Societies!

In my opinion, societies are the most important thing at university - besides the whole 'degree' thing of course...

When you're put into university accommodation, it's out of your control really who you live with. I'd say generally, it's those you live with who you tend to build your first bonds with. They're the first people you meet when you arrive and the people you tend to associate with most during Freshers' Week.

However, as your first week comes to a close you're faced with the amazing thing that is Freshers' Fair; go. Sign up to as many societies that take your fancy, make the most of every single freebie you can get your hands on!

Over the next couple of weeks, go to as many society events as possible and find your society. Most people will only settle with one or two societies in the end. At societies, you will meet people with much more similar interests to you - you'll share one interest over the actual society, but you'll find you have many more things in common too.

Personally, finding HP Muggle Society changed my university experience forever. Through the society,  I branched of the comfort of my own room and met so many people who are now some of my best friends. It allowed me to slowly infiltrate the floor above me (mwahaha) in my block (and I'd moved in there by the end of first term), and over the years it's increased my friendship circle massively.

HP Muggle Society 2014/2015

I’m so thankful for societies and for finally meeting people who like the same kind of things as me… I was getting so worried that I wouldn’t find anyone for ages, but I really hope we’ll all get on really well! We’ve got the sorting ceremony next Monday… I am excited. 

Societies also give you something to look forward to with their events, and by the end of the year, you may think about wanting to run for committee (something I'd definitely recommend!). Societies give you things to do outside of your lectures; they enriches your university experience in so many ways; they allow you to meet people you may not have necessarily met otherwise.

Katherine xox

Arriving at University & the madness that is Freshers' Week!

Nervous, excited, upset, happy? The different emotions flitting around your stomach just before you leave for university are like no other. You're probably about to be left in a strange city, surrounded by strangers, having left everything you've ever known behind. There may be emotional goodbyes and don't be worried about the tears because everyone is going to be in the same boat.

You may have found other people in your flat through social networks - we managed to find 11/12 of us beforehand, which was really lovely - or you may not have found anyone but what my main advice would be is to get out there and meet as many people as possible. Your flat/house are going to be the first people you meet, so go and get talking to them! There are most probably going to be awkward silences at first but everything will soon fall into place. You will find people who you click with eventually, so go out and meet as many people as possible...

So this is Freshers… day 1 is over with. Somehow I’ve got through it all without shedding a tear, although that may change if I think things over too much. It’s so lovely here – the accommodation is beautiful and the people are so lovely! Today’s been pretty mental. I woke up at 5:30, and then 6:00 when I couldn’t be bothered to go back to bed. :L But we drove up here, stopping at a farm house café in Newark for a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice & a slab of carrot cake! We got here, found our way to my block, unpacked a bit, Dad, Julie & Genevieve arrived, went out with them to some pub for a drink, came back, unpacked more and said bye bye! L I ventured into the kitchen to see the others who were there talking, then awkward silence, then talking. This continued until our trip to Cost Cutter – oh the joys. We returned, then walked up to some random Co-op on a walk we went on! We were all talking and getting on really well! :D This evening we all dressed up in our penguin onesies and the STYCs brought the top 2 flats down in our kitchen to play ‘Ring of Fire’ which was a bit bizarre. Luke rang me, and I went outside to see him and we walked down to Animal with his block! We sat on a bench and talked to people all night who were buzzing around (quite literally those who were dressed up as bees)! There was a girl called Charlotte from Luke’s flat, boys called Gino (he’s Mexican), Simon & James, a few random girls called Rafaela, Hannah, Emily & Lucy and Connor (who I’m friends with on Facebook because he’s doing maths)! I came back with them just after 12 and the others all returned about 10 minutes after I’d got back and made a hot chocolate. Now there’s lots of screaming and yelling coming from the kitchen (from the STYCs as well – ‘Can I lie on your bed?! I want to be a fresher!’). So yah… I’m curled up in my room, stuff everywhere, with a hot chocolate, which isn’t actually that hot because the microwave failed. Conclusion – we should get on okay in the day, but the evenings are a different matter at the moment… Why am I not a normal teenager? I just hope I’m not waking up to absolute madness in the kitchen tomorrow morning. 

So, that was my Day 1. My flat were brilliant, but I really struggled because I don't drink alcohol - clearly something that everyone else had in common. As the week went on, I receded  more (apart from Tuesday night, when I actually ventured out), stayed at home on Skype to my friends and family. One of my STYCs (second and third year contacts) suggested I went upstairs to join in with them because they weren't going out, yet I was too scared to go. Oh, how I regret this. Don't do what I did, don't hideaway because the first people you meet aren't exactly your kind of people - no matter how lovely they still are.

It doesn't feel like there's half the substance to this post that I wanted... Ah well.

Katherine