Author: Lily Gershon and Emily Parsons
From those boozy nights at Jimmy’s Bar to showing up to matriculation still drunk, Freshers’ Week is a must-do for all college students. So as the dust begins to settle from the frenzy of partying and asking people if they too have been rejected by Oxbridge, we asked Durham University students to tell us about the highs and lows of their freshers week.
For many students, college includes a well-rounded education both academically and personally. These include the first experiences of balancing finances and prioritizing money. For a freshman entrepreneur, the week was all about saving money by refusing to buy toilet paper. Their solution? Kill two birds with one stone by going on a college bar crawl and stealing toilet paper from bathrooms.The foolish freshman quickly realizes how unsustainable their approach may be, telling indigo “Stealing toilet paper won’t save you that much, just buy it yourself.” We’re sure Durham University’s college is thankful that this new student quickly realized this.
I didn’t buy toilet paper all freshers week.I kept stealing from college bars just to save money
Every student who enters college dreams of breaking their record in school. Whether it’s sports, music or drama, every student desires to be fully immersed in the college experience. One enthusiastic student, however, took the “go big or go home” sentiment to an extreme. After two trips to hospital, the ambitious freshman who broke the record for the worst case of ‘fresh flu’ ever seen by the NHS was diagnosed with severe sinusitis.when speaking indigo In an effort to provide advice for future generations, the student wisely said: “After a week of antibiotics, I recovered quickly. I feel very humbled – flu is no joke. Make sure to stock up on cold and Flu medicine.” We’re definitely going to accept that.
There is no doubt that every student starts to feel nervous before arriving at college. All of us remember the moment you said goodbye to your parents and the sudden realization that you were on your own, making your stomach sink. One student vividly remembers how they “walked into an event alone and everyone was already talking in groups. “I was too nervous to start a conversation, so I pretended to make a phone call and was gone within five minutes. ” But that doesn’t trigger a vicious cycle of self-doubt. When speaking indigoThe intrepid freshman told us how they “talked to friends from back home and made some new friends” the next day – “I made a lot of friends and had a great time in Durham.” We’re sure Every student goes through similar situations, and we are sure that, like this new student, everyone is able to find their own people and enjoy their time.
When I arrived at the registration desk, I was still drunk from the night before.
Societies are a great way to meet new people in Durham. Joining them, however, apparently wasn’t always smooth sailing: “I decided to try college rowing,” one former freshman told us. “But it came to the swim test. I hadn’t swum since I was 12, but a couple of my new roommates and I decided we were all going to give it a try. We got up at 6 a.m., I had a big breakfast, Hopefully it will provide some energy for all the cardio I’m about to do. “Big mistake. ”
“During the swimming test, I saw each roommate complete the task with relative ease. When it was my turn, I jumped in and immediately regretted it, circling it twice like a drowned dog. “I didn’t finish the rest. test, but instead waited for my roommate to finish treading water while I sat feeling like I was going to throw up. ”
“I changed my clothes and started walking back with them. But, about 5 minutes later, I threw up on the street outside a coffee shop at 8:30 am in the cool of the morning. We walked back in silence after that. Pretty sure Say, I didn’t make the rowing team.” When asked if the experience had any long-term effects on such an important roommate relationship, the student told us “Everything was fine. “I ended up dating a guy who Watch me throw up in the street first thing in the morning. ” His advice to freshmen? “Don’t stress. “
Then we walked back in silence
Freshers’ Week is therefore undoubtedly a pivotal time for students, marking the transition from teenagers to adults at university. It’s a time of thrilling highs and cringe-worthy lows, where human boundaries are tested and friendships are forged amid the chaos. The stories shared here provide insight into the awkward and hilarious collective experiences that all students encounter as they begin a new chapter of personal growth—a true testament to the spirit of college life.
Illustrations drawn by Zhao Delin