As a brand new first-year student, there is a lot on your mind: you’re not only starting a new study, but a whole new life in a new city. To make the transition a bit smoother, UKrant’s student editors give their top tips over the next three weeks. Part 1: be open to everything.
Being a first-year student can be quite challenging, even more so when you’re a foreign student in a foreign country – especially if you come on your own, with no friends, like I did.
What helped me to adapt in Groningen was to focus on finding a community. Making friends and people to rely on turned into my number one priority.
For the first time ever I decided to go to a party alone. I tried a new sport at ACLO: pole dancing. I signed up to a vegan association, even though I was not vegan: I just wanted to go to their get-togethers and meet other students. I went out of my comfort zone completely and got to meet the best of friends that I still keep in touch with even now, after four years in Groningen.
All I had to do was put myself out there, be myself and learn to push through that fear of what people think. I realized that actually no one cares or even notices what you do, because everyone has things going on in their lives. So, get out there and say ‘YES’ more often!
This article was first published on 21 August, 2023