How to Get to Know Your University during Freshers’ Week

Freshers’ Week is an exciting and busy time for all new students and it can be hard to figure out how to fit everything in. Universities pack Freshers’ Week full of events and activities designed to introduce you to your new home for the next three years and help you make new friends. Some of the bigger universities put on events that make Freshers’ Week more like a festival than just a week of partying.

As well as all the fun stuff like cheap drinks and free pizza there are also events held during Freshers’ Week to ease you into the reason you’re really there – to get your degree.

Campus tours, introductory lectures, and library inductions are all some of the more serious things you should do during Freshers’ Week, so don’t overdo it early on and end up too hungover to find the library.

Your university will let you know which of these events are compulsory – such as enrolment and orientation lectures – but we’d suggest doing all of the more practical things so that you start term knowing that all of the important official stuff is done.

Here are our top tips for getting to know your university during Freshers’ Week:

Do a solo tour of campus

If you attended your university’s open day then you’ve probably already done a campus tour and most universities issue freshers with maps to help them get around during the first few weeks.

Once you have your timetable, it’s a good idea to take a tour of the campus and work out your routes from each lecture to ensure you know where you’re going. Do this a couple of times and you’ll save yourself the stress of getting lost during your first week in class.

Figure out all the places to hang out

Universities have plenty of places you can go during your down time to relax, have a drink, and think about something other than your studies for a while. You definitely don’t just have to stick to the Student Union bar!

Go on the library induction

You might think that this is going to be the most boring time of your life but this is an event you really can’t afford to miss.

Many universities organise course specific inductions so you’ll be shown around by a librarian who specialises in your subject and shown where all of the books and other resources for your course are.

You’ll also usually get your student library card during this induction, so you don’t want to miss it and find yourself trying to get a card during the first week of lectures.

Explore the local area

As well as getting to know your university it’s also important to get to know your university town. Even if you went to your university open day you might not have had time to look around the local area so use any spare time you have during Freshers’ Week to get out and about.

Scout out the nearest/cheapest supermarket, pick up bus and/or train timetables, and make sure you know how to get around and back to university.