I'd like to start by thanking you for reading this. It's really been a while since I last posted, which is a bit rich for a blog that promises to "record my experiences of preparing for university, Fresher's Week, and everything that follows". So thanks for sticking with me and (most likely) following the link on Facebook to read this!
Obviously, my original plan of regularly updating this blog throughout my first term has fallen on its face somewhat, since the term at Cambridge (and indeed at most other universities) has now ended. However, that doesn't mean that I can't still be useful. One of the key aims of this blog for me has been to provide an insight into university life, and I intend to do exactly that, albeit in a somewhat condensed fashion, from now on.
With all that in mind, I've decided to offer an update on my first term in the form of a short list of things that have characterised my first term as a fresher, while mixing in some advice that I would have liked to know before coming up to university.
- It's busy. Seriously, I could never have anticipated how incredibly full your timetable becomes at university. I'm not just talking about supervised work here - if anything, as an Arts undergraduate my contact time is at the lower end of the scale - but, once you add in independent study, clubs, socialising and other activities, free time really is at a premium.
- It's worth getting to know the people around you. At Cambridge, it's done on a collegiate system, while at many other universities it's done differently, but the key principle remains the same: the people living nearby are worth getting to know. I've been really, really lucky in that I'm on a staircase with seven lovely people, and since we all do different courses we're almost "united by our differences"! One thing that we do once every fortnight or so is to have a "staircase meal" where we all cook for each other. We take turns in the kitchen, and it's a really pleasant way of getting to know each other better. (That said, I don't think my staircase friends are really looking forward to when it's my turn.)
- Clubs and societies are amazing! I'm the kind of person who tends to fill his non-working time with society-based fun rather than going out to clubs, but whatever balance you're looking for, there will be a massive range of societies to cater for what you want to do. I'm currently in a jazz band, do quite a few school tours, cox rowers, and design a magazine (more on that later), and I find them really rewarding ways to spend time and meet new people.
- It's worth finding the local supermarket quickly. While we were all finding our feet I went into town with a few new friends once or twice to get the area into my head. I think it's fair to say that after a term we could all now find Sainsbury's blindfolded! Even if you're essentially catered, you'd be surprised how often you find yourself popping in there.
- Use the summer beforehand wisely! I didn't waste my summer by any means, but if I could change one thing now it would have been to have read a little more than I had as far as my course books are concerned. Most people are in the same boat as me, it seems, but it would have been good to have consolidated my knowledge of a text a little more before reading
- Try new stuff. I've been really surprised at how some of the things I didn't expect to become hugely involved in have become so important. For instance, I went to a "squash" (social gathering) for the Modern Languages Society in the second week, and I'm now quite heavily involved with it! So it's worth trying out things you haven't done before.
And with that, we bid goodbye to my hopefully-helpful alter-ego. I hope that all this advice and information doesn't sound too patronising; as ever, please do feel free to leave comments below. I'd be interested if anyone reading this has anything to add, so please do help me build this into a collaborative resource. (Sorry for sounding like an advert for Wikipedia.)
Thanks!
