By Lauren, fourth-year Politics student from Scotland

Coming to university can be an overwhelming experience – suddenly, you are in a new city, surrounded by new people, and facing new experiences and challenges.

When I joined the University in 2021, I felt a lot of anxiety around Welcome Week as I felt like I needed to be doing something 24/7, whether that be attending society events, trying to meet new people, or getting a feel of the city.  

Looking back now, however, there are some things that I would suggest you can do to help you avoid being overwhelmed during Welcome Week.

Before I arrived  in Edinburgh

Planning and research

My top tip for avoiding overwhelm during Welcome Week is to plan ahead and research. Before I arrived in Edinburgh, I completed my Top 6 Tasks online, which helped me feel more prepared to start university. I also looked through the New Students website, which helped me realise that I would need to register with a GP in Edinburgh, how to find one that was accepting new patients, and what information I needed to provide to sign up.

Complete your Top 6 Tasks online

Registering for support 

I also found out that I needed to register with the Disability and Learning support service, as I have a disability. The team were then able to help me get equipment to aid my learning, as well as a schedule of adjustments. I was able to sign up before I arrived so that my schedule was in place when my classes started!  

View Disability and Learning Support Service information

Getting orientated

While I had been to Edinburgh quite a few times before coming to study here, another way I tried to combat feeling overwhelmed during Welcome Week was by using Google Maps to visualise the city.

By using the little yellow dropper, I was able to map out the route I would take from my accommodation to campus, where my lectures would be held, and where different restaurants and pubs were, to help me find the best route to get home safely. This came in handy during the winter months when it gets dark early, as I figured out how to get home in well-lit areas!  When it came to getting used to the campus, I also used the campus map and the virtual tours which helped me navigate how to get from building to building in between lectures!

Downloading The University of Edinburgh Events App

Another way that I tried to combat the nerves of Welcome Week was by using the University of Edinburgh events app. Here, I was able to look at all of the Welcome Week events happening across campus, the essential events I needed to attend, and some of the tours and activities that I could sign up for. When scrolling through, I noticed that there were so many events that interested me, and I was able to add them all to my schedule tab to come back to later.

Download The University of Edinburgh Events App

Explore societies and events

Another resource I used was the Edinburgh University Student Association website, where I could search for some of the societies that interested me, sign up for events, and buy a membership to societies I wanted to join! 

View Edinburgh University Students’ Association website

When I arrived in Edinburgh

Don’t overbook 

When it came to attending Welcome Week activities and events, my top tip is to not overbook yourself! I thought that if I wanted to join a society, I needed to attend every single one of their Welcome Week activities, otherwise I would be missing key information! However, I quickly found out that a lot of societies do duplicate events to try to meet more people, so I only needed to attend one to get a feel of the society.

Making friends

Similarly, I would recommend not putting too much pressure on yourself to make lifelong friends with as many people as possible during Welcome Week. While a lot of the people I met during Welcome Week were amazing, most of the people I am best friends with now I didn’t meet until later in the year, through the likes of society events and course tutorials! Read more about my top tips for making friends. 

 During Welcome Week I also attended a lot of events by myself, which seemed scary but took a lot of pressure off staying at the activities longer than I wanted. I quickly found that a lot of people were also coming to events by themselves, so we could team up for group activities if needed!   

Prioritising mental health and wellbeing 

Overall, the main thing to prioritise during Welcome Week is your mental health and physical well-being. While going to tons of events and meeting hundreds of people in the week sounds exciting, make sure that you check in with yourself so that you don’t burn yourself out by the time you start classes. Make sure you are fuelling your body, looking after yourself, and taking time to breathe.  

Students using the Wellbeing Lounge in the health and wellbeing centre

Also, take downtime if you need it – explore the Meadows or the Botanic Gardens, visit a local museum, or simply grab a coffee or sweet treat by yourself to help ground you. Coming to University is a big enough challenge, so reward yourself with downtime away from the busy buzz of Welcome Week!