Freshers Week is Over, What Happens Now?

Hi everyone! My name is Ava and I'm the secretary of EmpowHER this year. We're starting a blog that not only committee members, but all members, are welcome and encouraged to contribute to. As we've just ended Freshers Week and are now starting our classes, I wanted to write about my experience with Freshers Week (especially first year!) and everything that follows. Freshers Week is what kicks off the new term and for first years, kicks off all of university. It can be quite a daunting week, especially for new students. Hopefully sharing some experience and advice can help those coming off the madness of Freshers Week enter the term smoothly.

GOING OUT

For me, going out was a large part of my first year. I was extremely lucky to have a roommate that I got on with well and who also enjoyed going out. This meant for most of Freshers Week, I was shuffling between seeing my parents (they stuck around in St Andrews for three days) and going to every freshers event possible with my roommate. I'm sure many people can attest to the chaos of the week and as much fun as it is, it can also be exhausting. Not only drinking most nights but also meeting so many new people. My social battery was completely dead by the end of the first week. I remember (despite the FOMO), some mates and I spent the first Sinners of the year in our hall's common room with a massive Dominoes order and the TV blaring. Having a night in, even spent with mates, can do so much to help refuel your energy. None of us were energetic or chatty, we just spent that night trying to relax. I think one of the most important things that came from this week was understanding that no matter how many events are on, if you need a break, take a break! I was fortunate that some of my mates felt the same but don't feel embarrassed to be the only one that’s not feeling up to being social. Think it’s quite good to end here and say: it's a marathon, not a sprint!

MAKING FRIENDS

Making friends is one of the biggest pressures of Freshers Week for most people. To be realistic, most of my best friends didn't come from going out first year. They came from halls, sports, societies, and my modules. My roommate is still one of my good friends that I choose to live with two more years after halls. I also continued to live with two other girls I met in halls and frequently see most of my other mates from halls first year. Though you might not meet your best friends in halls, take advantage of the community you have around you as it is a great way to meet people first year. Sport is also a great way to meet people whether that be an organized sport through the athletic union or something like EmpowHER. We're fortunate that there are so many sports offered here and even if you don't have experience, you can start playing any sport. If you don't fancy a sport and haven't yet decided on joining EmpowHER, this is where the hard sell comes in! EmpowHER is by far one of the most welcoming societies in St Andrews and we also have the combined purpose of exercise! We have so many options of physical and social events to partake in for people at all levels. If you're looking to make friends, you can also forge amazing relationships with people through the small group workouts and buddy pairings. And it’s a whole lot less expensive than joining a sports team! We also offer social events that don't revolve around drinking so it's more bonding than just going out to sinners on a Wednesday night. Don't get me wrong, we still have some fun nights out! Finally, one of the things that I didn’t do enough of first year is making friends in my classes. Not only can you meet some very fun people, but it will come in handy over the years to know people on your course. Lectures are much more fun if you have people to chat to before and afterward and if you ever need help on an assignment, chances are they’ll be able to help!

GETTING ORIENTED

St Andrews is such a unique place to experience university for many reasons: it’s the ‘home of golf’, it has a history of students from the royal family (and romance), but most of all, IT IS TINY! That being said, there are so many beautiful parts of St Andrews to explore that are outside the three streets. Take some friends or go by yourself for a hot girl walk and explore the town. Especially at the beginning of the term, the weather is relatively nice, and you can see some amazing views. Some of the places I would recommend are the Fife Coastal Path, Scooniehill, Lade Braes, and if you fancy a longer walk, Craigtoun Park. If you’re interested in the Fife Coastal Path but unsure about getting your bearings, come join us for our large group Fife Coastal Walk and Picnic on the 18th! It’s a great way to get some exercise while taking in the beauty of the coastline and of course meeting your fellow EmpowHER members. As for the other walks, keep those in mind for you and your buddy or even your small group! Just get out there and appreciate how walkable our beautiful town is because even though it's small, there is so much to see!

ADVICE

As you'll notice, I'm not really touching on the academic side of university here. Freshers Week, while technically part of the term, isn't academically focused and that means the brunt of people's energy is spent socializing and settling in. I hope I’ve given everyone a few things to think about and I’ll summarise with a few bits of advice below.

1. Take breaks! Freshers Week is by no means an accurate representation of the social scene during the rest of term, but I still think it is important to remember to listen to yourself and respect how you’re feeling. You don’t need to push yourself to go out to meet people or have fun.

2. Don’t worry if you’ve not met a million and one other first years. The first week is only a small portion of the time you’ll have to meet people. First year is full of opportunities to make friends and that will continue throughout all your years at St Andrews.

3. Get out and about! There is so much to explore in St Andrews and the more you do and see, the more comfortable you’ll be. For most students, this town is completely different from home so make the most of that variety.

That’s all the reminiscing and advice I have to give. As a fourth year that has just completed their very last Freshers Week, I can tell you that, though it’s a ton of fun, there is so much more to university than that first week. Go out there and enjoy yourself!

xx Ava (@ava_empowher)