My 1st Year Experience Moving and Settling In…
…by Garret / from London / studying International Relations & International Law / 3rd year
Hi everyone! From the middle of August, I begin a year-long exchange programme at Sciences Po Paris – the build-up to which reminds me very much of how I felt before starting my first year in Edinburgh; nervous, yet excited. In this blog, I’ll be giving my experiences of moving and settling in as an Edinburgh fresher, hopefully helping new students to feel more confident about the beginning of their university journeys!
Anyone who has been to university will tell you that they felt nervous before starting this new adventure. Prior to moving into Baird House, my halls of residence, I remember worrying about making friends and who I was going to be living with. To put my mind to rest, I joined my accommodation group chat and began messaging people who had said they were on my corridor. This helped me realise that I was not the only person feeling uncertain about settling in and also gave me the opportunity to make connections before arriving at university.
On a practical level, it was brought to my attention how disorganised I was when I realised that I had not bought any decorations for my dorm room just a week before moving in! So, off I went with some friends to IKEA where I was able to get lamps, posters, and plants for cheap – a choice I would recommend to all students with tight budgets. With my essential items (bedding, clothes etc.) and room décor packed in the car, my family began the 7-hour journey from London to Edinburgh where we spent the night before I was dropped off the following morning at Baird House.
After carrying my belongings into my bedroom and saying goodbye to my family, it dawned on me that I had truly begun my university experience! I took a few minutes out to let this sink in and then received a message in the group chat to say that people were congregating in the Common Room. I would encourage all freshers to go their accommodation’s Common Room when they arrive – this is the place where I was able to meet lots of people from my house and really start to feel at home. From there, groups of students would head out for a walk around the city, to get some food, or to explore Edinburgh’s nightlife.
Whilst my accommodation was a fantastic place to make friends (eventually it felt as if we were a big family!), I was also able to meet many more people through Freshers’ events, societies, and classes. During Freshers’ Week, I signed up to a whole range of activities including BBQs, movie screenings and pub crawls ran by various clubs. From these events, I decided to join the French, Politics, Film, and Ski Societies – each of which had a social gathering at least once a week, enabling students to meet friends with similar interests. Finally, my tutorial classes, normally involving around 10 other students, allowed me to form close friendships with people pursuing the same degree.
Final Advice to New Students…
- Remember that it is 100% normal to feel nervous before starting university. All students will experience uncertainty about their upcoming university adventure.
- Reach out to other students joining the university through accommodation and subject group chats. These are guaranteed to show you that everyone is in the same boat and will hopefully provide you with connections prior to your move-in date.
- Try not to be as disorganised as me with arranging your belongings to take to university! It’s nice to feel prepared for decorating your room a couple of weeks in advance.
- Visit your accommodation’s Common Room to meet up with students from your halls of residence. The Common Room gave me some of my best memories of 1st year, including an end-of-term prom!
- Sign up to any Freshers’ Week events and societies that interest you. These are a great way to meet people with similar interests.
- Finally, have a fantastic time at university! You have worked so hard to get into the University of Edinburgh and you deserve to have an amazing experience in this incredible city!
