Ahead of starting your first year at university you will undoubtedly feel a bit nervous, but you certainly won’t be the only one. We chatted to a few of our medical student ambassadors about pre-arrival nerves, getting to know people and settling into uni life.
Were you nervous about anything before starting uni? Did you feel less nervous after you started?
Sorna on living with new people
Living with strangers was definitely something I was nervous about – I had heard a couple stories from older friends who had some bad flatmates, so I was a little wary. But when it comes down to it, the people that you get put in a flat with are probably also going to be nervous, and want to make friends and be social – so as long as you’re polite and nice, try to clean up after yourself and are generally up for movie nights or making dinner together, you actually get to know people a lot quicker than you expect. And if you are the kind of person that prefers to just relax back at their flat and not be incredibly social, I think people can understand that too.
Eunsoo on how to settle in
I was worried about not making any friends! I didn’t know anyone in Edinburgh and the closest person geographically was a five hour drive away so I was terrified of not settling in and not making any connections. I realised very quickly on though that everyone, and I mean everyone, has exactly the same fear when they first get to uni. On top of that, it’s a new course, a new style of learning, for most of us it’s a new town, for some it’s an entirely new culture – no one jumps into uni knowing exactly what and how to do everything! Writing down what I wanted to get involved in and mapping out how I wanted to spend Welcome Week gave me a structure that I could follow, but this was changed at times as I met different people and became more interested in something else from our conversations. Take experiences as they come with an open mind and you’ll be settled in before you know it!
Oscar on stepping into the unknown
Yeah of course I was nervous, everyone is nervous at the start of uni as it’s usually a lot of people’s first time out on their own. I definitely lost the nerves after a couple of weeks, just get stuck in during freshers week, go out, meet people and just see how things go. It’s a step into the unknown but you’ll be grand!!
Baran – don’t forget to have fun and be excited!
Yeah of course – it is such a huge change to adjust to! university is a completely new chapter of your life – which means it’s really exciting, but also daunting. I build it up so much in my head I managed to psych myself out before I even got there! I was worried about so many things in the weeks before university began, but as soon as I arrived, I was having so much fun that I forgot that there was anything to be anxious about in the first place!
It is nerve-wracking starting this next stage in your life – but don’t forget to be excited too! Everyone around you in your halls, and your classes, will all be feeling pretty much the same way, so don’t be worried if you feel homesick or anxious or even a little awkward – you’ll adapt and after a little while it’ll start to feel more like home.
Mohshin on starting conversations
I think everyone is a bit anxious before starting any major transition in life – even though it may often feel like you’re the only one. I was probably most nervous about the fact that I had decided to stay home in first year and was worried whether that would have an impact on meeting new people. The answer is yes and no.
There’s obviously less friction in meeting new people if you’re staying in halls, since you’ll literally be chucked into a hall full of strangers. On the other hand, if you’re living at home that kind of forces you to go out and meet people, since you won’t have the comfort of strangers living next to you. I would highly encourage going to as many events during fresher’s week as possible and really push yourself to just say “hi” to people.
Everyone’s quite awkward during fresher’s week and each person’s hoping that the other starts the conversation. Being able to initiate a chat is a powerful thing and at uni it’s easy; it’s just one sentence followed by three simple questions: “Hey, my name’s XXXX, what’s your name? Where you from? What do you study?” Do wait for their answer before asking the next question. Each time you do it, you realise the world doesn’t end and that next time becomes that much easier.
If you have the option of staying home or moving into accommodation, there is no right or wrong answer. They both have their pros and cons. And you always have the option of moving out one year and coming back if it wasn’t your thing. I had a fantastic first year with a great social life (probably became more of a bad thing) and, if anything, found staying at home actually helped build my confidence.
