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The first image that comes to mind when you talk about freshers’ week is of new friends, lots of pizza and drinking, accompanied by lots of nights out on the town. Whether freshers’ week in your university is just a week, or in some cases, a fortnight long, you may think that attempting to stay healthy during that time is practically impossible and that it barely seems worth even trying.
Although it may be easier just to order takeout every night and sleep off that hangover until 2pm every day, your body (and bank balance) might thank you more if you take a bit of time to look after your health during freshers’ week. Read on to find out how…
About alcohol…
Obviously, for many students alcohol is a big part of the freshers’ week experience (although, of course, it’s fine if that isn’t the case). We’re not going to sit here and lecture you about how bad alcohol is for you because, lets be honest, everyone already knows this and, anyway, when has knowing that something’s bad for us ever stopped anyone?
A good habit to get into is leaving a big glass of water and some painkillers by your bed in the morning – your future self will thank you! Migraine cooling strips are also great for hangovers and can often feel like an absolute lifesaver the morning after a night out.
Take some time out for yourself when you need it
Whether you’re someone who gets a buzz of socializing, or you’re more of an introvert, everyone needs some ‘you time’ every so often. When you’re living in halls, it can sometimes feel like you should be socializing 24/7 and you may find it hard to get away sometimes when you need some time to yourself.
The best way to do this is to just be honest; say you need a bit of time to yourself and that you’re going to go for a walk or you’re going to watch Netflix in your room for a bit. Everyone will understand as they’re all probably feeling the exact same way. Remember, everyone’s in the same boat and no one will judge you for wanting some time on your own!
Try some sports!
With all the partying and socializing you may feel just too exhausted to do any exercise (totally understandable) but sometimes it can be fun to try out something new. Doing some form of exercise will give you an energy boost and generally make you happier and healthier.
But how? If you don’t fancy the gym, societies can be an excellent option. Joining a sports society is a great chance to try something new, learn a new skill as well as making tons of new friends along the way. If neither of these options really appeal to you, just walking more around your campus or town, instead of relying on public transport, can really help.
Make time to try out some new recipes
Obviously, this only applies if you’re self-catered (sorry catered students). Trying out some new recipes can not only make you very popular in halls (if you’re willing to share, of course) but can also be an excellent way to stay healthy.
It’s so easy to fall into the habit of ordering takeout for dinner every night and picking up a pastry for lunch, but homemade food can taste so much better and save you a lot of money! When you cook a meal, it might be worth making it in bulk, so not only can you offer some to your new friends, but you can freeze it and reheat it on a day where you can’t be bothered to cook.
When you do a weekly shop, stock up on vegetables (frozen vegetables can last for ages so they’re probably the best bet.) If you can see any reduced food that looks tasty, but you don’t know when you’d eat it, see if it can be frozen, because then you can eat it at some point in the future.
Vitamins are incredibly important!
This is something I completely neglected around my own freshers’ week and as a result I ended up getting extremely ill, so I cannot stress this enough: vitamins do matter! Vitamin tablets are an absolute life saver – they’re available from almost every supermarket, are super cheap and a single packet will last you a long time. If you hate taking pills, Bassetts do those squidgy multivitamin sweets for adults now (I know, I got excited too.)
Alternatively, smoothies are a fun way to get in extra vitamins and minerals in to stave off freshers’ flu, although of course this does require buying a blender (you can probably find one quite cheap online.) Be warned, though: smoothies can be quite addictive!
Let’s be honest, sleep is the best. Sleep is like a spa treatment for your mind and a good night’s sleep can drastically improve your mood. With all the parties and activities going on, it can be really difficult to get a good night’s sleep during freshers’ week. The best way around this if you’re going out a lot is to schedule a couple of hours’ worth of napping time into your day. Enjoy the luxury of being able to do this – you’ll have less and less time to nap as uni goes on!
Alternatively, to get a better night’s sleep, suggest a fun evening in – for example, a make your own cocktail night is always a win. A hot chocolate and movie night with your flat can also be a great way to get to know the people you’re living with a bit better and will probably be a nice break from going out every night!
As Content Editor for TopUniversities.com and TopMBA.com, Chloe creates and publishes a wide range of articles for universities and business schools across the world. Chloe has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Reading and grew up in Leicestershire, UK.
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How to Stay Healthy During Freshers’ Week
Chloe Lane
Updated Aug 30, 2019Save
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The first image that comes to mind when you talk about freshers’ week is of new friends, lots of pizza and drinking, accompanied by lots of nights out on the town. Whether freshers’ week in your university is just a week, or in some cases, a fortnight long, you may think that attempting to stay healthy during that time is practically impossible and that it barely seems worth even trying.
Although it may be easier just to order takeout every night and sleep off that hangover until 2pm every day, your body (and bank balance) might thank you more if you take a bit of time to look after your health during freshers’ week. Read on to find out how…
About alcohol…
Obviously, for many students alcohol is a big part of the freshers’ week experience (although, of course, it’s fine if that isn’t the case). We’re not going to sit here and lecture you about how bad alcohol is for you because, lets be honest, everyone already knows this and, anyway, when has knowing that something’s bad for us ever stopped anyone?
A good habit to get into is leaving a big glass of water and some painkillers by your bed in the morning – your future self will thank you! Migraine cooling strips are also great for hangovers and can often feel like an absolute lifesaver the morning after a night out.
Take some time out for yourself when you need it
Whether you’re someone who gets a buzz of socializing, or you’re more of an introvert, everyone needs some ‘you time’ every so often. When you’re living in halls, it can sometimes feel like you should be socializing 24/7 and you may find it hard to get away sometimes when you need some time to yourself.
The best way to do this is to just be honest; say you need a bit of time to yourself and that you’re going to go for a walk or you’re going to watch Netflix in your room for a bit. Everyone will understand as they’re all probably feeling the exact same way. Remember, everyone’s in the same boat and no one will judge you for wanting some time on your own!
Try some sports!
With all the partying and socializing you may feel just too exhausted to do any exercise (totally understandable) but sometimes it can be fun to try out something new. Doing some form of exercise will give you an energy boost and generally make you happier and healthier.
But how? If you don’t fancy the gym, societies can be an excellent option. Joining a sports society is a great chance to try something new, learn a new skill as well as making tons of new friends along the way. If neither of these options really appeal to you, just walking more around your campus or town, instead of relying on public transport, can really help.
Make time to try out some new recipes
Obviously, this only applies if you’re self-catered (sorry catered students). Trying out some new recipes can not only make you very popular in halls (if you’re willing to share, of course) but can also be an excellent way to stay healthy.
It’s so easy to fall into the habit of ordering takeout for dinner every night and picking up a pastry for lunch, but homemade food can taste so much better and save you a lot of money! When you cook a meal, it might be worth making it in bulk, so not only can you offer some to your new friends, but you can freeze it and reheat it on a day where you can’t be bothered to cook.
When you do a weekly shop, stock up on vegetables (frozen vegetables can last for ages so they’re probably the best bet.) If you can see any reduced food that looks tasty, but you don’t know when you’d eat it, see if it can be frozen, because then you can eat it at some point in the future.
Vitamins are incredibly important!
This is something I completely neglected around my own freshers’ week and as a result I ended up getting extremely ill, so I cannot stress this enough: vitamins do matter! Vitamin tablets are an absolute life saver – they’re available from almost every supermarket, are super cheap and a single packet will last you a long time. If you hate taking pills, Bassetts do those squidgy multivitamin sweets for adults now (I know, I got excited too.)
Alternatively, smoothies are a fun way to get in extra vitamins and minerals in to stave off freshers’ flu, although of course this does require buying a blender (you can probably find one quite cheap online.) Be warned, though: smoothies can be quite addictive!
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Get enough sleep
Let’s be honest, sleep is the best. Sleep is like a spa treatment for your mind and a good night’s sleep can drastically improve your mood. With all the parties and activities going on, it can be really difficult to get a good night’s sleep during freshers’ week. The best way around this if you’re going out a lot is to schedule a couple of hours’ worth of napping time into your day. Enjoy the luxury of being able to do this – you’ll have less and less time to nap as uni goes on!
Alternatively, to get a better night’s sleep, suggest a fun evening in – for example, a make your own cocktail night is always a win. A hot chocolate and movie night with your flat can also be a great way to get to know the people you’re living with a bit better and will probably be a nice break from going out every night!
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As Content Editor for TopUniversities.com and TopMBA.com, Chloe creates and publishes a wide range of articles for universities and business schools across the world. Chloe has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Reading and grew up in Leicestershire, UK.