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Surviving Fresher's Week

As Freshers Week kicks off at universities across the UK, Condor Properties explain how to survive this student initiation and the term beyond.

A week is no longer enough. Somewhere along the line the annual inauguration of wet-behind-the-ears students, known commonly as Freshers Week, became two; most universities now start the new academic year with 14 nights of revelry, which kicks off across the country over the next couple of weeks.

This boozy fortnight is a watershed moment in adult life; it's the first step on the road to a new found independence and an opportunity to be as irresponsible as you like. It may well be one of the best weeks of your life, but it can be a potential minefield, which is why Condor Properties have compiled a survival guide not just to Freshers Week, but to your first term at university…

1. Don't blow your student loan

Easily done, but a sure fire way of ruining your social life for the rest of the term.

“I blew my entire student loan in the first two weeks,” says Peter Banks, a student at Bristol. “I'd never had access to so much money before, so I went a bit crazy; I was out every night, bought expensive clothes and shopped at Waitrose, which isn't very student friendly.”

In the end, Peter had to do night shifts in ASDA to make up for his extravagance lifestyle. “It destroyed my social life,” he sighs.

2. Don't judge people too quickly

You'll meet so many people in the first few weeks of university and some fellow students might come across as unsociable or eve over confident. However, this might be because they are feeling homesick or like they have to try hard. Give people a chance, even if they rub you up the wrong way – they might turn out to be great friends.

“In the first week of university one of my flatmates really offended me,” says Glenn Thomas, a former Cardiff university student.

“He was taking the micky out of me, which I thought was a liberty considering we had only just met. Turns out he was just overcompensating because he was really nervous; we became pals and still are.”

3. Do embrace budget supermarkets

Don't question the suspiciously low prices and worry thee not about the foreign food labels; just fill your trolly and reap the savings at the till.

4. Do manage your hangovers

Your student social life is a marathon not a sprint race, so you'll need to manage those hangovers if you want to last the duration. Stock up on Berocca and make sure you're well acquainted with our tried and tested hangover cures.

5. Do sign up to clubs

Signing up to clubs and societies is a great way to create another circle of friends away from your housemates and classmates. Frankly, the more social networking you do at university the better; you may well find a friend for life, a future partner or, at the very least, someone to pull in the dark corner of the student union.