What to Expect from Your First Week of Uni

This post is part of our "Next Stop: Uni" series which guides you through each week of the summer between finishing school and Freshers so you can start uni prepared and excited.

Next Stop: Uni by UniHomes

Between getting to grips with adult life and learning how to navigate campus, it's natural for the first week at uni to feel daunting. What should you expect? How will you be spending your time? We’ve put together everything you need to know about what the start of uni will bring, so that you can spend less time worrying about the unknown and more time making the most of the summer before university.

Moving in 📦

How else could going to uni start? Moving yourself into your new room in student halls is the beginning of this new chapter, and (usually) involves:

• Having your parents drive you and all your worldly possessions to campus (read our guide on what to pack and what not to pack for an idea of what you should be bringing).

• Picking up your student card and keys.

• Confirming your arrival and registering yourself as a student.

• Going back and forth between the car and your room with box after box of uni essentials.

• Saying a tearful goodbye to your parents (even if you’re not the one crying), and, of course…

Meeting your housemates 🏠

Awkward introductions aside, meeting the people you’ll be living with for the next year is an exciting (but nerve wracking) key part of your first day. Take time to get to know everyone — including all the clichés on where they’re from and what they’re studying — and remember that everyone is just as nervous as you are.

Besides, if you’ve played your cards right, you may have even already made friends with your housemates before you moved to uni.

Going out out 🪩

Going out for Freshers’ is a rite of passage at this point. Whether you get tickets to Freshers’ nights at clubs, or just head out into town with your housemates to check out all the best bars, nights out are a great way to meet new people, get to know your housemates more, and become more familiar with your new city.

Not a drinker? Don’t worry, there are loads of sober-friendly ways you can spend Freshers’ Week.

Decorate your room 🎨

Apart from being a chill, quiet way to recover from being out late the night before, decorating your new room in student halls is how you can make your space feel more like home. Look out for any plant fairs and poster fairs on campus for cheap decor pieces and you’re all good to go.

Life admin 📄

Moving out comes hand in hand with taking responsibility for all those life admin bits you’ve never had to think about before now. That means registering to vote, setting up direct debits for your accommodation rent, and signing up with a local GP. The sooner you do these, the better; you don’t want to end up bedridden with Fresher’s flu without a doctor you can go to.

First food shop 🍴

Your first big food shop! It’s tempting to go all out and spend half your student loan on your groceries, but make sure your expectations are realistic. It always pays to be mindful of budgeting, as well as how much cupboard and fridge space you have.

Icebreakers 🧊

From class intros to society tasters, your first week of university will be full of icebreaker opportunities. Don’t stress about them beforehand; they’re a great opportunity for you to meet the people who could become your lifelong friends, and they’re also good introductions into the kinds of societies and sports you might find yourself taking part in later.

Want to know more about how student societies work? Read our Content Ambassador Sophie’s post on what she wishes she had known about societies.

Exploring campus 🗺️

Exploring campus is an underrated part of Freshers’ Week, mainly because the fresh air is always healing if you were out late the night before. More importantly, though, getting to know your uni’s layout is useful for finding where your seminars and lectures will be — and how long it will take you to walk from student halls to class.

Most universities offer guided campus tours during this week, so consider joining one if you’re unsure of where to start (or if you fancy meeting new people along the way).

Freshers’ Fairs 🌟

Freshers’ Fairs = freebies everywhere. Seriously, if you’re in need of a free tote bag or just fancy a slice of free pizza, head on down to your uni’s Freshers’ Fair. You never know, you might even spot the UniHomes team giving away free houseplants.

Aside from the free stuff, your university’s Freshers’ Fair will be how you can get all the info you need on your Student Union, sports clubs, and societies, so definitely give yours a visit. Read our blog post on everything you need to know about Freshers’ Fairs for more information.