September means one thing in the university calendar and that’s ‘Welcome Week’ or ‘Freshers’ Week’ as we liked to call it ‘back in the day’.
The term ‘freshers’ refers to new students, those embarking on a fresh start, and fresh from school. It’s designed of course to help students to settle in and get acquainted with the university, new towns and cities and each other before classes start.
Freshers’ Week meant… Signing up to random societies, standing in endless registration queues, getting your photo taken for your student card, registering for your SU card, Freshers’ Fair, free food, hungover library tours, poster sales, endless flyers for clubs and bars and of course the nights out!
The tradition probably started in the sixties. Freshers’ Week grew in popularity over the years, becoming a student rite of passage involving copious amounts of alcohol and developing a less-than-positive reputation often culminating in freshers’ flu! Many universities have now rebranded the week!
As we welcome our new University of Cumbria students this month, we look back on the history of Freshers’ Week and asked alumni for their anonymous memories...
“I remember my parents taking me to the supermarket to stock me up, they bought me a trolley of shopping including a bag of pasta the size of a pillowcase...” Class of 2007
“I remember standing in line to get my student loan cheque, yes, an actual cheque! It was a very long queue, then I had to take it to the bank to deposit it, I felt very grown up and excited about all the money.” Class of 1998
“I have the most wonderful memories of CMC. Turned 50 this year and still in an active WhatsApp group with the same four people I was in residence with in first year! Love those girls to pieces!”
“We had to walk up a small waterfall in the park in the middle of the night as an initiation to Annexe where we lived in the first year. Followed by dressing gowns and hot chocolate! Still friends with a few people from those times.”
“Arrived Monday, met Brian Tuesday, he took me climbing Wednesday, married six weeks after leaving college and we celebrate our golden wedding anniversary next year (and they said it wouldn't last)” Class of 1974
“My parents dropped me off in my brand new halls, first time I had ever lived away from home, age 18, they were fussing around, stressing and embarrassing me, I couldn’t wait for them to leave. They left and I promptly cried my eyes out in sheer panic of the realisation I was now on my own.” Class of 2002
“Amazing week, full of excitement, making new friends and opportunities. Although I was nervous about moving away from home (across the Irish Sea) everyone was so welcoming. Remember everyone is in the same boat. The Students' Union activities where the best and from that changed my career path.” Class of 2010
“Arrived in the evening by National Express Coach from Coventry with a large rucksack and two holdalls and walked up to Scale How to register and get my room key etc. Was told to put my bags in a van, driven by Dennis, who would take them up to Kelsick. I was then given a sketch map with directions to Kelsick and, not having been there on my interview, bravely set forth to plod up the road to my home for the next year! Spent most of the first week finding out the best watering holes, The Rule being the favourite, and testing the takeaway delights of the Baked Potato Bar, Ron's Kitchen and the Walnut.” Class of 1977
“I loved gathering as many flyers as I could every day (there was no internet in the 90s). Flyers for societies and night clubs, gigs and bars. I was determined to do and see everything, I had acute FOMO.” Class of 1999
“All first years were invited to Balla Wray the home of Revd John Inman. We went across the lake from Waterhead, not sure how we got back, but it rained. Dotty (Doreen Harrison) took us on a walk from college around the Langdales on the roads over by Blea Tarn, we were shattered. There was no bar of course at college, we went when we could afford the half of shandy, mostly to the Golden Rule. But we had to be back by 10.45! Principal Boulton gave us a talk in the barn, told us we wouldn’t find the love of our lives in a pub!! Some of us proved her wrong!” Class of 1968
“I enjoyed freshers’ week; I wasn’t great with the group activities as I don’t like having attention on me or put in the spotlight. We went to the turf and were put into pairs for one of the activities. We had to find props around the pub from random people visiting the pub. I had to dress up one of the guys as Britney Spears just from stuff I could ask from people in the pub. All I remember was I ended up with mascara in my eyebrows. We started most nights at the Turf then head to Fat Fingers and Jacksons.”
“Rolling down the bank in front of the castle after a night out with my new housemates to see who could roll the furthest.” Class of 2007
“During freshers I enjoyed some activities including a dance - much easier as you changed partners constantly, and the time at Grizedale. My time at St. Martins got much better after freshers. I felt so much more part of it when classes started, plus I was beginning to come out of my shell more. I enjoyed going to a weekly jamming event at the chapel and made friends through that. I became part of the soup run team and that led to closer relationships on and off campus. I also met a lot of people hanging at the chaplaincy at the base of William Thompson, a few became good friends over the years.”
“I built some lasting memories and friendships that still last to this day. There were only three bars really back in 2003. Fat Fingers, Union Bar and XS. Those three bars only strengthened the friendships that I hold dear now. We meet up on the first weekend of December in Carlisle every year for ‘Sports Day’. We are now in our 40’s but love the get together and travel from all over the UK. I’ve even travelled back from Greece on two flights and train to make the 12-noon deadline to start the proceedings.” Class of 2006
“We had heavy snow in our first week. We all rented skis and spent the day skiing on the grass in front of the airport lounge.”
“I remember walking into the Willy Tom building to register on the first day, and I happened to meet a girl in there who was registering too. Neither of us knew which queue to get in but we soon realised that we both needed to register at the same table. It turned out that we were both starting on the same course, and over 20 years later we're still best friends and she is Godmother to two of my children.” Class of 2002
“With no experience of student life and coming from an office job, I dressed in a suit and felt so out of place. That didn't last! We were assigned shared rooms alphabetically in the hostels and like so many of us my random roommate has become my lifelong best friend, but it felt very strange at first. We were on the first floor of Annexe (now Wansfell I think), with four other girls and a shared bathroom. The term 'freshers' was unknown, and very little was organised for our first week in the way that it is now. We had year group lectures on various organisational matters, including Matron from sick bay, advising us on the dire consequences of unprotected sex. There was a disco in the Barn at the end of the week.” Class of 1974
“Made friends for life in my first week. Two would be my best men at my wedding. Also spent the first week learning to speak really slowly as nobody who came from "down south" could understand my Ayrshire accent! :P”
“Freshers flu got me in tech week so I missed a few sessions learning how equipment works!”
If you would like to share your memories of Freshers’ Week or your time in general as a student, we would love to hear from you. Share your memories here.