Lizzie Cage is studying Sociology at ARU in Cambridge and explains how Freshers’ Week was such a magical time for her, as it helped her settle in and make new friends.
If I had to pick out my favourite magical moment at ARU so far, I’d have to pick Freshers’ Week of my first year. In the first week alone, I made my lifelong friends, through introductory lectures where we walked around Cambridge getting to know each other, the freshers' fair and claiming all the amazing free things from the societies, to then all the freshers' activities like the petting zoo and the water fight.
The events put on by the Students’ Union made it so much easier to talk to people about where you were from, what course you were doing, what societies you were thinking of joining. It made it so easy to make new friends even if you were nervous. A key memory for me was after my first lecture doing ice breakers in which I felt a little uncomfortable, I then went to look around the fair but two people from my class followed me around from stall to stall until it was time to leave. Those two people are now my best friends [and] I am so glad they had the courage I didn’t and decided that I was cool enough to hang around with. Then throughout first year because of those I met then, I have made so many more friends who I can’t imagine spending my three years at ARU without.
My experience highlights how important it is to do the activities and engage in Freshers’ Week, if I decided not to attend or go straight back to my accommodation, I wouldn’t have met the people I live with, and I certainly wouldn’t be as happy as I am now. So, my message to all those nervous about starting university and making friends is: your people are out there, and they will find you if you can’t find them!
All our new undergraduate students have a Welcome Buddy and there are lots of opportunities to make friends through Freshers' Week, social events and student-led societies. Come to an Open Day and hear more about life at ARU from our Student Ambassadors.