What I wish I’d known as a Fresher

First, congratulations on getting to university.

University is a fantastic opportunity, and for most students will be the first time they’ve lived independently. That freedom can be liberating for some, and scary for others, but the city is your oyster. As a fourth-year student, these are some of the things I wish I’d known as a first-year:

Go at your own pace
In my first-year flat, there was a real mix of people. Some wanted to go to absolutely everything freshers’ week had to offer and more, whilst others (myself included) only wanted to go to a few events and spend the rest of the time exploring Bristol. Remember, fresher’s week isn’t just about drinking – there’s so much more going on. But this is your experience, so do whatever makes you happy, go at your own pace and look after yourself.

Know where your support is
Uni is a huge change. A new place, new people, new routines, new learning – a whole lot of new. This can be a lot to take on at once, so be sure to know where your student support is, whether it be inside out outside your university. This could be for physical/mental health, financial advice, study support and so on. You need to be well before you can do well.

Give things a go
Going to uni is the perfect opportunity to try new things. Whether it’s food, sport, a society, a hobby or anything in between – now’s the time to just give it a go. Bristol is an amazing city full of different cultures and nationalities, so if you want to travel the world (in terms of food anyway), Bristol is perfect. I’d never tried Thai food before uni, and I was missing out big-time.

For sports, societies and hobbies, the Freshers’ Fair is the perfect place to find something new, or to carry on your favourite activity at uni. With athletics, motorsports, yoga, a capella, meditation and wine and cheese being a small few, there’s something for everyone.

Give things a go
Going to uni is the perfect opportunity to try new things. Whether it’s food, sport, a society, a hobby or anything in between – now’s the time to just give it a go. Bristol is an amazing city full of different cultures and nationalities, so if you want to travel the world (in terms of food anyway), Bristol is perfect. I’d never tried Thai food before uni, and I was missing out big-time.

For sports, societies and hobbies, the Freshers’ Fair is the perfect place to find something new, or to carry on your favourite activity at uni. With athletics, motorsports, yoga, a capella, meditation and wine and cheese being a small few, there’s something for everyone.

Ask
The amount of times my course mates and I have attended lectures asking each other “do you get this?” before walking out confused is laughable. Not only is this bad at the time, but it’s even worse when you’re trying to revise. Lecturers are always happy to take the time to help you, so don’t be afraid to ask for it.

Get the most out of lectures
You’ll soon get to know your lecturers’ style of teaching. Some put everything on the PowerPoint slides, whilst others have very minimalistic slides and will tell you more. So, my tip is to make notes on what isn’t on the slides. Lecture slides will be on Blackboard, but what your lecturer says is usually building on a point written on a slide, so that’s the important stuff. Other tips for getting through lectures include asking the lecturer if you can record it for further note-making and getting up for those 9ams.

Enjoy yourself
The most important thing I could tell any first-year is to have some fun, relax and enjoy the learning. You’re allowed to make mistakes – it can all go a bit wrong, but that’s okay, because your friends, family, course mates, lecturers and uni are all there to support you.