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Surviving O'Week

by - Monday, March 09, 2015

As you may know, or may not know, I'm a university student, in my second year in fact. For me the best part of university is the social aspect for sure, I mean yeah education is awesome, but add in a diverse culture, people, activities and food, and it's practically a great experience for however long you're there for.

For those who aren't sure what O'Week actually is, it's a week where you explore your university. Now every university is different of course, the information I provide is based on my experience, so just take it as a guide.

First of university, it was safe to say that I was crapping myself, like after year 12, you think hey I got this, I can't wait to be free of the constraints of the system that is high school, but boy oh boy does it get even more confusing! However, don't you worry yourself over that, universities are really helpful, although the communication is way different, whereby you have certain and very specific people to contact about certain things. For example, say you want help with planning a course structure, you can contact the faculty you're apart of and they'll for sure provide you with the support you need. If you need help in regards to financial matters or anything else specifically, there are always particular offices to visit and people to contact either face to face, through a phone or via email or even social media. There's also the matter of a university being much larger in comparison to high school, the campus(es) is bigger and there is a larger population of students. At the start it can be difficult to wrap your head around the change but like anything, if your routine is to a level of repetitiveness, you'll totally get used to it. Even as a second year student I still have trouble with certain things. I was a mess in first year, received different information from people, didn't know where anything was, transferred courses mid-year and all those problems students face, but once you seek support, ask questions (don't be afraid of that), you'll be fine.

Just so you know, although certain aspects of O'Week aren't compulsory, I highly recommend you participate in O'Week, especially when you're a first year, and even if you're not, it's always good to go and just enjoy the atmosphere. Although you may find faculty welcomes, course information and university tours boring or even a waste of time, based on my experience, you meet people just like you; afraid to make friends, scared to be at university, unsure of yourself really. Everyone is in the same boat. So it is advised for first years that you attend everything, you may think you know it all, but sometimes you don't and there's no harm in finding out more information.

Now that all the information overload has been discussed, it's time to get into the exciting elements of O'Week. One of my favourite things is receiving free stuff, and oh lord do you get bombarded with the free stuff. Free pens, free iced coffee, free food, it's basically a free for all paradise! There are mini markets, sort of boutique settings, clubs and societies that you can join and plenty of other things to keep you occupied. Picture the scene in Pitch Perfect where Beca explores her college and comes across the acapella group 'Bellas', it's exactly like that, you just walk around looking at different groups you can join and sign up for activities like sports, bar crawls and so on. When I go to O'Week, no matter what day it is there's always something happening, from a live DJ, to a live local band, to roller coaster rides, yes you heard right, roller coaster rides, it's always a party.

I'm not sure how it goes for other universities, but mine provides an itinerary according to your course and provides you with the specifics and also the general activities. On my itinerary, information sessions, help sessions, tour guides, the times for when there was the free food and the opening of markets, clubs and societies and a whole lot of other, diverse programs. There's not just the usual schedule to look forward to but there are numerous activities that are for the students as a whole, so it's not singular in regards to only providing activities for those who study a certain course.
Usually, student's organise events at the university. A mystery bus tour is one example, where you're in a bus with other students and play drinking games and just get to know everyone. There's also movie night; where students are invited to watch a movie outdoors. There's a comedy night, this is self-explantory. And last, but not least, parties are held at the university and also at certain venues. All of these events allow you to experience the social culture of university first hand.

You're basically spoilt for choice when it comes to O'Week, there's so much to experience. The aim of O'Week is to not only let students take in the surroundings and get to know other students, but also to create an atmosphere that is enjoyable. Going to O'Week is the best decision you will ever make.

With regards to outfit choices for O'Week, I think you should wear whatever you feel comfortable in. I've gone for the crop top and shorts option or dress option, and paired it with a platform shoe that adds height without it being uncomfortable. You could always wear jeans, a top and sneakers, it's entirely up to you. In my first week of university, I saw someone wearing their pyjamas, no judgement at all, sometimes you just don't have time to get pretty for university.

Although I've spoken of the perks to O'Week with regards to the events and activities and the overall experience, the week is also for preparing your studies. Generally, this helps you to survive through university and let's you get a head start in the coursework. So if you're doing O'Week, although it's all fun, exciting and overwhelming, it's best to be level-headed, check out the resources you'll need, especially online resources, check that you have all your textbooks and everything you need for the journey ahead. Create a plan, write important dates down, note down your timetable, make sure you know where your classrooms are located and if you're ever stuck, contact your university and ask for help, ask as many questions as you need to, no question is ever dumb.

And that my friends is how you survive O'Week.

If you have any questions about anything at all or want to share your own experiences with me, contact me through social media like Twitter and Google+, tag me on Instagram posts, ask me a question via Tumblr, or simply comment on this blog post.

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Also, if you've just become a student or are a continuing student, check out UNiDAYS, you get discounts off your favourite stores like Topshop, ASOS, Missguided, and much more, signing up is free and you get all the perks just for being a student!

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