Defying Freshers' Week

I'm moving into university on Sunday. I can't wait to go, although I'm beginning to realise how quickly life moves on. After refereeing on Saturday afternoon, I'll be going to bed knowing that the next day, all of my things will have been moved further into Manchester, and within a few hours of unpacking, I'll be cooking my first meal out of home. The next day, I'll be up at 7am - comfortably the earliest I've woken up in the last 8 weeks - and I'll be in a lecture at 9am - comfortably the earliest I've done something worthwhile in the last 8 weeks.

Plenty of people bang on about the "university experience", and this typically means going out a lot and drinking plenty. The University of Manchester have an offer of a £50 wristband that will get you four nights out on Freshers' Week. I've heard almost everyone buys this wristband, so if you don't get it, you're 'missing out'. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a night out but there's no version of next week where I see myself going out four times. The more I think about it, the more I decide that once a week is enough for me, although I can accept twice a week at times. If there are as many options open to me as every university has preached, then I find an hour on a tennis or badminton court or in the swimming pool or gym much more enticing than multiple nights out.

As I've not made any plans to go out at all next week, I'm wondering whether or not I'd benefit from not going out. Yes, I'd probably meet a lot more people, but I'd rather make fewer friends with more in common than have too many to juggle that I'm not exactly hitting it off with. If my demands of more sport and less nights out are too much for some, then I guess that's tough luck on me. I've spent my summer living life on my own terms - it may seem selfish but it means I stay true to who I am and I'm not changing that now.

Oli :)
Twitter: @Chowerz