A quick glance at the NUSU website makes it clear that the Newcastle University Students' Union has erased Freshers from its vocabulary... The Big Welcome, promising “big fairs, big events and hundreds of activities”, places emphasis on the scale of the event, promoting the usual hubbub and excitement expected of Freshers’ Week. From campus tours to the Freebie Fair, The Big Welcome truly is just Freshers’ under another name.
A new name could have a positive impact for students starting at Newcastle University this September. Culturally, Freshers’ Week is associated with seven nights of feral nightclub shenanigans in a messy attempt to bond with new flatmates. The Big Welcome focuses on actually welcoming new students into the University and Students' Union, shifting the spotlight from partying to include equally important aspects like the Societies & Volunteering Fair and Sports & Clubs or getting to know the campus.
"If 'The Big Welcome' makes just one student feel more comfortable [...] then it can only be a positive change"
The change in wording could potentially change perceptions of what to expect from the week, which could be especially beneficial for international students who are not as familiar with the term ‘Freshers’ and all it implies. Put simply, the rebrand to The Big Welcome aims to ensure that this period is unmistakably about making new students feel welcome here in Newcastle.
However, Freshers is too engrained into UK university culture for it to phase out of student vocabulary any time soon, especially because other universities, including Northumbria Students’ Union, continue to promote 'Freshers’ Week 2025'. There will still be the annual influx of new students striving to own their titles of 'silly freshers', for when else in your life can you? Realistically, I don’t see the student body changing their language the way NUSU has. If anything, this rebrand is a change that will go unnoticed by many students returning to Newcastle this year.
Overall, the rebrand will likely have no impact on the actual happenings of the week commencing 15 September. However, if ‘The Big Welcome’ makes just one student feel more comfortable and welcome on campus, then it can only be a positive change.