Given last years poor performance in freshers week at universities across the country, in that there wasn’t one, many of us are clinging to the hope that things can commence as normal this coming September. That being said, because we didn’t get the opportunity last year, we need to dust up on our rusty conversation staters more than ever this time around and prepare to take on new beginnings in the best mindsets. Whether it be your first or last freshers, we’re going to go through just a few ways you can make the most out of it in London, so let’s not waste any more time!
Clubs
If you utter the word ‘freshers’ to any prospective, particularly undergraduate, student, then the majority of the time, their mind will wander to all the clubs and parties they’ll be attending, and in London there is a lot to attend! Not only have you got the most popular ones amongst students, such as Freshers House Party at Lightbox, Ice-Breaker at Electric Brixton, and Freshers Zoo at Fabric, but Milkshake at Ministry of Sound has introduced a new way to party. And party hard we will.
Incoming: access passes. Milkshake offers a lanyard of passes that allow you to attend the hottest student events all around London during the freshers period. Choose between a 7, 14, or 20-day pass, and you can pick where to attend on which night, giving you the freedom to spread out your raving festivities across whichever amount of time you want, explore the top student clubs in London, and pick your favourites all whilst meeting more freshers just like yourself (and whilst saving some of that ever-important student loan). Now that’s one way to make sure your freshers definitely doesn’t go to waste!
Events
Another way to make the most out of freshers is by staying up to date with events happening around London, and they are many more ways to do this than you think. One great way is by exploring what your university has to offer, and freshers fair is the perfect place to meet people, join clubs and societies, and also get many freebies along the way. Here, you can keep an eye out on which events your university is running for new students whilst also learning how to navigate your way around new faces.
Additionally, it can be a good idea to also check your university’s student union, as they normally host a bunch of events tailored to your campuses; this way, you can meet students who are a similar age to you and experiencing the exact same nerves, who might eventually become your best friend. Another great event that’s hosted in London (normally quite frequently, if it wasn’t for this meddling pandemic) is the Camden pub crawl.
The name itself is quite self-explanatory, but this way you get to know the area and meet new students, whilst also gaining free entry to five bars and five free shots throughout the night. Not only are there drink deals along the entire crawl, but also photographers accompanying you, so just in case you don’t quite remember the night and will be crawling all the way into bed, there’ll be proof of it all!
Travel
Now, travelling through London, especially if you’re a newbie to the city, can definitely be the bane of many people’s existence, but that doesn’t mean it has to be necessarily yours. To make the most out of freshers, Citymapper is going to be your best friend because not only does it compare travel options in real-time for you, but it also lets you plan your routes well in advance. Anything from buses and tubes to trains and riverboats, this app will help you get used to travelling the capital, making freshers just that bit easier for you.
Not only does travelling around London takes some time to get used to, it can quite quickly add up, especially if you’re paying contactless. A great tip is that if you’re a student, you can get 30% off travel with an Oyster Card, which ultimately makes all the trips to campus and clubs even cheaper, meaning there’s more money you can spend elsewhere! And don’t fret, I haven’t forgotten about all you ravers out there – the night tube is also available on Fridays and Saturdays for the Victoria, Central, Jubilee, Northern, and Piccadilly lines, meaning you never need to go home early over the weekend, and can truly make the most out of your freshers.
Student Union
Every university has a student union, most of which are responsible for holding events and listening to vital student voices; they also host a variety of societies that you can join to make the most out of your freshers. This is a great option if you don’t quite feel like partying your way every night into the 9 am lectures because drinking isn’t for all of us.
So, by joining the student union, you can become an integral part of representing your university in a number of different ways and meeting like-minded people just like yourself. This is slightly different to the freshers fair because you can actually put your own ideas forward and have them heard on a national level. If you do fancy some time off, however, to still enjoy your freshers in the university space but in a slightly different way, then each institute has a campus with a student bar that you can check out, whether that be to get to know people better or have a little boogie to some cheesy tunes.
Be brave
London is a large city, there’s no doubt about it, and you’ve probably heard me mention that plenty of times before. I understand how you can begin to feel lost in the capital, especially if your personality is more on the introverted side. But making the leap to move to such a city is one of the reasons why you might not know what you’re capable of just yet!
Having the potential and willpower to steer away from home and comfort is a huge step in itself into beginning a new life here, and that is just the start to making the most out of your freshers. You’re surrounded by millions of people each day, and so just by striking up a conversation with them can ensure that you have the best time that you can when moving to university. This could be getting to know people in your accommodation, attending introductory events on campus, and joining freshers group chats because from then on you’re meeting people who are in the exact same position as you, and you never know what could come from it. You won’t know what you’re capable of until you take the first step.
By jotting down just a few of these ideas, we can guarantee that you can make the most out of freshers in London because ultimately it’s up to you how you decide to spend it. If you don’t fancy drinking and would prefer to join a plethora of societies, don’t feel pressured to do otherwise, and if you want to spend each night on the dance floor, then don’t feel pressured to do otherwise either. The top-secret to having the best freshers is by making it your own.
