So you’ve moved in, got your hall t-shirt on and are ready for the next few weeks. But how different are you to the ‘average’ student? Label Online have composed a list of fresher fortnight stereotypes, read them below, and see how many you can see yourself falling into.
Over excited for everything
You hear the words ‘it’s nearly time to go’, someone knocks on your door or you’re even just taking a trip into town. All of these very normal things, but during freshers they are heightened by about 150% just because its a new and exciting place and who really knows where the words ‘it’s nearly time to go’ could lead you this evening?
Drinking a lot
A staple of most, but by no means everyones, freshers fortnight. You’ll find that there are union shops right in walking distance from your accommodation that sell a variety of different drinks, and no parents to look disapprovingly at that very cheap, and very big bottle of Lambrini you are bringing back. On nights out in Loughborough drinks seem even cheaper and again, there is no one to tell you off if you stumble home singing your very loud hall chants late at night.
Hating every other hall on and off campus except your own
Usually, the first time you are made to sing a hall chant, no one really gets it. But within about a day, you suddenly start to realise that your hall is the elite of Loughborough and that everyone else is a complete idiot for not picking it. As the sing off draws closer, you find you’re actually starting to dislike the people from different halls as your competitive side to be part of the hall crowned sing off champions 2012 grows stronger and stronger.
Trying to make friends with everyone in order to see who you actually like
There’s a phrase I heard when coming to university which was ‘you spend the first term meeting people, and the next three years avoiding them’. Obviously this isn’t true for everyone, but maybe you’ve already decided you spoke to that creepy guy from down the hall for too long on the first day and now he’s always just there, or you’re already dreading walking to lectures with the other very boring person in halls who does your course. Being friendly can sometimes have its repercussions after freshers week but hopefully somewhere in that mix you’ll find some people you can actually see yourself being good friends with.
Taking a lot of photos
Freshers is a big memory right? Even if every person (or more likely every girl) in your flat has a camera it’s good to have as many photos as possible, and of course, none of you are actually constantly thinking about when these will go on facebook, for everyone at home to see how much of a good time you’re having, none of you at all…
Looking forward to when you can use the line ‘down it fresher’ on other people
It’s a line you’ll be plagued with all year and even though its fun now, as a first year its a power you won’t have for at least another twelve months. But as long as you manage to pass your first year at uni, this great saying could be all yours for use.
Reciting sing off chants to yourself in private so you definitely know them
Nobody wants to be the awkward one standing there who doesn’t really know what they’re saying, the one the fresher helpers look at with concern and come up to after the practise asking ’do you know it? Do you want me to go through it all with you again?‘ It’s much easier to just repeat it to yourself in your room alone and save any public embarrassment, just so long as the door is firmly shut and its only at a whisper.
Freshers flu approaching
You’ve been told about it, and you’ve stocked up on lemsip just in case. And sometime soon, it will bubble to the surface after being pushed down for as long as possible and you’ll have to give in to the fact you’re not the special one that overcame this yearly fixture.
Burning something when attempting to cook
If you’ve never cooked before, this is a given. If you have cooked before you’ll probably be trying to show off or get distracted by tonights timetable and find your chargrilled chicken is now just charred.
Smugly deciding your freshers is much better than any other uni
This is what us finalists know as the ‘Loughborough Arrogance’. Its something that takes over a lot of people in our dear university as we realise that not only is our hall the best, but our uni is the best in general. You’ll find yourself looking forward to when you go back home at Christmas with uni stories 100 times better than your friends. After all, ‘Loughborough walk on water…’ (if you’re yet to learn this chant, check back in two weeks and I guarantee you will).
How much does this compare to your freshers fortnight so far? Let us know by commenting below, or follow us on Twitter @labelonline
