How to make the most of Welcome Week

Amy-Louise’s experience and tips for Welcome Week.

I’m going into my second year of studying History at York St John University. I know more now about how to make the most of Welcome Week than I did last year, having done this once already, I can better adapt myself to the new academic year and develop skills I gained last year to apply myself to the second year of study.

Last year, I was incredibly nervous to start university. It was one of the first major changes in my daily routine and lifestyle. I had never left home before, not without my parents or siblings being with me all of the time, so this change felt so much bigger and scarier to me than anything I had ever faced in the past.

This year, however, I am more excited than nervous to return to university. I am excited to meet people on my course, meet my lecturers and get involved in my studies. This is what Welcome Week is perfect for.

How did you make the most of your time during these weeks?

During Welcome Week, I know to throw myself into everything and anything there is to offer and make the most of the first few lectures and seminars where the course and modules for this year are outlined as well as meeting the other students on my modules. During these weeks, to make the most out of it, I know now to accept the change and embrace all the new experiences and opportunities that university life brings and not to fear the change that comes with it.

I looked at what was and currently is being offered at university during Welcome Week and plan what I really want to do and what I’m not as interested in. I know from last year, I had a lot of fun with the poster sale, plant sale and vintage clothing sales and plan on visiting these again this year. I’m not someone who goes out a lot and I don’t really enjoy clubbing that much so I know that these events are not ones that I would actively pursue unless my friends from last year were making plans for it.

How did you balance your time with studies and socialising?

Balancing studying and socialising has always been something I struggle with. Many of my close friends have even gone as far as describing me as someone who is ‘all work and no play’, which is a mentality I have spent many years trying to change. This isn’t always an easy thing to do, after all, old habits die hard. To help this, I love using a planner where I can see when I am in lectures and seminars and what time I have free. I tend to then split my free time into when I will be studying, usually for me this is for a few hours before and after classes and spending the time I am not studying productively with a main focus on maintaining my mental and physical health.

Did you struggle with any aspects / have you got any tips you learned?

Last year, I struggled with a lack of routine. I wasn’t making the most out of my days, not only during welcome week but for the first semester of the year. I was waking up a different times each day, sleeping in late and not looking out for my mental health so this was severely jeopardised. This year, I want to focus more on experiencing everything, not just trying to get through each day.

I learnt from last year, the importance of sleep hygiene and routines for me. I learnt that I am someone who needs a strict routine for everything in order to help me cope with the changes that university life brings. I know how to build this routine and plan on starting it as soon as I can, even if I don’t have classes or studying to do yet.

I also struggled with socialising at first, I was very anxious to talk to new people. I spent a lot of time at the begining of the year on my own, not really knowing anybody, but so many people are in the same boat of moving away from home for the first time and being lost in the new world of university. No one is really alone during this time, so it’s totally alright to need help if you feel lost.

How did you manage finances?

For Welcome Week last year, I put a set amount of money aside for it. I budgeted the fact that I would probably spend more in the first few week of university than I might during the rest of the year and didn’t sacrifice anything. Putting aside extra money for Welcome Week last year really helped me to remain in budget, especially as I work a lot over the summer in order to fund things I want to do at university like coffee dates with friends or buying more posters than I will ever know what to do with, but I am sure that’s all part of the fun of being away from home for so long.

I try to not be super strict on myself with finances either so that then I don’t feel guilty for doing something fun or something that will make me feel better about the day. I found the best way to do this was to keep a ‘rainy day’ fund for these occasions and always making sure that I have money in this pot incase of an emergency.

What did you do during these weeks? Did you partake in any of the events by the uni?

Whilst Welcome Week hasn’t fully started yet, I have already planned events I really want to go to based on what I did or didn’t do last year. I know I definitely will try make it to the poster sale again and the plant sale as I had a lot of fun getting to know my flatmates through these events and meeting people that I would see around York later in the year.

I’ll definitely be around campus a lot during Welcome Week, settling back into studying and life at university, and will partake in many events that pique my interest.