Making the Most of the Fresher’s Fair

Fresher’s Fairs are a great way to figure out your options when it comes to clubs and societies, but they can be quite an intense event to take part in! We put together this guide to help you feel more confident in yourself at this busy event. 

We want to start with a few things that we recommend you do before you get to your university’s Fresher’s Fair. Start by looking up the list of clubs and societies that your university has on offer and take note of any that you’re interested in finding at the fair. If there’s a map of the fair available online, try to download it and get an idea of where these clubs might be.

We also recommend that you take a look at the weather forecast - it’s going to be a lot of walking around and you don’t want to be stuck with wet shoes. When you’re packing your bag before you go, make sure to include a few snacks, a bottle of water, and a raincoat if you think you’ll need one. 

On the day of the event make sure that you’re taking time to rest and get away from the noise when you need it. It’s going to be busy and probably a bit overwhelming no matter what, so don’t be afraid to take a quick breather every so often. 

There are going to be freebies at some tables, but don’t be afraid to turn down flyers that you don’t want, (and don’t be afraid to recycle flyers that you don’t need at the end of the day). Consider signing up for some free taster sessions with some clubs or societies while you’re there but try not to feel too pressured to give away your email address to everyone that asks for it! 

There will also be a lot of events focused around alcohol; if that’s something that you aren’t comfortable around don’t worry you don’t have to engage with these events and there are usually fun sober events happening in other places. Our last blog post goes into more detail on this point and you can find it here. 

There might be other events happening around the fair that you should keep an eye out for. These can include plant and poster sales on campus, which are super useful if you’re looking for something to spruce up your room on a budget. 

If you finish looking around and still have time and energy to spare, a good place to head to next is the library, where you can get a tour and explanation of all of the facilities available to you. 

Once you’re back home and resting your feet it’s time to consider your spoils. Sort through all of the flyers that you now own (try to be ruthless, most of them won’t come in handy later) and decide if there are any clubs or societies that you’re actually interested in. Take note of when their drop-in and taster sessions are and go along when the time comes. 

Consider talking with your friends or family about your options. It can be scary to put yourself out there and try out new things, so a little push from someone you care about can set you in the right direction. 

Finally, it’s time to rest. You’ve conquered the fresher’s fair and you’re onto a new adventure!