Every Type of Person You'll Meet During Freshers
Alicia Thongbanthum| 15th September 2015
These guys are BFFLs already
So you’ve survived a mission to IKEA, bought yourself some fresh new campus garms and stocked up on the best alcohol Aldi has to offer. Despite weeks of preparation you just can’t seem to shake that nervous feeling as Moving in Weekend approaches. The awkwardness of that initial greeting - whether it’s with flatmates or course-mates - is unavoidable, and the stress of deciding whether a handshake is still socially acceptable is sending you over the edge. Not to worry, we’ve compiled a list of characters you are likely to meet during Fresher’s Week shenanigans, based on real-life experiences of many shy and anxious Freshers that have gone before you.
The Socialite
This person knows everyone’s names in your halls, their date of birth, home town and social security number before you’ve even managed to unlock your bedroom. Most likely to be nominated for BNOC (Big Name on Campus) at the end of the year, this character is fun-loving, friendly and most likely to force a few shots down your throat at those awkward Freshers pre-drinks. They get the party going and will always say hello, to you and every other student they see, on campus.
The Lad
Intimidating to some, an absolute legend to others; it really is down to your personal people preferences. This guy is confident, flirty, and good at getting the drinking games going from years of downing Carlsberg at his local pub with ‘the boyz’. He can be a right laugh, but also very reckless so if you recognise these traits in any of your friends at home you’ll get on great. If you don’t; approach with caution and hope that he doesn’t thrust a dirty pint in your direction.
The quiet one
A genuine, friendly person that isn’t much of a drinker and yet is hoping to still get involved and make friends during Freshers. Usually the type of person you can bond with over breakfast and actual conversation rather than sharing a sloppy kebab at 4am. Try to invest time in people like this, as they will turn out to be pretty solid mates.
The Randomer
You will meet this type of person everywhere. Literally every event you attend, every Society Fair, in lectures, in the club; you can guarantee during Freshers week you will becomes best friends for lyf for one night only with a Randomer whose name will elude you for the rest of your degree. You will lamely promise to meet up and hang out and you’ll tell all your flatmates about the adventures you and your Randomer had together that night. But you might as well be sharing stories of your imaginary friend, because you will never, ever see them again.
The RA
Your Residents Associate, the person who your university employs to make sure you won’t jump off a cliff as you slowly realise just how big the jump from A-level to university actually is. This person is most likely in their final year and will wander round your halls waiting to be asked about their Uni experiences so they can joyfully reminisce the days of a 40% pass rate when none of their grades counted. Approachable and most likely to give you genuine advice from their own Uni mishaps, they’re the best person to ask all those embarrassing questions you’ve been saving…e.g. Are you allowed to go to the toilet in lectures?
The Fit One
You better pray that this person isn’t sharing your flat with you because that can make for some very awkward drunken sexual encounters (not to mention the ongoing torment of ‘Flat incest’ the rest of your flatmates will subject you to). This will be the person probably living close by, or in your seminar group that makes you shift around your seat uncomfortably every time they enter the room. Your Uni crush that you’ll gossip to your mates about when he changes his hairstyle or grows his stubble. The girl you’ll join the Cocktail Society for just because she’s organising the next social. *love heart emoji*
The BFFL
Finally, if you’re lucky enough, you’ll meet someone who you genuinely just get on with. Someone who will laugh at your jokes, take an interest in your life and bring you a cuppa when you’re feeling a bit homesick. The friends you make at Uni are often friends for life, so you can look forward to meeting a great bunch of people who will make the rest of your degree slightly more bearable.
