Freshers’ Week!

First, let me start off by saying CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR A LEVEL RESULTS! And secondly, WELCOME TO THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER.

If there’s one thing that I’m sure you’re excited about, it’s Freshers’ week. And you’re completely right in being excited because Freshers’ Week really is a blast. It’s the week where you get to meet loads of new friends, discover the city, get plenty of freebies and the best of all – make amazing memories (that you may or may not remember the next day).

Having already done Freshers’ last year, and ultimately, doing it again this year, I thought I’d share with you some of my experiences, and recommendations so that you can make the most out of your Freshers’!

• Wristbands – While there are different kinds of Freshers’ wristbands available, the one I would recommend to you is the official University of Leicester FreshFest wristband, which includes all events that the SU and partnering clubs run. With this band, you also get a Legendary Bar Crawl t-shirt and a Freshers’ Starter Pack which includes vouchers for Nando’s Chicken for £57. This is a good buy if you intend on going to most or ALL the events. But, I personally decided to pick and choose which events to go to and so bought the single tickets (ranging from £3 to £5) instead, as it was more cost effective for me this way.
• The LEGENDARY T-SHIRT BAR CRAWL is the one event that you do not want to miss. Literally EVERYONE joins in on this one so it’s a lot of fun! You get taken to some of the best pubs and bars in Leicester like the Loaded Dog, Fat Cats, Gate 38 and of course –Monsta Monday at Club Republic.

Reppin’ our Legendary Bar Crawl T-Shirts!

• University Students LOVE to dress up. It’s a fact. With events like the animal party (which is a crowd favourite) and the Halloween bar crawl, dressing up is a must, which can get a bit pricey, so my best advice is to go down the DIY route. Some events also have face painters and other props that you can grab for the night, so you don’t have to worry about blowing all your money on costumes!
• Go out and discover! Look out for events OUTSIDE of the University. Leicester has so many great clubs like Mosh, Waikiki, Republic, and Blueprint that you need to go to at least once in your University life time. My personal favourite to go to is Mosh as it’s cheap and cheerful. On Student Nights like Tuesday and Thursday, drinks range from £1 to £3.50, AND you can even get on the free guestlist on Facebook.
• Freshers’ week is the BEST time to stock up on freebies. The University hosts the Fresh Fair every year, and invites companies like Wilkinson’s, Costa Coffee and Wagamama’s who are on hand on the day with plenty of vouchers, freebies and tasters. Another great event to go to is the Student Lock in at Highcross Shopping Centre. During this event, Rockstar Promotions will be hosting games, raffles, and so much more! Many of the food places in the centre also provide testers or free meals during this event. You can also save up to 30% off in many of the participating stores like River Island, Topshop, New Look and so much more. (Psssst – you also get VIP entry to this event with your Freshers’ wristband!)

Freshers week can be an expensive and exhausting week so make sure to stay hydrated, get some rest in between nights, and stay on budget. My best advice is to bring cash with you instead of your card and disable apply pay on your phone, as it’s so easy to overspend especially when you’re going out to events every night! Also, while it’s important to have fun, it is also equally as vital to stay safe. I recommend that you avoid drinking too much before an event as there is a chance that you may not get in if you’re heavily intoxicated. It also goes without saying that people get a bit carried away during this week so make sure you know your limits when it comes to drinking to avoid any serious injuries. Also, Leicester is a small city, but it does have a lot of twists, turns and cobbled streets, so always make sure to stay with a group of people to avoid getting lost as it can be so easy to! University of Leicester is also partners with Swift Fox Cab, a reliable and safe taxi company that will get you to your halls safe and sound at the end of the night, so make sure you save their number on your phone!

And that’s it!

If you have any further questions then fire them my way, but for now, see you all on the flipside!

Enna