Got your results? Coming to Manchester Met? It's time to plan the best week of the year.
How are you feeling about starting uni?
Nervous
It’s totally normal to be nervous at a time like this. It’s a big step. But you’ve made big steps in the past, and you got through them. You’ll get through this.
If you’re nervous about making friends, The Union’s the place to be. Start by having a look at our Welcome events, our suggestions of the best events to make friends are Café Club and Culture Fest.
On top of that, Freshers Fair is the best place to meet societies. And joining a society is one of the best ways to make friends at uni. That’s a no brainer for an event to go to. And there’s loads of freebies you can nab too.
If you’re nervous about moving away from home for the first time here’s a few tips to settle in. Firstly, make sure your new home feels like a new home. Bring sentimental items from home and cover your walls in posters and pictures of friends and family. We’ll also be running plant sales and poster sales all through the first term, the perfect opportunity to add a bit of colour to your gaff.
It’s also sometimes nice just to chat to someone. As a student at Man Met you get access to our 24/7 student support helpline where you can chat with trained professionals about whatever’s bothering you all year round.
Excited
We’re excited too! 2025/26 is going to be one of our biggest years ever and we’re so glad you’re joining us for it.
If you really can’t wait to get started at uni, the best way to plan and build anticipation is to have a look through our Welcome events. With day events, night events, alcohol free events, club nights and chill events for socialising, there really is something for everyone and it’s the perfect way to get ready for uni.
This year, we’re partnering with Cool-it to bring you the biggest club nights in Manchester. Be sure to secure your exclusive Man Mat wristband to guarantee entry to all their sick events.
Once you’ve booked a spot at all of our events, why not have a look through all our societies as well. Think of societies like student led clubs, the perfect place to make friends and try something new. From photography to anime, book clubs to life drawing and Taylor Swift to eSports, no matter what you’re in to, there’s a society for you.
And if you’d like to meet the members before signing up, join us at Freshers Fair where you’ll get to meet 50+ societies from all corners of the university community.
And finally, if you really want to make the most of your time at Man Met, consider becoming a Course Rep. As a Course Rep you’ll represent the students on your course to the heads of your department, listening to what everyone thinks on the course, fighting for fairer deadlines, more support and a better course overall. And as if that wasn’t reason enough, it also looks stunnin’ on your CV.
Overwhelmed
We get pretty overwhelmed at this time of year too. There’s a lot going on. But if you take things slow, prioritise the important stuff and focus on yourself – we’ll both get through it.
It can be really overwhelming having to start a new. New city, new flat, excited to make new friends but nervous to actually do it. Don’t worry! The Union’s here to help ease you into it all. Start by having a look at our Welcome events. And here’s a little tip, Freshers Fair is the best place to meet societies, and they’re one of the best places at uni to make friends. And there’s loads of freebies you can nab. So definitely not an event to be missed.
If the academic side seems quite daunting, the uni has support for you too. They run bookable wellbeing and mental health courses that can help with the craziness of starting uni. On top of that, they also run study skills workshops to help with things like writing academically, maths and more.
And lastly, take it easy. You’ve got a whole year to figure things out. Just because you didn’t join a society at Freshers Fair, doesn’t mean you can’t join one later. Just because you struggled with your first assignment, doesn’t mean things won’t get clearer down the line. There is a lot going on at The Union, but it’s totally up to you how much or how little you engage with it all. You’ve got this!
