Freshers' week: Tips for surviving uni first year

Kirthigan is about to start uni - and he's got questions

They say it's one of the best times of your life.

But trying to juggle making friends, budgeting, work, and taking care of your mental health can feel like quite a lot.

"I'm really excited for this adventure, but I'm not going to lie, the idea of trying to make new friends is quite daunting," says first-year student Kirthigan Kirupakaran.

The 19-year-old, who's about to start university, adds: "I've gotten a lot of advice from TikTok, and apparently the most important thing is getting an air fryer."

Hmm.

BBC Asian Network thought Kirthigan might benefit from some face-to-face advice, so we invited three current students to give him their top tips for surviving first year.

Handling freshers' week

For most students, the first days at uni will be their first time living away from home.

It's full-on and likely to include a lot of socialising and nights out - which can have some side-effects.

"First years need to be aware of freshers' flu," advises Kirthana, who's Kirthigan's big sister.

"Everyone gets ill the first time."

Kirthana, 21, is starting her third year at university and recommends new students join as many societies as they can.

She says it's helped her to make friends and boost her confidence.

"I'm part of Tamil society, and I'll be the president for this academic year," she says.

"A society is like having that sort of home away from home sort of thing, where you can build that community together and host events where you can celebrate your culture."

Kirthana says it's good to have a plan for balancing your work and your life

Pace yourself

Dalveen Sandhu, 22, who has just finished university, also believes joining societies and big nights out can be key to a successful freshers' week.

However, she advised Kirthigan to drink responsibly and "don't go too hard at pre-drinks".

"One thing I regret is that I never made it past pre-drinks. I feel like I just missed out on a lot of club nights."

Socialising doesn't come cheap, but Dalveen tells Kirthigan she came to uni with a budget plan for freshers' week - going as far as making an Excel document.

"In my first year, I was literally rolling in money because I got the maximum student loan," she says.

"It was like the most money I've ever seen in my bank."

Dalveen doesn't recommend spending your whole loan in a week, but says freshers' week can be expensive.

"I would say maybe even double your budget there because you'll want to be making friends and going out a lot more," she says.

Dalveen says you should expect to spend more in freshers' week because of the socialising involved

Tupper wars

Drinking is one thing, but feeding yourself is another thing that can stretch your cash with the cost of living so high.

That's why Kirthana believes the number one uni essential is Tupperware.

"First years should go and invest in some good Tupperware that's going to last," she says.

"Because you don't want to be buying lunch on campus every single day."

Final-year student Pria Syed, 21, agrees personal finance is an important aspect of uni life.

"You have to worry about socialising, grocery shopping and transport," she says.

Pria, president of the University of London's Bangla society, told Kirthigan she regretted not saving in her first year.

"I could have saved a lot more money if I decided to take a packed lunch," she says.

"But in the morning if I have nine O'Clock lectures, I don't feel like making myself lunch.

"Don't be like me and have lunch on campus every single day."

Pria says she's struggled with time management in the past

Uni work-life balance

Kirthigan admits that he didn't take sixth form super-seriously.

"I get distracted really easily, even just like scrolling through TikTok or something" he says.

"I don't think that's going to work out great in university. I think I need to put time aside and actually focus."

Pria finds setting yourself a timer help.

"So, for example, you work for the next half an hour with no distractions," she says.

However, Pria still struggles to balance her university work with her social life.

"I'm actually someone who struggles with time management because I'll find myself prioritising my society at times.

"I also spend roughly four hours a day commuting, which could've been time to work."

Similar to Pria, Kirthana sometimes finds it hard to make time for self-care at university, but makes an effort to.

"What I usually do is see how busy I am with work and then see if I can schedule time in the gym, if I can schedule in meeting my friends, and I will try to make plans ahead of time."

It's good to talk

For many students, university can be a difficult time, especially for those living away from friends and family.

"I didn't realise how lonely it can get at university," says Kirthana.

"As much as you have friends around, everyone has different schedules, and it can be quite easy to kind of isolate yourself."

Dalveen also had a similar experience in first year.

"I come from a big Indian family, and I've got three siblings and a dog, and you don't realise how much atmosphere they add to the house.

"So going from that to silence in your room can be a lot."

"So my advice would be to plan your day and make sure that you are giving time to socialise or meeting people and be honest about your feelings to your friends."

If you've been affected by the issues raised in this article, help and support is available via BBC Action Line.

Listen to Ankur Desai's show on BBC Asian Network live from 15:00-18:00 Monday to Thursday - or listen back here.