you go for a walk around it with your flatmates at least once before you get to know them properly and realise you hate them.

half of them aren’t even friends anymore

Instagram said lake

While you’re on your walk with your flatmates you’ll come to a gap in the trees that’ll suddenly present to you the most perfect Instagram that’ll make all your home friends green with envy. Then you’ll realise that literally everyone else has posted the exact same photo. 

I’m pretty sure every UEA student has a different variation of this photo

The 5Ls

Speaking of the lake, why don’t you start first year with a bang (lol) and try to achieve the greatest honour UEA provides by sleeping with someone (or a different person each time you cheeky devil) at the lake, the laundrette, a lecture theatre, the LCR and the library.

Sign up to as many societies as you can

You’ll wander around the societies’ and sports’ fairs, getting excited about all the sport and activities you’ll do this year. You’ll optimistically hand over your three pounds along with your email address, and leave filled with naive happiness for your future. We all know that you’ll end up not going to a single meeting (apart from the Tab meet-and-greet of course).

Experience the LCR

The best part of your whole first year experience is undoubtedly experiencing your first LCR night out. The sticky floors, the VKs and snakebites (did I mention how great snakebites are?), the smoking area cage, blue bar, the horror when the lights come back up and then everyone yikyakking about it the next morning.

what a stunning (and sticky) place

(You should also probably try to attend some lectures and that kind of thing too.)