Yes, it’s that time of the year again. Countless first years pack their worldy possesions into all forms of transport from small cars to huge vans (and for the international students a single suitcase) and head for university. For many it’s the first time they have spent more than a few weeks away from home, and for most the first time they are away from home for a few months.

But at each uni there is a crew of ‘experienced’ students, otherwise known as the “Freshers Crew”, to help them with that first week. Wearing bright coloured tops and greeting people in load voices they will have by now helped freshers find their room, point them in the direction of the nearest bar, shopping centre and transport links. And then gather (or drag) them up in large groups to events run each night especially for their entertainment.

That’s what I spent the last week doing anyway. A week last Friday all freshers crew met and were divided into their groups and told what we should and should not be doing for the next week. Things we should be doing included being helpful, while things we should not do was based around not getting freshers drunk and taking advantage of them.

Of course being a freshers crew isn’t without it’s perks, fast track free entry into all freshers events being the main one.

The freshers week at my uni is now over and our job is mostly complete, all that remains is to go to the evenings run during the first week of term and make sure we are seen and available if needed. A very busy week has now just ended, now rest of the term is upon us.