It’s only been just over a week since the season finale and personally I’m already feeling the post-Love Island emptiness. For almost two months we indulged in the drama that this year’s group of singles brought us, and now we need to find another occurrence to place our excitement and anticipation on.
Luckily for us Freshers Week is only about a month away and if you really think about it, not all that different from the Love Island experience. You know other than the fact that it won’t be 30 degrees, most of us are probably on much lower budgets than ITV2, and those beach bodies didn’t all work out as well as we had hoped.
But let’s not dwell on the negative. Here are some of the ways your Freshers Week will allow you to relate to UK’s favourite glamorous singles:
1. The ultimate dining experience
Arriving at university comes with all sorts of immediate goals about the incredibly organised and adult lifestyle you will now begin to lead. The rush you’ll feel the first time you pick up your own shopping cart is well, minimal, but still exciting, because clearly you’re now the boss and you can cook whatever you so please.
In your mind that will go something like this:
Carefully arranged breakfast every morning, so you feel good, and fully fuelled to start your day (Calvin Klein model not included).
But inevitably you’ll realise that you don’t actually have the skill set or energy required to prepare your ideal gourmet meal. So you’ll quickly decide that anything that you don’t have to cut, chop, mix, or stir anything into before placing on the stove or in the oven, is now your new “favourite” thing.
Prepare to be stuffed to the brim of sausage, because let’s face it, there’s no logical way you could truly mess that up.
2. Essential or optional?
Look familiar?
Generally this is the face you’d have after getting comfortable in bed, only to realise that you forgot to turn off the lights and have to get up again just to turn them off.
But one of the first few nights of Freshers Week this is the look of someone who is realising that the single roll of toilet paper they were so kindly gifted on move in day is quickly coming to an end, and note to self, they have to remember to go buy more.
One purchase that is, most definitely, essential.
3. Introductory Lectures
In your mind ‘introductory’ loosely translates to ‘won’t have to do anything yet’, which is probably for the best considering the vulnerable state you’ll be in, showing up to class after your ‘introductory’ nights out.
But what you don’t consider is that at some point during these introductions, the lecturer will move on from an exciting speech on all the things you’ll be graced with learning over the next few months, to an incredibly depressing list of everything you’ll be expected to do. It’ll feel a bit like a kick in the face, considering the huge smile you had plastered across your face when you first walked in there. Then they go and say something horrible like that. Can you imagine the audacity?
We totally didn’t see this coming. #absolutepietotheface
4. So let’s go around the class and introduce ourselves
Oh man who’s genius idea was this? Wait, quick, think of something interesting. Right okay, just have to say my name, a little about myself, and why I decided to study this subject. I’ve got this in the bag.
The circle starts but you’re still sitting there deciding what you want everyone’s first impression of you to be, so you’ve only heard half the names so far. Eh it’s alright, sure you’ll pick up on them later.
Oh it’s my turn? Yes well, if I had to describe myself I guess I would say…
If something like that accidentally slips out, just be grateful that your seminar isn’t being broadcast to the entire nation. You can still live that down (maybe).
5. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them
Living at home was always a somewhat regulated environment, with our parents clearly being the maintenance enforcers. If things were left out and about in the kitchen for more than a few hours, either you would be highly “encouraged” to clean it up, or on a lucky day they may just take care of it themselves. But either way messes never lasted long.
Student accommodation is a whole other story. Especially during Freshers Week when you’re constantly going out and haven’t yet experienced the horror of mystery moldy dishes.
You’ll walk into the kitchen the morning after a night of rushed dinner preparations and pre-drinks and realise that everything is still where you left it.
6. Self-justification
It’s a Monday night and most of your new friends have decided they’re heading to Dusk for a night out. You feel slightly guilty because you promised your parents you “wouldn’t go out too much”, and it is a week night, but on the other hand you’re only young once and in the famous words of Olivia, you didn’t come here to “sit in the corner and knit”.
I guess technically you came to get a degree… but you can get back to that minor detail tomorrow.
7. Supervising from the sidelines
If you’re not supposed to watch/”quietly” cheer as your new friends and flatmates attempt to graft at Fubar, why did they even bring you along?
It’s important to always have friends around to support you.
Especially if you do something stupid.
Hopefully they’ll even film it for you. #Saturdaynightrecap
8. Abandonment issues
After a few two many VKs and tequila shots, you’ll find that the amount of people you arrived with has gradually dispersed as they call it a night and head on home. Some nights you’ll be the one leaving and other nights you’ll feel no greater disappointment than watching as these new friends are the ones leaving you.
A calm and reasonable person would just wish them a safe trip home, but if you’re feeling anything like Tyla on this particular night, that won’t be the case.
It’ll be absolutely outrageous, but hey, if you really cared you would go as well. #muggygoodbyes
9. Hydration is key
Make sure to stay hydrated and take care of yourselves. Freshers Week can lead to a lot of “not-so-fresh” mornings where your throat feels like sandpaper and the only cure is sticking your face under the bathroom faucet.
10. Pizza fixes everything
Finally, we have the holy grail of Freshers Week, and in all honesty most likely all four years of your university experience. Pizza is a delicacy best served free… I mean hot, and can make almost anyone feel the way Chris does when he sees Olivia (and the way the rest of the nation does when seeing Chris).
Featured Image Credit: ITV2
