My Teesside University Fresher's Blog 2023

Hi everyone! I'm Riley.

I thought I'd like to share my fresher's experience at Teesside University to help anyone in the future to see what starting University is like!

I'm starting on Monday for induction week, I'm very nervous and excited at the same time.

So a little background of myself...
Last year I did an Access course in college for Computing to be able to get into the course I will be studying as I've had no UCAS points previously to be able to get into University last year. I got Distinctions through all of my modules which allowed me to be able to go to Teesside University this year!!

This year I will be studying Games Art!

Why Games Art?

I've always been a creative person with an interest in Art, Music etc. and enjoyed being creative. I'm a really big video games nerd too, playing all sorts of games! I was considering doing Games Design (which is a little more technical) but Games Art allows me to be the most creative! I have a little bit of experience in learning some 3D Modelling in my own time, which I really enjoy and brought me to making the decision of studying Games Art

Why Teesside University?

I chose Teesside University because it's already close to where I live, the Computing School within TU has great facilities for Programming, Games Design, Animation and many other similar subjects which sealed the deal for me. Going to TU allows me to stay at home and with easy commute!

What preparations have I made leading up to Welcome Week?
There are many online preparations I have made which has helped me with preparing for my induction week, which TU have helped with a lot.

I'm going to try and get as much experience and fun out of University as I'm able to! It's gonna be busy and jam packed but will be worth it in the end.

I'll keep this updated once I've had my first induction date! Good luck to anyone else who's starting University this year

*My Teesside University Fresher's Blog 2023 Update #1*

I know I said I'd have an update by the end of day #1 of the induction but it has been quite eventful! So I'll recap the past few days!

Monday

First days are always nerve wracking and overwhelming but the day was pretty good. My induction sessions consisted of welcoming us to the university, introductions to the School of Computing, meeting some of the course leaders, module leaders etc. and just a guide on what we should expect with timetables for the Induction Week and with what we can expect for next week when starting our actual lectures and classes. And also tours around the campus showing us were important buildings were, as well as were our lectures and practical classes will be taking place.

As for the social side of things, I talked to a few people with brief introductions but I'm quite a shy person so there wasn't much to conversation during the induction sessions. I finished all the Induction sessions by 1 P.M. so I took it upon myself to find buildings in which some of my sessions for the week would take place and get familiar or where everything was on Campus. After that I still felt like I should interact with people from similar courses and make some friends (or find familiar faces), I've been in a Discord Group which was created earlier this year for people in the School of Computing and similar subjects and found that people were seeing if anyone wanted to meet up. It took a lot of courage for me, but I decided to meet up with people from the Discord group. We went to the "Mega Monday" Fayre, were they were stalls for different shops around Middlesbrough that provided discounts and freebies for students (which included free pizza, entering a giveaway for a free tattoo, mugs as well as many other things I can't remember) we also went to check out which societies there were, which ranged from sports, to gaming, to cultures. I signed up for the LGBTQ+ Society! I was a little awkward around the students, but we managed to talk a bit and also went for McDonald's afterwards. At least I met some people! Then after I headed home.

Once I got home, I realised people were also planning to meet up for a few drinks to Whetherspoons and go to a Quiz Night which they were holding in the student union, I took it upon myself to find some courage to ask if I can tag along to have the opportunity to meet more people. Again, it was very nerve wracking but I went, it seemed like a really good way to meet people from the University and possibly make some future friends. The night went pretty well, I was very nervous at first as there were a lot of us, crowded around a table where I couldn't hear anyone or engage in conversation as I was sat on a table nearby because there was too many to fit around a table. Luckily, one of the guys who I met up with earlier was there and we were sat on the table together near a few others, so I wasn't completely isolated! We were there for an hour before we left and went to the Quiz Night, which is were I was able to engage and be in earshot of the other students who came. The quiz was definitely an ice breaker, which helped us all engage with each other and have fun. I unfortunately had to leave before anyone else, as I had an early Induction Session as well as living off campus I have to get the bus between and didn't want to get home too late as I hadn't ate or showered yet. Who new Quiz Night would end up being fun and a good way to engage with people?

Tuesday

Luckily getting home early had paid off for letting me still get enough sleep so getting up early was easy enough (thank god I think of my future self!) The Induction session for the day was only from 10-12 (which said 10-4 on the timetable, which was wrong (thankfully!)). The session consisted of more introductions to some of the lecturers/professors that we'll be engaging with in the next few years! After the introductions we were asked what kind of Games Art we wanted to specialise in (Characters, Environments, Misc.) I wasn't quite sure in what I wanted to specialise in with yet but I liked the thought of creating Characters (Human or Creatures) so I joined the group which a professor would talk to and see what previous work they had produced and give some advice on who you might talk to, or what would be the best thing to focus on, as well as asking questions you might have. Unfortunately, I didn't have access to any of my recent work only Art from GCSE work (which is around 9 years old!!) but the feedback seemed good, and I got some good advice on looking at creatures that look similar to Mythical Creatures (Lizards for Dragons for example) it also gave me chance to interact with some of the members on my course which we engaged in on conversations about games, movies, TV Shows etc. as well as talking about experiences with making 3D Art. (I myself don't have a lot) but it seemed like most people were very friendly and had the same interests! Which is advice I can give to future freshers. It's very likely that people on your course are just as nervous as you are, as well as having the same interests as you if you're studying the same (or similar) subjects!!

After class, I had a lot of time to waste because I had an appointment to pick up my free iPad from the University at 4. (I scheduled that time because I booked it before I started Uni and got told that our timetable wasn't completely correct) so, I had around 4 hours to waste, and everyone else from my class had somewhere to be or had gone before I could ask what their plans for the day were. I also didn't want to travel all the way home because by the time I got there, it would be time for me to set off and get the bus back! It's times like these that I wished I lived on campus So this time, I brought it upon myself to post in the Discord group where I had met people from the night before, but unfortunately I had no replies. So I stuck around the campus for a little while, and to my luck the person who invited us all to the quiz the previous night had shown up. I got chatting to her and she was talking about getting some food and maybe going shopping, so I told her I had a few hours to spare waiting to get my iPad (stroke of luck!!) so we went for somewhere to find some food (we went off-campus because the food that was sold on campus was a little overpriced!) we also briefly met up with someone else who replied to me in the Discord group and wanted to meet new people, they just spoke to us briefly because they were going shopping and just wanted to meet someone so they knew a familiar face (I didn't mind, meeting new people has seemed to get easier, and if I was in the same position of just at least finding a friendly face amongst the crowds of strangers!)

After chatting with a new face and letting them know they're free to hangout anytime, we went and had our lunch in the student union lounge (a place where you're able to just chill, have lunch and meet with people) In the meantime, I noticed someone from my own course was asking if anyone was interested in seeing the gym (me and my new found friend were planning to go there anyway as she also wanted to know where it was and to go see it) so I invited them along with us! We went and checked out the gym, where a member of staff shows you around and gives you more information and pricing (gym membership on-site is very cheap! And has a lot of equipment, so it's recommended for anyone who might be interested!) Afterward, we went to look at a poster sale, which was also hosted in the student union! The pricing was very cheap! Then, we went and explored the labs that we were able to use at any time that we needed (for study use or not). And time flew by, by making a new friend, it was time to get my iPad Then we both headed home.

When I got home, I had some food and talked to my new found friend on Discord, which we ended up making plans to meet up and go to the Pitchers Night (25% off Pitchers for the night for students!) as we saw that a few other people in the Discord group were going and we were glad to meet some more friendly faces! I thought I could have a few drinks and stay out a little bit later as I had a later start the next day, but wasn't planning on getting super drunk as I still had to get a bus home (which the latest is 11) as well as go to Induction sessions the next day. But I was still up for getting to meet and interact with a few familiar faces, as well as new ones! The night went well, I met some more new people and got to interact with a few I also met the previous night and we had a good laugh! Another successful day I'd say!

Wednesday (Today!)

I managed to have a bit of a sleep-in today (only until 8 though!) I didn't want to sleep too late as I wanted to keep a good sleep schedule and keep my body in routine! But it left me plenty of time to shower, relax for the morning and not rush around trying to get the bus on time! I managed to set up my iPad ready for a group session which we have tomorrow which will involve the use of iPads!

My first induction session wasn't until 12, which was an introduction to the library/student services (how you can borrow books, use of computers in the library, services for students etc.) the student union (what they do to protect students, what events they hold etc.) and expectations of what the few years hold (building CVs, volunteering, jobs and other opportunities that the Uni has for students for careers and experience etc.) this was a 2 hour session, which wasn't bad at all. This included everyone in the school of computing, so a few of the people I met throughout the past few days were there. It was a very informative session!

We finished at 2, so today I've had an late start and an early finish (lucky me!) last night I organised to attend a carnival which was held in the student union until 3 with a few friends I had met on the previous days as well as someone from the LGBTQ+ Society Discord Group. The person from the LGBTQ+ Society seems very nice, I've tried to keep conversation with her as she is quite shy/quiet, but seems lovely, and I don't want anyone being left out! I've had the mentality of always letting people join if they want to because if I'm in the position of wanting to go to these events as well as trying to meet new people. It seems to be going good so far, I meet at least one new person everyday! If some friendships don't work out, there are always more people I've met, and it's always nice having a friendly face around campus and in induction sessions and maybe even in lectures/practical's in the future! The carnival consisted of many different games from hook-a-duck, darts, spin the wheel etc. with silly little prizes such as Haribo's or keyrings but it was still fun, you don't have to get a great prize to have fun! The thing that we spent the most time on was the remade arcade machines with old games on them with Street Fight, Super Mario and Pacman which we spent about 30 mins playing! (Of course we would, all being games nerds!!) Afterwards we went for a free coffee and cake at a church nearby which was an event for the Fresher's Week! We all talked about different games, event plans for tomorrow (We're planning on going to a Bongo's Bingo which is Bingo combined with drinks, dancing and a party with some pretty cool prizes (Money, A BIG fluffy Unicorn, and other many silly prizes!) as well as other interests, finding more about each other etc. After that we all headed home, I think everyone else's social battery needs recharging tonight (not just mine!!)

Which brings me to now! I've had a (somewhat) chill evening, just chatting to some people on the Discord group (inviting more people for Bongo's Bingo tomorrow) planning my Mam's birthday (as it's coming up soon!) as well as eating, dog-sitting for my brother and updating this blog because I finally have chance to!

So, what advice can I give from these first few days of Fresher's?


And that's what's happened so far this week! I'm looking forward to the last 2 days and seeing what else happens!

I hope that my experience so far can help current, or future freshers into trying to make the most out of your experience!

I realise that this post is a lot and that I need to try and keep this updated regularly and not left too long but I hope this helps someone!

Thanks for reading and I'll try keep this updated as much as I'm able!!

It sounds like you've done an incredible job at facing your fears and putting yourself out there! You should be really proud of yourself! You really seem to be making the most of it and you've even managed to work out some tips that other students will definitely find helpful Can't wait to hear how the rest of your week goes!

*My Teesside Fresher's Blog 2023 Update 2*

I was going to update this yesterday, but I got a little distracted with family coming over for Sunday Dinner and making sure I was ready for my first lecture this morning! Again, this might be a bit of a long one to update from Thursday and onwards.

Thursday

Thursday was a very interesting and fun day, we were set with the task of doing a "Minecraft Challenge" for the day, being grouped up with students within different courses which entailed Games (Games Art, Games Development, Games Art etc.)
We were set with a challenge using Minecraft Educational Edition, we had to build and create a short game which entailed:


We were teamed up in rows which we were seated with, allowing us to get to know and meet people from other courses. In my team I had people from my own course, Games Development, as well as Games Design. We grouped up together and had a time limit to meet back at the room by 4pm with the requirements for our challenge.

Our team decided to go to the library, as they have space on the floor for group study/work, so we took an advantage of using this space to be able to work together and work on this challenge together. We came up with a game idea which:
We worked together on this game, coming up with different ideas, keeping with the theme of our fairy tale and telling story through letters, and environment.

I really enjoyed this challenge because it acted as an icebreaker allowing us a way to connect with other people that we hadn't met before, plus we got to play Minecraft for the whole day

We took a break a couple of hours in, and went for some lunch together at the local spoons. This also let us talk about to each other on a more personal note, when we've not got Minecraft being the main subject (distraction!) After something to eat, we all met back at the library and continued with our work, making it polished and perfected until we were happy with it. We tried different things, adding small little funny details, (trying) to add game features such as limited view of the player etc. and we finished before we were due to go back to the room and present our work to everyone else; we decided to just showcase our story through playing through the game and explaining it along the way.

Before we knew it, it was time to head back so we all walked over together and got ready to present our work as well as being excited to see what other players have done! There were a range of different games, some where comical (like Shrek, and a heavily modded minecraft) which were great, as well as some were following the same fairy tale but were unique in their own way. Everyone was just as supportive for everyone else's game, and we all had a laugh and I really enjoyed seeing what other teams came up with. We were second with presenting our game and it seemed it went very well, although under pressure in trying to show everything with the limited time we had to present.

By the end of the class, the professor seemed very pleased with what everyone came up with and gave everyone in the class a £10 Amazon voucher (bonus!)

This was a great day for me and I felt like I made some new friends (especially within my own class because most people I've met so far haven't been!)

After that I hung out with some of the people I met that day, and headed home as I was attending Bongo's Bingo that night (which is basically a Student Union Bingo event which included Bingo (of course), dancing, raving, singing and drinks) which ended up being a rush home (I needed something to eat) because my bus was late and I needed to make it back in time as I'd already paid for a ticket, commuting times are awful sometimes when buses are late!! But I managed to get home, have a quick bite and rush back out in time for the bus.

It was a fun event, I managed to get seated with one of the people I met that day, we had a few drinks, a dance and some fun. Unfortunately, I didn't win anything! But I ended up leaving around 10 as I'd had to get back home and shower ready for another early morning. (But I'm not complaining because I still have an early night as well as saving money from not buying drinks )

Friday

Another early morning for my first induction session, which ended up being a pretty short day of lectures. The first session included everything about Digital Life. Information about how to use the various apps and services that the University provide, such as using myTU (a hub of navigating to different things you need such as timetables, online library resources, support services online etc.) as well as internet safety like setting passwords, and who to contact if you're having any issues with technical things. It was quite a useful session and made it clear on how to use different things that you'll be using while attending University.

After the first session, the next session was a lab session which showed how to use other apps that you might use when attending TU such as Blackboard (The Learning Hub) and how to navigate and use the Computers. I'd already used the computers on site and had already figured out how to use Blackboard within my own time, so did a few of my peers so the professor said we could go. (And this is why it was a short day!)

Me and a couple of new friends (the one's I'd met on Thursday) decided to go and look at the Plant Sale they had going on in the Campus Heart, I loved seeing all the different plants they had for sale and they were reasonably priced too! I decided not to buy anything as I have some plants at home already, but one of my new friends did, which she seemed happy with being a new Plant Parent of a succulent! (They were unsure of buying it as they didn't want to kill it, but luckily this plant had little maintenance to keep it alive. So we all headed back to their accommodation (they were in the same one) and replanted her new plant. I also took them around the local park, which they didn't know was there (perks of being a local is getting to show people were places are!) and we headed back to their accommodation again. We had a lot of time to spare with finishing early, not having to attend the second session of the day.

Once we were back, a few of their housemates were back from their sessions and we made plans to go to a Boba Tea place. Which was exciting because I have never tried it before! We also went for some food and just chatted about the Minecraft Challenge we had, talking about were people were from and finding more about each other. And I finally headed home around 4.

When I got home, I hopped in the shower and packed some stuff as I'd planned to stay over a friends for the night as I'd not seen them during the week with them working and I'd been attending Uni and trying to make some new friends! This was a short day Uni wise, but still had fun spending time with some new friends from my course

Weekend

Saturday morning I just headed home, and spent the day with my family, shopping and eating out etc. and just had a relaxing evening playing some games and chilling after a busy week.

Most of Sunday I played some more games (mostly playing Overwatch 2!) and had some Sunday Dinner with my family and my brother and his partner that came over for the evening. Then for the rest of the evening I just spent some time preparing for this week, ironing some clothes, preparing something to eat for the next day, showering etc.

So, the final verdict of my first week at Teesside University??

I'd had a great induction week at Teesside University, I was provided with lots of information, preparation for the years to come, as well as events and things to do/places to go to meet some people and make some friends! There were lots of freebies too! This was a really fun week for me and I'm glad this is how I decided to kick off my first week for the next few years. It seems like I'm really going to enjoy attending Teesside University!

Some more advice??
I know I shared some advice in my last post on Fresher's Week, but I'm going to add some more here too which can be aimed at a different perspective...


Has anyone else got some advice that can be useful for current/future Fresher's? Let me know!

I'll write my update on this current week in the next post

These tips are great, thank you for sharing! how are you getting on with meeting new people and making friends? sounds like you're already off to a good start