Freshers week, also known as “Welcome Week”, sees thousands of students descend upon a new city as they move to university for the first time. Every university hosts a huge range of society meetups, freshers fairs, bar crawls and student club nights during freshers – giving everyone the chance to join university groups and meet new people.

At first, freshers week may seem quite daunting, especially if you’re moving away from your friends and family. You’re not quite sure what to expect and may find it difficult getting out of your comfort zone. You’re not alone! However, we’re here to assure you that many students regard it as one of the best experiences of their lives.

If you’re staying with a university affiliated accommodation, there will be a ton of other ‘freshers’ within close proximity. Do take some time to unpack early, knock on a few doors to introduce yourself to your neighbours & flat-mates. You never know, they may end up being your ‘pre-drinks partners’ for the entire year! You can also expect to meet fellow first-years whilst attending several freshers events and socials, held at the town’s most popular bars and nightclubs. You can find a list of events in the ‘Freshers Tickets’ section above.

The term ‘freshers’ is used to describe students in their first year of university. Most freshers live in shared accommodation from September to June. The beauty of this is that it brings you together with like-minded people and helps you settle quickly in your new city.

It will be a fairly busy week for students, filled with a mix of social events, fairs and a few important administrative tasks to complete. The opportunity to familiarise yourself with the university campus and make new friends without the pressures of lectures and deadlines is too good to miss.

This depends on where you’re studying. Most universities will host freshers in September, but some kick off their welcome week in October. You can find a full list of freshers dates on our University city pages here.

If you’re planning on attending multiple freshers events during freshers week, you may benefit from purchasing a Freshers Wristband. It essentially provides you access to all the associated freshers events and saves you money (rather than buying a ticket for each event separately – which can get pretty costly!) Once you purchase one, you’ll be able to collect your wristband on arrival – collection details will be provided via e-mail. You can find wristband/event details in the ‘Freshers Tickets’.

Freshers is one of the craziest, most action-packed weeks you’ll ever have. Whilst the adrenaline will carry you most of the way… you may eventually begin to feel under the weather. To keep the dreaded freshers flu at bay – drink plenty of water, eat your five-a-day and make sure you register with a local doctor.

At Your Freshers Guide, we understand the process of moving your entire life and belongings to a different city can be quite time-consuming and stressful. So, we’ve prepared an online ‘freshers checklist’ for you, to make packing that much easier!

While there may be a number of welcome talks and taster sessions scheduled, the most important task all students must complete is registration & enrolment. This is usually split into two parts – online registration, which can be completed from home before you move, and collection of your ID card from campus. Don’t worry, you’ll be sent all the relevant documents in advance by your university.

It’s also a good idea to register with your local GP as soon as possible. It’s likely you’ll encounter ‘fresher’s flu’ – the sickness and tiredness some students experience as a result of a lack of sleep, poor diet and a dramatic change in routine.

In addition to this, make time to familiarise yourself with the campus and accommodation while you’re free from the responsibility of lectures – wise up on where your library, lecture buildings and students’ union are, as well as your local food shops, mall and launderette (if your accommodation doesn’t provide washing facilities).