Whether you are joining us at UEA as a first-year student, international student, mature student, or a local resident, the commotion and excitement of Freshers week can be an overwhelming prospect – and that is completely okay!   

The UEA SU has consistently boasted a diverse array of activities during Fresher’s Week over the years, and this year is no exception. Welcome Fest sees a variety of nightly club events across campus from 16^th, along with daytime events such as the societies fair, ceramic painting and a roller disco, to name a few! As I’m sure many of us can agree, it is wonderful to see a diverse lineup of events that aim to cater to the varied interests and social preferences of our student community. 

Everyone will experience Fresher’s Week differently, and the purpose of this article is to reassure you that there is no right or wrong way to go about it! Personally, I found my first week at UEA slightly overwhelming. Moving for the first time from my hometown in Kent to a whole new city brought a mix of homesickness, nerves, and excitement for what was ahead. Joining as a mature student, I was anxious about fitting in and pressure to make friends quickly because I knew literally nobody in Norwich! Looking back now, I wish I had just relaxed a little more!   

Fresher’s Week naturally comes with a lot of high expectations and a sense of pressure amongst some of us. Amidst the whirlwind of meeting new classmates during the start of “the best days of my life,” my anxiety made me feel the need to step back and decompress, and politely decline to different things I may well have enjoyed at the time. This led to an overwhelming feeling of FOMO (fear of missing out), along with a sense of guilt for avoiding opportunities to put myself out there, simply because I was tired and needed time to adjust.   

If any of this resonates with you this week — whether you have missed out on things because you needed some space, or you have been so busy to fit everything in — I want to remind you that this is just the beginning! Everyone experiences this differently, and there can be some amazing and spontaneous moments you will love, and perhaps some awkward moments that you will no doubt forget or laugh about one day. Of course, try to keep an open mind when it comes to trying new things, but remember the importance of recharging and reflecting if things become too much.   

Of course, saying yes can be valuable, but please don’t feel bad about saying no and going at your own pace. Declining can be equally valuable during these early days of university – it is a way of setting boundaries and giving yourself the space to reflect and recharge  

If you don’t feel up for a night out with new people this week, see it as an opportunity to arrange something different once you feel more settled in.As any will tell you, it is important to know that you will meet plenty of people throughout your entire first year — some of whom you’ll create the best memories with, even if you didn’t connect during Fresher’s Week.  

Olivia Hunt, the new Activities and Opportunities officer for 2024/25, pledges to increase student involvement in all 200+ student societies throughout this coming year. Because it can be overwhelming during Fresher’s Week for new students to learn about them all, she is advocating for a raised awareness of societies and to help guide students on wanting to get involved throughout the year if they are unsure of where to start.   

Take things at your own pace — there will always be opportunities to get involved with events at UEA. It might be helpful to take notes of the societies that interest you, follow their socials and check up on their events throughout the year.  As well as this, the events tab on the UEASU website is regularly updated throughout the year, and I can say that over my time here I have been on some amazing trips, seen some fantastic concerts and had many, many a memorable night out. 

Don’t be too hard on yourself, relax and take it all in, and most importantly do what makes you happy this week, because it is only the start of this amazing journey!