An Introvert's Guide To Freshers

Good evening readers! Congratulations to all you college students out there on your results yesterday, hopefully you all got what you wanted & those of you that have applied to Uni have got the places you were after! Now that you have I bet you're well & truly excited, especially those of you moving away from home & into halls or private housing. I also bet you're preparing for what appears to be the most exciting week you'll have this year- Freshers' Week.

Now, if you're a social butterfly, I bet you can't wait- stocking up on all the alcohol, joining your Uni's Facebook pages & starting to chat with to-be classmates/housemates & generally just looking forward to getting out there & meeting a new bunch of people that you're hoping to hang out with in the next chapter of your life. However, if you're the more reserved type, I can imagine that as well as being excited, you are starting to panic somewhat, worrying if you'll fit in amongst what is built up to be a proper partying atmosphere. This is where I come in.

I will admit, with no shame, I am an introvert & this time last year, as well as feeling excited for starting Uni, I was shitting myself (not literally, I hasten to add). Going onto the Facebook page for my Uni & my Halls of Residence, everyone was going on about partying, drinking games & seemed to be making friends already, whereas I was the type that didn't go out drinking often, wasn't into the idea of clubbing & was too nervous to start a conversation with anyone. If I'm being completely honest, I was worried that everyone would be some sort of mega party animal & I'd end up being a loner.

Me, prior to starting Uni.

But fear not, fellow introverts! For I have been there, done that, got the t-shirt & lived to tell the tale, which is why I'm offering you all some reassurance in tonight's post. Admittedly, it's probably pretty much the same as anything you'll read in a typical 'off to Uni' guide, but this time last year I was wishing that there was something aimed at the more introverted types such as myself. That's why tonight I bring you my own version of what to expect, in my 'Introvert's Guide To Freshers', written by an introvert for her fellows. Now, let's begin:

One thing that I would say helped with coming out of my shell was going to live in halls. Even though I did originally plan to commute to Uni, I came to the conclusion that if I moved out & lived around other people, I could be more involved & would have a better chance of being part of the community, as well as being more available to partake in any social activities. For those of you that, like me, made this choice, it's a good choice to make! For starters, it gives you a head start on the socialising front, so it's likely you'll make friends or at least make the acquaintance of a few people before class actually starts. Also, it allows you more freedom- as it's likely a lot of Freshers events will be on campus or in the local area of your Uni, so living at halls means you're likely to have better access to these events.

Dodgy panorama of my room at Uni. Another tip (which you've probably heard before) is to keep your door open on move in day, allows you to see & say "hi" to everyone else. Plus, inviting people in means they can see your interests, which can lead to conversations & friendships! :)

For those of you living at home- don't panic! Obviously, you can still attend events (well, you are an adult, you can do what you like, as my Mother says) & you'll meet people during the welcome lectures & events. Also, you'll make better friends with people & get to know them more as the year goes on & you're in class together, so don't worry if you've not clicked with anyone within the first couple of weeks (although it's likely that you will).

My next point is rather cliche, but ultimately true. Remember, everyone around you is in the same position as you. Even the people that are more outgoing. You're all in a new environment, with new people & you're all nervous, which is fine & completely understandable! My advice here is to just talk to people, which I know seems a bit weird coming from an introvert, but honestly, it's the best thing to do! One thing I found during Freshers is that it's a really friendly time & everyone just wants to make friends. Plus, it isn't creepy to go up to someone & say "hey, I've seen you on Facebook, you're [insert name here]". Trust me, it's great, you'll find yourself talking to whoever, & once you get started, it just makes everything much more relaxed & you'll find yourself settling in really quickly.

This pretty much sums it up. :)

Which brings me onto point two- there will be people there with the same interests as you. One of the reasons I was worried about the social side is because I'm a bit nerdy, plus I'm the type that has these moments of joy when I see/hear something relating to one of my fandoms. Thankfully, a fellow fresher had started a Fandom Society at my Uni, on which I found a couple of people in my class before I'd even started, which was excellent & reassuring, knowing that I would find like-minded people on my course. Plus, once I got to Uni & got talking to people, I found more people with similar interests, & not just with the nerdy side of things.

This is pretty much how it happens. :)

This brings me to my next point- join societies! Societies are great ways to find new people with similar interests, allowing you to meet students from other years as well as courses. I'll admit though, I wish I'd joined more societies, however, I was based at my Uni's secondary campus, which was in a different city to my actual Uni, where there was a lack of societies. It takes a train & bus journey to get onto the main campus & a part of me a) wasn't really up for doing that alone & b) didn't know how busy my course would be at the beginning of the year. Friends of mine were also in the Fandom Society which is why I went to this one a lot. But I'm sure most of you have gotten into Unis where everything is based on a large campus, so you'll have more chances & opportunities to partake in extracurricular activities!

Also, don't feel bad if you aren't a party animal- chances are there will be activities available that involve minimal alcohol & more opportunities to sit & talk rather than having to yell at people due to the loud music of clubs. For example, at my halls there was (& this is something that continued throughout the year) a night where you could go to the common room, have a cup of tea & play board games. Chances are your Uni will have something similar. Or things like quiz nights, cocktail nights, events where you can drink & chat, like pub quizzes. At the same time though, I would advise trying something new, you may end up liking it! I'll admit, I ended up not going out much during Freshers, & looking back it's something I regret. However, I am the kind of person that only likes to do certain activities & go out with people I'm comfortable with, & although I had started to make friends during Freshers, I hadn't gotten completely comfortable with anyone so ended up staying in. Besides, going out isn't just limited to Freshers Week, there'll be plenty more opportunities throughout the year, & if you are like me, you'll have a more fun time as you'll be with people you trust & have made good friends with.

You can't go wrong with a good cup of tea & a chat! If your halls or uni doesn't offer this, then why not initiate one yourself? Would be a nice thing to do in the afternoon, especially if class hasn't started yet!

My next piece of advice/guidance is probably not the best of things, but it may help. I don't know about other Unis, but mine had a thing called 'The Master Pass' which, for £95 gave access to all Freshers events. At first I wasn't up for it, knowing what I'm like, but after seeing people I'd befriended on Facebook saying they were going to various events, I decided to invest in it. Ok, it ended up being a waste of money, but I had no idea who I'd end up being friends with so decided I best invest & guarantee myself entry rather than only pay for certain events & risk not getting into any if I decided to go later. What I'm getting at here is that it's ok if you do choose to invest in something like this- don't feel bad if you don't end up using it, but feel good knowing that you have the opportunity if you do decide to go out. Ultimately, it is up to you, I just wanted to let anyone out there that's in this situation know that it's ok to invest.

My wristband, kept as a memento.

And now for my final piece of advice- just be yourself! Another cliche, I know, but it's the best thing to do. Be yourself, don't worry if you don't go out a lot, just go with the flow & enjoy yourself! I'm sure you'll have a great time, but if not, it's not the end of the world & you'll have the rest of the year to make friends, go out & enjoy yourself. The best friendships I formed at Uni happened after Freshers, & it was with these people that I had some of the best times with.

Hopefully this article has eased any worry. If you do have any questions or would like a bit more advice, please leave a comment & ask!

So, have fun, enjoy yourselves, & I hope you have a great time at Uni!

Thanks for reading! :D

Me on my first night of Freshers, how time flies... :)