Moving to university can be quite daunting for some people. You may have heard some interesting stories from friends or family, or maybe even seen a TikTok hyping up ‘Freshers Week’, but we’re here to bust the myths and give you some helpful information to help you prepare for Welcome Week.
1. “Freshers Week is just for new students coming to university”
To help dispel this myth, we have rebranded our ‘Freshers Week’ to ‘Welcome Week’ to really emphasise that this first week at Exeter is an opportunity for all students to get involved - whether you’re new to Exeter or returning to campus, and whatever year of study you are going in to.
2. “You’ll meet your best friends in Welcome Week”
For some people, this may be true. Sometimes you click with people straight away, but for others it doesn’t happen so quickly...and that’s ok! It can be quite overwhelming when people tell you that you will have the time of your life in ‘Freshers Week’.
Whilst we want to make sure you settle into uni life in the best possible way for you, we also want to reassure you that you will have plenty of opportunities to meet new people, make friends, and feel welcomed here at Exeter. That's why our Welcome period will last until week 6 of term 1 so there will be lots of opportunities to get involved whenever you feel ready to do so.
Here’s our top recommendations for meeting new people in Welcome Week:
- Global Exeter Community Mixer
- Active Societies Sports Day
- Arts and Crafts in the Terrace
- Big Night In
3. “Freshers’ is just about going to the club and drinking lots of alcohol”
Not at all! ‘Freshers’ Week’ has gained quite a reputation of solely being a boozy week of club nights. Whilst some students may choose to spend their first week at uni partying, here at your Students’ Guild we’ve arranged a whole variety of events and activities planned to help you settle into uni life in a way that suits you – there really is something for everyone!
- Want to get involved with a society? Check out our Welcome Hub to find out more about our themed days and which societies are attending
- Want to find more people on your course? Come along to our academic-focused days on Streatham (Tuesday) and St Luke’s (Thursday) to meet your course-based societies and find out how your Students’ Guild can positively impact your academic experience.
- Want to explore Exeter? Join us on one of our Give it a Go trips to check out your local surroundings here in Devon
4. “You will catch ‘Freshers Flu’”
During Welcome Week, you will likely mingle with lots of new people coming from many different parts of the UK, Europe and the rest of the world.
Our top tips for looking after yourself:
- Sign up to local GP here in Exeter (just in case you need to see a doctor)
- Drink lots of water
- Regularly wash your hands or use hand sanitiser
- Make sure you’re getting enough rest
- Eat healthy foods – fruit and veg gives you those all-important vitamins
5. “You need to pick your 2nd year house mates by the end of Welcome Week”
You’ve only just moved to Exeter and you’re already being bombarded with messaging about securing your 2nd year house and knowing who you want to live with. It’s a lot! Whilst it’s not a mandatory thing to get your accommodation sorted right away after Welcome Week, it’s always good to start the process of thinking about where you may want to live and who you would like to live with.
Worried that you don’t have anyone to live with? Fear not, because you can:
- Wait until later in the year when people post about a spare room available in a house
- Choose to move into a studio flat
- Give yourself time to meet new people and find others that you can see yourself living with
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If you have any other questions that you need answers to, send us a DM on Instagram!