A place at your chosen university means your parents have no choice but to let you off your leash and allow you to chase your dreams. For most, freedom never felt so good and the prospect of escaping the nest seems more thrilling than scary. Let\u2019s face it, university is the first place where your parents lose all jurisdiction over how you occupy the days and nights. There\u2019s no one to give you a slap on the wrist when you bunk a lecture, flunk an exam or stay out all night (no one ever has to know). First year is a real learning curve and it\u2019s your chance to still goof around whilst learning to adult (whatever that is). So, let\u2019s have a look at the most common mistakes every Loughborough University freshman makes and maybe I can save some of you from doing the same.<\/p>\n
As a fresher, there is a constant urge to party and knowing that the year doesn\u2019t count, often contributes to your inability to say no. But what you don\u2019t realise is that although this year may be a free pass into second year, it\u2019s still building the foundation for your upcoming years on the course. So, next time you\u2019re pushing your coursework to one side in order to have a boozy night out, think will this inhabit my studies further down the line. There will always be chances to go on nights out but you can only retake so many times before it become a bit of a joke.<\/p>\n
Go hard or go home, they said and as a fresher you often do both hahaha. Alcohol is often the reason why a night out is wild and out of control but not knowing your limits, especially as a newbie at uni, is a real problem for many of us. The general rules of a night out include pre-drinking hard with the intention of feeling buzzed whilst saving money on the night ahead. But temptation often sets in when the drink prices are more than attractive. Before you know it, you\u2019ve had ten jagerbombs, four VK, and three shots and that\u2019s not even including the hard-core drinking you did before you left your halls for the club. Binge drinking makes for a messy evening and many end up slumped in the toilet throwing up the entire contents of their stomach or in the arms of a security guard being roughly escorted off the premises. Although drinking lots to impress your mates is fun at the time, the after effects make you feel like death. Remember, alcohol maybe fun on the way in but is never fun on the way out.<\/p>\n
Everyone makes this dangerous mistake and suffers the repercussions the following morning. You\u2019re often left with no control over your body, vomiting, passed out or even chucked out of the club. Drink responsibly guys!<\/p>\n
A standard situation for any fresher who loves playing drinking games but doesn\u2019t prepare their stomach for the explosion of acid which will enter. In the 2 hours of pre-drinking you go from glamorous to an obscene mess and the only place for you is your bed. My advice, pace yourself and drink water in-between to avoid a massive hangover the next morning because that\u2019s never pretty.<\/p>\n
Fitting in with people you\u2019ve just met can be difficult and often we feel the need to make a show of ourselves to get noticed or to be liked. But realistically, if you overshare about particularly private and potentially embarrassing events in your life, people will only judge you and think of you a certain way before they even get to know you. So be yourself and tell funny stories but don\u2019t tell stuff which you will probably regret in the morning.<\/p>\n
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Being hungover all the time is tiring and leaves you with no energy to work. But ultimately, nights out in the union and in town is where you create the best memories which you\u2019ll reminisce about for years to come. Therefore, you need to find a happy medium where you enjoy nights out on the town but also continue to succeed in your degree. That said, every fresher should go out as much as possible because you learn in second year that there is rarely any time for fun.<\/p>\n
Do whatever floats your boat but be sure not to wake up seriously regretting the events of the night before.<\/p>\n
Alcohol can make everything a bit hazy and what seems naughty when you\u2019re sober is all the more appealing when you\u2019re drunk. It\u2019s ok to make a few mistakes, just don\u2019t make a habit of it.<\/p>\n
With this new wad of cash in your bank account, you feel like you can buy the world. It\u2019s so easy to get carried away and not account for the expenses which really matter, ummm like food. Try to budget what you spend on treats and what you spend on the essentials. I guarantee this will be your saviour.<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t help myself when it comes to packing. I bring stuff which I don\u2019t even use at home, but you never know when you might need it right? WRONG. The worst thing you can do is over pack for uni because half the time there isn\u2019t enough space in your room to fit it all in.\u00a0 I warn you now only bring the clothes, stationery and beauty products you will actually use because trust me a room in halls is like a shoe closet- there will be limited space to even move. So be wise about what you bring.<\/p>\n
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The most daunting thing about uni is the concept of not knowing anyone and no longer having your parents to support you every step of the way. But don\u2019t let the fear hold you back from having fun and mingling.\u00a0 Keep your door open when you\u2019re in your room and encourage other hall members to come in for a chat. A closed door represents a closed person and makes you seem unapproachable. I guarantee they won\u2019t bite, well they shouldn\u2019t haha. So, get out there during fresher\u2019s week and throw yourself into everything on offer, that\u2019s the only way to make lots of friends. Let your hair down and celebrate your success in gaining a place at Loughborough. \u00a0That being said, don\u2019t forget your parents\u2019 existence, after all they\u2019re the reason you\u2019re here. Go and visit occasionally and give them a call every week at least. It will be comforting for them to know you\u2019re doing ok.<\/p>\n
Everything may seem rosy when you move into halls but get back to me 3 months down the line when everyone is getting on your nerves. Living in such close proximity to people you barely know is both daunting and challenging. You learn all their gross habits and are forced to endure them to maintain the peace. You will learn very early on which friendships to cherish and which ones to disown but keep an open mind when you move in. You may be seriously lucky and absolutely love all your flatmates but in many cases, there is always someone that will get your goat. Don\u2019t say I didn\u2019t warn you\u2026<\/p>\n
Let me tell you a lot can change in the space of a year and although you may thing you\u2019ve met your match, friendships at uni can crash and burn in the space of a day. Focus on settling in before you think about where you\u2019re going to live next year because you might absolutely hate your friends by the end of the week. You\u2019ll always be making new friends so keep your options open for as long as possible. Remember you\u2019ll be living with these people day in day out and you need to know that you can trust them. This isn\u2019t a decision to make lightly so wait till January to make any final decisions. There\u2019s no rush, Loughborough won\u2019t run out of house and you won\u2019t be homeless, so chill out!<\/p>\n
Mummy may have done this at home but at uni it\u2019s a different ballgame. You\u2019re responsible for keeping your possession in the right place and being clean. Leaving dirty dishes in the sink for days, not washing your clothes or your bed sheets will create an unpleasant smell which no one wants. It\u2019s important to remember that you\u2019re not the only one forced to live in your own filth so grow up and clean up!<\/p>\n
It\u2019s so easy to get caught up in the moment and forget to take photographs of your nights out in the union or in town. Stop the photographer and ask him to take a few group pics even if you are feeling a bit too tipsy to give your best smile. Always take time to step back and find a way of remembering a day which you won\u2019t ever want to forget!<\/p>\n
All these boozy nights out aren\u2019t good for your liver, let alone your immune system. Make sure to stock up on vitamins to prevent all those nasty infections from catching you when you\u2019re down. Also, sign up to the medical centre on campus, so when you do get really sick there is someone on hand to help!<\/p>\n
First year feels like it\u2019s just one big party but when at Loughborough University it\u2019s important to take advantage of everything on offer because this experience doesn\u2019t last forever. You can throw yourself in the deep end by simply signing up to a society which takes your fancy or you can dip your toe in the water by getting involved in Give it a Go week. There are endless, fulfilling opportunities, don\u2019t miss out!<\/p>\n
Free time in first year seems like the perfect opportunity to binge watch Netflix but really you should be using this time to study and to develop your hobbies. But don\u2019t get too carried away and take on too much because although you simply need to pass first year, the information you are learning will still be integral to the following years of your degree.<\/p>\n
Being away from home and fending for yourself means deciding every night what you want to eat for dinner and with deals like Dominos \u2018Two for Tuesday\u2019 cooking seems unnecessary. It\u2019s sad to say that for most of us, healthy habits go out the window, fresh meals become a thing of the past and alcohol turns into our new best friend.<\/p>\n
This is the ultimate mistake which every fresher makes at some point and will probably still make in second and third year! The process of giving yourself enough time to meet a deadline is something which we all have to learn on our own as we juggle all our other responsibilities. \u00a0If im honest, once you feel the horrific stress of having to complete work so close to a deadline, you\u2019ll never want to do it again. But you probably will LOL\u2026<\/p>\n