Introduction to Intro Week 2012
The week immediately before the start of the academic year is known as "Intro Week" (It is sometimes called "Fresher's Week")
Everyone arrives with their own expectations: some of these will be met during intro week; some will take longer; others may have been unrealistic and not be met at all.
For many students, Intro Week is also about socialising, drinking, partying. Commercial clubs and bars work hard to persuade you to leave your money in their premises. The Union of Students provides big events to welcome you.
Your department[s] will need to meet you and help you prepare for academic work. Make sure that you don´t miss any of their events; a lot of the people you will get to know best will be those in your department.
And everyone, but everyone, is trying to find out how and where they will fit into this huge community. Everyone wants to make contacts with people they can feel comfortable with.
It looks as if absolutely everyone is having a great time. Lots of individuals worry that they are the only one taking more time to find their own way. In fact, we know that:
- up to 40% of students feel somewhat or very homesick during Intro Week. (Recent survey)
- many new students feel isolated and worry that everyone else is settling in better than them.
- celebrating arrival in large crowds is not to everyones taste.
- large events often don't give an opportunity for real communication and contact.
- lots of people feel more comfortable in smaller groups.
- lots of people stay in their rooms because they find the crowds not to their taste.
- starting university anywhere is like moving to a foreign country. The impact of the culture shock involved is often underestimated. It doesn't hit everyone at the beginning. Some people find the period just after the Christmas break difficult; others experience a low period much nearer the beginning of their time here.
The University of Sheffield and the Students' Union have put together services and events to meet a range of tastes, needs and interests.