You’ve got the acceptance email, and now it’s time for you to begin your educational journey at Queen’s University. You’ll be buzzing with excitement, but its also natural to feel a little anxious about this next step in life.
We are here to help you throughout your time at Queen’s, starting with your introduction to student life- Freshers! So, here’s our top tips to help you get the most out of your first few weeks at Queen’s:
1. Explore Campus
If you can take some time before classes (and freshers) begin, explore your new campus. Figure out how to get to your class to help ease those first-day jitters, locate the library, the Students’ Union, the PEC and more importantly, where the best place to get a coffee is (there are loads around campus we promise).
2. What is Freshers?
Freshers is two weeks of activities and events put on by us, the Students’ Union, to give you the chance to meet new people on your course, get advice, try something new, join some clubs or societies, and find out more about our programmes and activities.
Events start on the first day of the semester (Mon Sept 15th) and they range from big flagship events like our 3 day Freshers’ Fair and our Official Freshers’ Club Night, to smaller, more relaxed events.
You can see the lineup here
3. Don’t overexert yourself
We have over 240 clubs and societies for you to join and we have basically everything you can think of- so there’s something for everyone. We also want to squash the rumours you can only join one club or society, you can in fact sign up to as many as you want!
We recommend that, in the first instance, you sign up for a few that genuinely interest you, as there is no pressure to join everything. Focus on things that’ll help you meet people with similar interests as this will help break the ice- academic societies are always a great place to start!
4. Being Excited and Nervous is Normal
It’s important to remember you aren’t alone, as theres 1,000s of people who are all starting at Queen’s for the first time- who will all have feelings of both excitement and anxiety- it’s a big milestone starting University.
Try your best to put yourself out there, strike up conversations, and remind yourself that the feeling of awkwardness won’t last forever.
Whether you’re in a lecture theatre, browsing the stalls at Freshers’ Fair or even queuing for the toilet at the Union Bar, say hi – some of these people might end up being lifelong friends.
5. What Events Should you Attend?
We have a full lineup with a range of events- but unfortunately it’s impossible to be in two places at once!
Freshers can feel overwhelming as every event in Belfast will make it seem like a must go to, life-changing experience for new students (not including ours though, we are class).
Pick a few that speak to you as it’s the best way to find like-minded individuals and save your energy. Or better yet balance some nights out partying with daytime activities- we have heaps of smaller, more relaxed events on over Freshers!
6. Use our Free Services
We have some things to help make things a bit easier for you at Union. We’ve free tea and coffee (with all the bits you need to make one as well) in the SU Lounge.
Our Pantry is a big hit with students, you can find it on the ground floor and it offers free cereals, pasta, noodles, herbs, spices and household items refills to Queen’s students (just remember to bring your own containers).
We also have launched the Swap Shop– our new sustainable shop exclusive to students at Queen’s, designed to help you refresh your wardrobe for free.
We also have a free sexual health clinic that runs every Monday during term-time from 9am-3pm.
7. Pace Yourself
We know, we know, you’ve had this talk before and we sound like a broken record but we get it- your freshers experience may include some heavy nights out.
It happens, you’re new to drinking and unsure of your limits- this is where partying smarter- not harder comes into play. Avoid mixing too much, have the occasional water or non-alcoholic beverage (the Union Bar stocks Birra Moretti 0% and it’s surprisingly very tasty), and eat some carbs before you go out.
If you hit it too hard and wake up with a pounding headache with a side of hanxiety, the best advice we can give is don’t wallow alone. Avoid doom scrolling on socials, get out of bed, rehydrate, and catch up with your roommates, friends or classmates.
You can check out Safety Matters for more info safety tips for nights out and useful contacts to have on hand.
8. Plan Your Budget
Almost everyone finds it hard to manage their money at one time or another. We know it can be even harder for you as a student as your income is usually paid to you at different times throughout the year – like a student loan in three installments or a part-time job that pays weekly or monthly.
A budget doesn’t have to be limiting – it’s about planning ahead.
To help you do this we’ve teamed up with Blackbullion– a free digital learning platform with various online courses, tools, and resources to help students learn about financial topics including budgeting.
To access Blackbullion register using your Queen’s email and as a student of Queen’s Students’ Union.
9. Remember why you enrolled at Queen’s
Freshers is a blast, but it also marks the start of your academic career at Queen’s. Once the lectures kick in, you’ll need to balance the social stuff with getting stuck into your course. Try not to let things pile up from the start – future you will be so so grateful.
If you have any questions that creep up throughout your year, get in touch with our Advice team, they are independent of the University and will offer you free, confidential, up-to-date guidance on academic, money, housing, conduct or funding queries. They have drops-in on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays or you can email them at su.advice@qub.ac.uk.
10. What Happens after Freshers
We aren’t expecting you to arrive with it all figured out, you will be thrown so much information at the start of uni and it’s only natural that it will take you some time to get comfortable in your new surroundings.
Remember, you can join clubs and societies, and take part in our various programmes and events throughout your year at Queen’s- this opportunity doesn’t just end after Freshers!
Stop by for chat, email or DM us if you have any questions- we are here to help you get the most out of your time at Queen’s.
