Hello hello! From the title above, I’m sure you can already guess what this post is about! One of the best weeks of university life is definitely Fresher’s Week.

Fresher’s week is the week before lectures officially begin for the academic year 2015-2016. This year’s fresher’s week is from 28th of September till 2nd October after which lessons begin on the 5th. It’s a week of events, Meet and Greets as well as themed nights in Rubix and The Living Room (Surrey University’s on campus clubs) before finishing off with Fresher’s Fayre on a Friday.

As an international student, I highly recommend students to participate not only in Fresher’s Week but also in the International Orientation Programme which will be on the 24th & 25th of September 2015. The programme is a chance for international students to familiarize themselves with the university as well as the surrounding areas. There’s a welcome dinner usually on the first night which gives students a chance to mingle and get to know each other. Besides that, there are trips around Guildford & Surrey as well as information talks held throughout the 2 days. For those who may be travelling alone, fear not! On the 22nd, 23rd and 26th September 2015, there will be Surrey students at both Heathrow and Gatwick airport who are there to assist and bring you and your luggage to the university. 

A really neat way to get to know more about the university, your course or even your future housemates is through Facebook. There are numerous Facebook pages dedicated to either Economics First Year students 2015/2016 or Hazel Farm residents 2015/2016 for example. There are also generic Surrey Fresher’s Week 2015/2016 pages which have up to date information on the events planned for the week. I myself joined all these groups back in 2013 even before leaving for the UK.

I met my future course mates as well as housemates which was really exciting. We’d made plans to meet once we all had settled in to attend the Fresher’s Week events together which definitely helped ease my nerves. Coming in as an international student definitely was quite daunting; however, making friends even before leaving Malaysia made the transition just that little bit easier. At the end of the day, chances are, everyone’s as nervous and wants to make friends.

Fresher’s Week includes loads of activities from meetings with your personal tutor and program coordinator to being able to tour the lecture halls and lab rooms. The Students Union host a number of events as well that are worth checking out. Every night during Fresher’s Week is a themed night at either Rubix or The Living Room. There’ll be wristbands on sale which roughly cost around £60 for the whole week. Otherwise, individual tickets are on sale for each night on Tixtu, the University’s online ticket purchasing system but fair warning, tickets sell out quickly!
Definitely have a look out for your welcome week timetable which can be accessed from the link below though it may be too early at the moment;
http://www.surrey.ac.uk/welcome/home.htm

 
On the website, you can enter where you will be throughout your studies (eg: on campus throughout), your program, and if you’re an undergraduate student for example. It will then generate a welcome week timetable, among other things. This way, each student’s timetable is tailored to their own program and needs. I’d definitely suggest keeping a look at the link and your individual emails for updates.

 
Then there’s Fresher’s Fayre which is held at PATS field and should be on the 2nd of October 2015. It’s where students get to know more about all the societies and clubs at Surrey University and your opportunity to join them all! I vaguely remember signing up to almost every society and club present as I was so excited at all the opportunities available! There are lots of non-university stalls as well such as Nando’s and Domino’s who give out free meal vouchers. Also at the fayre, I probably collected enough pens and note pads to last me my entire time at university! Check it out, it’s worth it! There are also really good discounts on Surrey University merchandise at the fayre; what better way to fit in then to wear a Surrey University hoodie within the first week of university.

 
Finally, this week is there for you to relax, enjoy yourself and make new friends before university really begins. Take a trip down to London which is only 38 minutes away by train or have a wander around Guildford town to see the many shops and restaurants it has to offer. Once I became familiar with the area, it didn’t feel so foreign to me anymore. In fact, Guildford has truly become my home away from home.

Till next time,
Selamat tinggal!