25 students share their advice for freshers at university

First year of university can be a lot to take in. Often, you're moving away from home and managing living independently for the first time. On top of that, you want to make the perfect group of friends and do well in your assignments.

To help you get settled, we've reached out to our network of members who've been there and done that to get their tips and advice for first-year uni students.

Out of all the members we reached out to for uni student advice, a 30% majority told us something along the lines of "put yourself out there," especially during freshers' week.

While the rest of university is also a great time to try new activities and meet new people, there's nothing like first year when it comes to the amount of opportunities you'll have.

Here's our members' advice for making the most of first year as a uni student:

"Don’t be afraid to go to events and join in on things. Most of the time, everyone is in the same position as you."

"Have fun and explore as much as possible. I also recommend arriving to uni earlier, so that you have enough time to get to know everyone around and speak to the students in the year above."

"Don't be afraid to ask questions!"

"Try anything and everything when you have the chance."

"Go out and do as much as you can to meet as many people as you can."

"Be confident and self-assured."

"I would tell myself to sign up to more things at the freshers' fair and take more advantage of all the discounts given!"

"Make more friends. There's always more people to find and be friends with."

"Don't be shy to make friends – and ask your professors as much as you can."

The next most common piece of advice from our members? To join societies. Of all the students we talked to, a solid 15% recommended clubs and societies, or said they wish they'd gotten more involved in their first year of university.

"If I could go back and do freshers' week again, I'd tell myself to be more proactive in joining clubs and societies right from the start and get more engaged in different activities. It would have helped with making new friends, but also exploring new interests.

"I'd also tell myself to attend more social events and networking opportunities to build a stronger sense of community early on."

"I'd say to myself, don't be scared to join up to lots of societies because that's where you'll meet people that have the same interests as you."

"Take part in more extracurriculars. I focused on coursework and grades too much in first year and it was pretty miserable. If I gave myself spare time to try new things, I would definitely have been happier."

"I would join at least one sport, and a few more interesting societies like baking, trying all the 'give it a go' sessions on offer at the start of the year.

"I would also be much more strict with my study, and treat university more like a 9-5 as I realise now that I do not work well at all after going home.

"Finally, I would stress a lot less. First year didn't count for me and my grades were decent, so I could've done without a lot of the worry I had earlier on in the year."

"I'd try to join more societies and clubs, and not to be too shy."

"My advice is to join societies, talk to more people and have a clear vision of what you want to achieve throughout the year."

"Go to lots of society intro sessions!"

Most students agree that you should try to enjoy your first year, but also not take it too easy on the academics. When you first start university, it might take some getting used to the new styles of assignments you'll come across. Essays, exams and teaching methods are all very different to how they are at school and college, and there's more of a focus on managing your learning independently.

Here's our members' advice on studying in first year:

"Have fun for the two weeks before uni properly starts. After that, ensure that you attend all lectures and seminars so that you don't miss anything and have a maximum chance of hitting the higher grades."

"Don't wait to ask for help. If you're struggling academically, personally or socially, reach out sooner rather than later. Asking for help isn't a weakness, and your professors, advisors and counsellors are there to help."

"I'd say you should enjoy uni, but try to focus a bit more in lectures."

"Grades matter. First year should be fun, but the academic side is also important."

"Make sure to stay on top of everything. As difficult as it is, it will be beneficial in the long run."

Between everything else you're juggling as a first-year student at university, it's easy to forget about looking after yourself. Remember to register for your new GP surgery, get enough sleep and exercise, and take it easy if you get hit with the dreaded freshers' flu.

"Try to plan your study time effectively, but set aside time to relax as well."

"Bring cough medicine and watch out for freshers' flu."

"Alcohol is not always that fun!"

"Go to bed earlier haha."

Please note some names have been changed.