Perspective 2:

Day 1:

I had been counting down the days to moving to University, not that I wanted to leave home at all, but because everything I had ever done and worked for was for this one moment. After highs and lows, Warwick was the pedestal in my mind of which I based my newfound happiness.

As if repeating a ritual, my dad drove my family and I to the university as it rained heavily just as it had done on the open day- like some sort of rain motif.

Finding Whitefields was easy, (the accommodation of where I would spend my first year), but unloading the heaps of clothes and unnecessary luggage I had packed was another story.

Luckily for me, I met my first flatmate right at the door as she so kindly let us in with her keys, and even helped my parents bring in my cases of junk that I call valuables. My dad told me to just unpack and do my room up once my parents had left, but I always have an urge whenever I have a suitcase or boxes to unpack them straight away, even roughly, once I reach somewhere. So, I ended up decorating my room and pin board in 10-15 minutes with bunting, postcards, photo frames, tiny fake plants, and a Friends (TV show) poster, not short of any inspirational quotes.

Once we left my (what I can only describe as homely) flat, I felt lost simply trying to navigate myself past the Rootes grocery store and into the Students’ Union where the poster sale was on.

Trying to find my parents again after they went to park the car was a nightmare, as I wondered around the poster racks for almost an hour trying to reach their phones. Obviously, though, I wasn’t the only one browsing artsy and ambiguous canvases solo as I saw many other new students with the fresher’s freebie bags which quickly put me at ease.

I finally said my reluctant goodbyes to my family after dinner at Xanana’s on campus where plenty of other families dropping off their children were doing the same.

Just kidding, this was me:

Once I got back to my flat, left to acquaint myself with university life, I found six of my flatmates already talking in the common room- of which is so ideally located right outside my bedroom door. This was it- I could awkwardly say hi in passing as I tried to unlock my door, or I could join in with an attempt to be charming. Luckily, one of the flatmates I had met when I first arrived gladly introduced me to everyone and that was that.

Yep, I pretty much turned into a social butterfly for the whole week of fresher’s. And I am 99% sure I have Whitefields to thank for this, despite hating on the accommodation in the first place. There’s just something about the close confinement of 9-12 fresh-faced creatives living with thin yellow walls that meant we immediately got on like a house on fire.

That night most of my flat went out to the first ‘welcome fresher’s party’ at the copper rooms in the Warwick SU. Because nothing brings people closer together than excessive drinking and manic dancing.

I did in fact discover that my flatmate has refreshingly spectacular music taste when preparing to go out and the ethereal sound of Tame Impala and Coldplay fluttered through the mustard-coloured walls. (Top tip: anyone that listens to Tame Impala is golden.)

Day 2:

The second day was more or less similar with the arrival of my last two flatmates to bring us to nine in total. Although I did have to re-orientate myself when I woke up in a cosy rectangular room with tartan curtains and remind myself that I had in fact woken up at university.

Sunday ended with the second night of the welcome fresher’s party, with the copper rooms only being a satisfyingly 2 minute walk from our cosy abode.

Day two is something to look forward to as a fresher, well, if you’ve ‘clicked’ well with your flatmates. After one week of fresher’s, my flat had already grown close and reliant on each other and the surrounding Whitefields flats. I’m even living with most of them again in second year.

Day 3:

I can only really sum this up with the fresher’s foam party.

Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. And yes, all of our clothes, converse, hair and makeup got soaked in the process. But I would completely recommend it for the experience etcetera.

An FYI: Don’t waste your money on a platinum fresher’s wristband. I remember genuinely considering buying one once they came on sale, but in fact nearly no one who did buy one actually went to more than three events, if any at all. It is much cheaper to buy the decent event tickets separately and minimise your spending regrets.