As Aisha moves into her 4th year studying History of Art she shares some advice with the Fresher she was a few years ago.
First of all, relax! Becoming part of a big pool of unfamiliar people can be daunting, but this mix of personalities will let you diversify your friend group with different perspectives and interests. Getting involved with societies will be a great way of meeting people you share something in common with and will introduce you to like-minded students of all ages. A good society to start with is one relating to your course, the people you meet here could also become useful contacts in the long run.
Becoming familiar with Edinburgh early on is a nice way to make the most of the city. 
Bring your friends along to do classic Fresher things, climb Arthur’s Seat, ‘ironically’ attend the Big Cheese at Potterrow, etc. It’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with things relating to your course that the city can offer. For a History of Art student, seeing art in the city (that’s just one example of the incredible galleries here) will motivate you and give you the personal experience of visiting institutions which might be your potential employers.
First year is a great year to indulge in university life, and it’s one of the only years where you’ll have the energy and workload that allows you to go out every night, guilt-free. However, sometimes it can be easy to get caught up in the university bubble and lose contact with the outside world, especially when living in halls. A great way of making the most of your free time and disconnecting for a day or two per week is to find a part time job. This will look good on your CV and it won’t hurt to have some extra money to spend on hungover takeaways. Or volunteer with an organisation that you’re interested in.
Finally, don’t stress too much about a career. Enjoy trying out lots of different things to find out more about yourself and this will be a good start. All the experiences you get will take you a step further forward. And the more the better! Have a great time.
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Image: CC0 by Ant2506 from Pixabay
