Freshers' views
Tuesday 24 October 2006
Following on from the first part of our freshers' blog, we take a look at some of the experiences freshers just like you have been telling us about their first week at uni.
Responsible
Raj started his studies in ecology a month ago. "I thought I'd be really early homesick but once I got used to it, I felt fine. It's strange not having to get up really every morning to go to school. It's down to me to be responsible for myself."
Independent
"I feel totally independent and like an adult," says Social Care student Natalie. "There's nobody telling me what to do and none of the childish bitchiness you get at school. I think the difference is that people actually want to be here."
English undergraduate Sean agrees. "I thought that I wouldn't be able to cope with things like sorting out meals or finances and getting myself into college on time but I didn't give myself enough credit."
Homesick
Not everybody loves doing their own thing, though.
For Petra, the hardest thing was saying goodbye to her boyfriend. "I was so upset because he's gone to Bristol and I'm here at Manchester," she says.
"We talk on the phone most nights but I'm getting quite busy and I know it's important to make new friends. Hopefully we can see each other soon."
"I must admit I miss being at home," says Claire, 18. "All my friends are there and my mum and dad. The good thing is that they all can't wait to visit me at weekends so I shouldn't be homesick much longer."
Concentration
Londoner Billal, studying French, thought that it'd be boring studying just one subject. "I thought that concentrating just on French would mean that I wouldn't learn anything else," he tells us.
"In fact, there are loads of elements to French that there's just not the time to go into at school."
