Answering questions I would have asked as a Fresher – Part 1

Coming to University is a huge change and step in your life. It’s exciting, but I can understand that you may be nervous and have some questions about University life. Here’s a helpful page of FAQ’s which I asked as a Fresher which might put your mind at ease. There is no all-knowing collection of answers about University. Something I became very aware of during my first year is that every person’s experience is different and paced differently, it’s a growth experience. Sometimes there may not be answers to your questions, you might have to work it out as you go along – that’s what makes Uni quite exciting.

Alternatively, if you have any specific questions, I am always available to chat through the Instant Messenger part of OurWarwick, or let me know about any other questions in the comment section below!

Q. How do I make friends?

A. Everyone meets friends differently, but I am 100% confident you will meet some great ones.

Friends are made in so many ways at Uni, mainly within your accommodation, course and societies. I felt very nervous about meeting friends when I was arriving and it took me a while to gain confidence to talk to people. I found that societies were the best place to meet people, and society members became some of my best friends. Initially, I found that attending socials was a great way for me to get involved. Societies organised them so all I needed to do was to turn up and straight away I’d have something in common with the other members. Friendships evolve over time at Uni, be patient and you’ll find some great people.

Q. Will my degree be hard?

A. You’re at a great Uni so prepare to be stretched, but you can do it!

When I came to Uni I naively expected that getting the A-Level grades was the hard bit. As assignments started to arrive I began to realise that maybe I was wrong. You do attend University to be academically stretched, so in that sense you should expect to be studying for a lot of your day – the work will not be unachievable however. Have confidence within your abilities. Warwick offered you a place to study and so you should have confidence that you can do well here, doing well will require a lot of hard work however.

Q. How do you have time to fit everything in?

A. You fit in what you enjoy, time management is something you’ll learn throughout University.

Despite what I say about hard work, you certainly will (and deserve) time off from your course, including socialising, resting and taking part in societies/sports. I think it’s important to have off time from studying, for me this means I stop work around 5pm each night. Having society socials or friend meetups in your diary will help break up the day. I found that looking back, I can’t imagine how I managed to pack so much into my days but I think when you enjoy things you’re doing you make it work.

Q. Will I get home sick?

A. You probably will do initially, but there are ways to cope.

Uni is a big change and being away from home and your family will take getting used to. I found personally it was better for me to spend as much of first year up at Uni as possible, going home too early may have made me miss it even more. See if your family can visit you at Uni, you’ll still be in the Uni environment but you can still enjoy their company and skype them as often as you need. I found that making my room feel more like at home, eg: printing photos of home friends and family, made me feel like Uni was a second home and not so much a hotel.

I’ll be writing a 2nd blog article about FAQs at the end of July – let me know if you would like any particular questions included!