My Joy of Missing Out On Freshers Week This Year
By Luella Coley
In years gone by, you couldn’t have pried me away from dining table pres and a dressed-up night out, but this year, FOMO was replaced with an indescribable satisfaction.
My version of freshers week this year looked a little more like a series of cosy nights-in, catching up on SNL UK (which it seems I may be one of few fans of), a herbal tea, and a dose of melatonin.
I had an epiphany, of sorts, on my way back from an early pint in the SU Bar the other week. As I walked past shivering first years grabbing their West Coast Coolers and tactical umbrellas from Tesco Express en route to queue for 10pm doors at the club, I felt a slightly evil concoction of smugness and satisfaction. Perhaps last year you might have found me scrounging for a ticket on the QUB Snapchat Stories to fight the FOMO, but now, a changed woman, I couldn’t have been more pleased to be sheltered from the rain and cold by a winter coat, with the intention of curling up in bed with a sweet treat and the obligatory autumnal Gilmore Girls rewatch.
I didn’t even entertain the attempt to score a coveted BABBA XL ticket or a Freshers Week wristband, and not just because of the eye-watering prices.
Why was I so unbothered this year, though? I suppose part of the problem is that I’ve done it before – it’s crossed off – and, quite frankly, freshers’ nights really aren’t the best representation of a good old night out. I think my ‘nonchalance’ has also helped reveal a renewed maturity, not in the sense that I deem clubbing, or the freshers experience, as immature, but in having the introspection to recognise what experiences you truly enjoy, and which are just done for the sake of doing them. So, if you truly enjoy the concept, not because your friends do, or because social media makes you think you have to, go wild… no judgment here!
Personally, though, I’ve enjoyed trading hungover mornings for quiet sessions in the BT1 gym, and the comfort of warm loungewear as a substitute for a mini skirt and a ‘going-out top’.
I’ve also benefitted from skipping out on the ‘freshers week’ experience. Firstly, saving my student loan so it actually stretches further than October is pretty useful and, not to tempt fate, but I’m optimising my chances of missing the notorious freshers’ flu by avoiding super-spreading events.
I’m no longer bothered by being perceived as the ‘boring flatmate’ who hides behind the door you make TikToks to ‘Chiquitita’ in front of, or feeling like I’m being rude by turning down invitations. Being comfortable enough to excuse yourself from experiences you don’t enjoy shows you what friendships are worth having.
If you’ve related to my reflections so far, you might also understand my fear that in five years I might look back on this time and wish I did more; I’d prefer not to be full of regret when I’m spending my days in an office and dedicating weekends to mundane activities like laundry and cleaning.
Mark Twain said, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did,” which might seem to undermine my thoughts, but I actually think it complements my feelings well. If I spent my time going out because I felt like I should, the thing I didn’t do would be dedicating time to a quiet night in while I live independently. In five years, I might miss the alone time and miss the life I’m living now. Regret is unpredictable… you don’t know the person you’ll be in five, ten, or twenty years, so living in fear of their judgment is a miserable existence.
Now, don’t get me wrong, the time will come to blow off steam and drink too much in Limelight the night after submitting a hefty assignment, but for now, I’m happy to tuck myself up and get mentally ready for my most stressful semester yet.
