Fresher’s flu is pretty horrible. In fact it’s so horrible that by the end of the week you will start to look at the people that haven’t got it with something bordering on hatred.
My main advice would be to deal with these things as they happen. Things like Fresher’s week never turn out exactly like you imagine. Sometimes in a good way and sometimes in a way where your sat in your first lecture trying to hold off coughing until there’s a gap in the slideshow.
Off-brand Berocca, Lemsip tablets, and sleep will be your best friends if you’re unlucky enough to get it. Sadly, it tends to stick around for quite a while after too, so learning to live with it for a couple weeks might be your only option.
Off-brand Berocca, Lemsip tablets, and sleep will be your best friends if you’re unlucky enough to get Fresher's flu.
You shouldn’t worry too much about it however. Focusing too much on things like Fresher’s flu distracts you from all the good things you can do during Fresher’s week. At the end of the day you can’t control it so just try and have the best time you can with what you are given.
Newcastle is renowned for its vibrant nightlife. With an array of clubs, pubs and bars to explore, it certainly lives up to its reputation. It’s a friendly and welcoming city, that almost always feels safe at night!
A tip for freshers new to Newcastle’s nightlife is to find your people. Whether it’s flatmates or course mates, try to find a small group you trust, as they will be the best people to go out with. The last thing you want is to be stranded or abandoned on one of your first nights, not knowing where you are or how to get home.
Make sure to pre-drink before hitting the clubs, as there’s nothing worse than being sober in a club. Playing drinking games with your flatmates during Freshers' week can be a great way to get to know them better. However remember not to drink too much as you still want to be conscious when you go out, and don’t want a morning dose of hangxiety. Leave a cold glass of water and paracetamol by your bedside to prevent hangovers.
What helped me get through my first year was finding a place with vibes similar to my hometown.
Lastly, remember that clubbing isn’t for everyone. If you try it in Freshers' week and find that you’re not a fan there are plenty of other ways to enjoy Newcastle’s nightlife. Now that I’m entering my third year, I prefer a trip to the local pub, cocktails in a bar, or a game of pool in Dog and Parrot. Enjoy your first year and have fun exploring the great city of Newcastle!
Homesickness is a battle that not even a home student can face. Moving away from home means leaving all of your friends and family behind, and even though you’re going to find new friends in uni, you’re still allowed to miss those who have been with you throughout your life.
Freshers' week is here to embrace you as you are!
As an international student, you often feel lonely, so I stayed in contact with my close family and friends through video calls and messages. I also printed many photographs and built a collage next to my bed so that I could see them first thing when I woke up.
But what helped me get through my first year was finding a place with vibes similar to my hometown, and for me, that was the Quayside.
Preparing for Freshers' week can feel like gearing up for war. Each event, conversation, and person feels like an overdramatic and overwhelming medieval knight suddenly transported to the modern day. However, that looming question mark that everyone faces going into the events of Freshers' week, is nothing to run away in fear of. There are two main things I wish someone had told me during freshers week and now I am here to share them with you!
Having a memorable Freshers' week does not come from trying every single event or free social that is pushed in front of you - that becomes tiring, socially draining and would overwhelm even the most social butterflies. Don't waste your energy on trying to join in on those things you know will fill you with that looming dread of overwhelm, save it for a small handful of new things that you know you can enjoy. Only two events take your fancy? Go ahead! Freshers' week is here to embrace you as you are! The stigma of university and its social life often forces people into a jam packed week of things they don't enjoy, so don't let that happen to you. You are here to enjoy things at your own pace and your own comfort.
Sometimes the best made Freshers' week memories are served with a glass of water.
Embrace sobriety. While Newcastle is home to a plethora of nights out, clubs, pubs, and bars; they do not dictate your experience. Sometimes the best made Freshers' week memories are served with a glass of water. Trying new things in a new place is already daunting enough, so don't let the drinking culture add to that pile of overwhelm. Nobody is going to look at you funny for skipping out on nights out, in fact, you'll come to learn most people don't even remember them happening at all!
