Guest blog by Victoria Coleman
With thousands of new students moving to Norwich each year, with no clue where to start first, here is an official Graduate’s Guide to navigating Fresher’s Week…
Hi, I’m Victoria! As a recent graduate from the University of East Anglia, studying and living in Norwich the past four years was a magical experience for me. When moving across the country to university for the first time, I was lucky enough to move to a city like Norwich which felt like a home away from home right away.
Having spent the past few years of my life there, I feel well-equipped to deliver a useful “low-down” of what to expect during your first week!
After taking part in many fresher events over the years, I can confidently say that they are all brilliant ways to meet people and to get to experience the university atmosphere straight away.
A good starting point is to head to UEA’s student union website to check out all of the fun fresher’s events available in welcome week. This year, UEA is hosting a variety of exciting and diverse events, including; the Welcome Party; Glow; Glitterbomb x Spectrum Barbie Rave (UEA’s LGBTQ+ club night); Disco Golf; Arcade Day; Common Room; Chill Day, and many others.
Whether you prefer to make friends in a livelier setting, or through daytime activities, you won’t be at a loss of events to attend during fresher’s week. As your first week is such a busy time and there are so many exciting events to choose from, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by which ones to make time for!
Now, let’s talk getting to know people. I know that it can be very daunting moving to a new place and living with a flat of completely new people, but I can assure you that it’s not as scary as it may seem (don’t worry, everyone is in the same boat). Personally, I found that the best way to bond with your flatmates or new people in general was through attending the welcome week events together and even just exploring Norwich together.
Exploring Norwich is a great way to spend your fresher’s week!
Naturally, during your busy day out in Norwich doing all of these activities, you may need some time to chill out for lunch, so here are my top five recommendations of local, delicious, and budget friendly places for a food stop:
In addition to all the socialising, events, and exploring that you’ll be doing, you will most likely receive your timetable at some point, too! Unsure of when or how to prepare for my course beforehand, I definitely could’ve done with some guidance in that area, so I am here to tell you to relax!
As welcome week is all about welcoming freshers and helping them feel settled first, you won’t start any academic coursework or have any seminars and lectures in your first week, so don’t worry about preparing for your course just yet.
Hopefully I have shed some light onto what to expect during Fresher’s Week, and how to make the most of it. Norwich will always be a place I call home, and I hope you will soon feel that way, too. I know it can seem overwhelming, so just remember to take one day at a time, and enjoy the little moments. Finally, welcome to Norwich, the City of Stories (make the most of it)!
