Your first year in Notts as told by Taylor Swift lyrics

Unlike us, Taylor Swift hasn’t been sleeping in until 1pm. With the release of two albums during the pandemic, plus the recent the re-recording of Red, she sure has been busy.

Taylor is a lyrical genius that often takes inspiration from her personal life to create her famous songs – we see you Jake Gyllenhaal.

Though none of us are dating Harry Styles or living our best lives on Rhode Island, Taylor still has a lyric for every important experience you’ll have during first year – a year we will remember ‘All Too Well’.

So here is your first year at uni as explained by Taylor Swift lyrics.

‘I stay out too late, got nothing in my brain’

Your parents have just dropped you off at uni, your family are so proud. But the first few weeks are less about learning and more about drinking. Being hammered five nights a week? Easy work for a fresher.

‘We cry tears of mascara in the bathroom’

Making new besties in the club bathroom is a classic. You’ll shout words of very questionable advice to dump their boyfriends. You’ll swear to find each other again, but you never do.

‘They say I did something bad’

First year is all about learning your limits aka, waking up to a snapchat video of you being carried out by the bouncers that you can’t even remember.

‘It’s 2:00am and I’m cursing your name’

The best part of the night out is coming home at 3am, but some flat mates just don’t appreciate the post-club chat in the kitchen. To be fair, they will actually make their 9am the next day. Keep up.

‘I might be okay, but I’m not fine at all’

Freshers flu is no joke. Your days are spent suffering in bed, Lemsip being your only source of hydration, that is until the evening. You were too ill to possibly go to any lectures today but you’re never too ill for Ocean.

‘I thought that it would kill me, but it didn’t’

It’s your first seminar, you haven’t done any of the prep, and the tutor asks you a question. It’s mortifying and awful but, you’re okay, and you have to do it all over again next week.

‘Busy streets and busy lives, and all we know, is touch and go’

You completed the trials, you go onto the sports team, and had a blast at initiation. But now its training every Wednesday afternoon, and if you’re unlucky, sometimes before your 9ams. At least the weekly Crisis tickets make it worth it, right?

‘Our group of friends, don’t think we’ll say that word again’

Fresher’s week is hectic. You’ll meet so many new people in the space of a few days, and swear you’ll all be besties forever. The reality is, a month later you’ll be avoiding eye contact in lectures. By third year, you’ll see them make a new post and suddenly remember that they exist.

‘Drinking beer out of plastic cups’

Every fresher remembers the Ikea trip of dreams, getting a matching set of six glasses, an array of colour-coded plates and mugs. But come November, you’ve smashed every glass you own and are currently using the free plastic cup you scored from the Fresher’s Fair.

‘The bravest thing I ever did was run’

Actually making it to brunch halls on a Saturday morning, probably the biggest achievement of the year.

‘Barefoot in the wildest winter’

Would it really be the uni experience without the infamous fire alarms? Walking down the grubby stairs and standing outside in the freezing cold on a Saturday morning at 7am in nothing but socks and a dressing gown. At least you weren’t in the shower.

‘I know places we won’t be found’

Going back to a hall that’s not yours, and turning off snapmaps before anyone of your friends realise who you left the club with. But you still spill all in the morning anyway.

‘In these trying times, we’re not trying’

The words ‘group project’ will install fear into any uni student, and as a fresher you’ll painfully learn that at least one person will not pull their weight.

‘Tonight’s the night we forget about the deadlines’

You promised yourself that tonight you would stay in and finally get started on that coursework. Your mates convince you to come to pres, and next thing you know you’re stood in the Maccies queue at 4am.

‘I forgot that you existed’

Remember that summative assessment? Nope, and it’s 2pm the day before it’s due. Pull an all-nighter and you’ll be fine – first year doesn’t count… right?

‘We can leave the Christmas lights up till January’

Forcing your flat mates to get into the Christmas spirit by raiding the seasonal section at Poundland and being very proud of your interior design. Then coming back in January and realising its all still there.

‘All I knew this morning when I woke up, is I know something now, know something now I didn’t before.’

Exam season finally hits, and all of that cramming in George Green has finally paid off.

‘This is, surely not what you thought it would be’

You thought that uni would be difficult because of the workload. But no, its fighting over the bin rota once again.

‘Coffee at midnight’

You soon realise that uni has a time zone of its own. In the library at 9pm? Sleeping in until 3pm? Anything goes here. This usually results in a caffeine addiction.

‘Saying goodbye is death by a thousand cuts’

A hectic first year finally draws to a close. You’ve made friends, become independent and hopefully learnt something too. Now you’re packing up all your things once more and looking forward to doing it all again next year.

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