“It was legendary” – We asked Gen Z students what Freshers meant to them

It’s the biggest moment in the student calendar – where students from all walks of life (and corners of the globe) come together to revel in the start of their adult lives. But what does Freshers look like in the hands of Gen Z? We asked some of the Gen Z students within our network – here’s what we learnt. 

It’s a time where core friendships are made 

Our research shows that 67% of students believe that their friendships will continue after university. And many of those friendships can be traced back to Freshers. So what did friendships look like within this time? 

Isabella, 20, University of Sussex: One of the highlights of my Freshers week was the first night I moved in. I had two friends that I’d been chatting to for about six months on WhatsApp and got to know them a bit and we arranged to meet each other that first night. I’m still bonded with them to this day. 

It represents the start of adulthood 

This year, there’s been an increase in students who moved out of the family home and into their uni community. For those students, Freshers holds even more significance as that first step into adult life. Many students who we spoke to agreed with this sentiment…

Isabella: Freshers, I think, is kind of the first experience of adulthood in a way. For a lot of us, it can be a very big moment because it’s like you have moved out of home or you’ve started a completely new chapter. So much happens in that week to kind of integrate you into your University. 

George, 19, UEA: I think it is [a cultural moment] because a lot of students have obviously never lived away from home – I think Freshers is a demonstration of their ability to look after themselves. In my first year about half the people in my house of 12 didn’t know how to boil an egg. 

Toby, 19, University of Hull: Freshers is definitely hyped up – even my friends that didn’t go to uni went to Freshers at local unis.

For international students, it’s an initiation into UK life

Of the UK’s 2.86 million students, more than 600,000 come from outside of the UK – many opting to move countries just for university. These students, in particular, really rely on Freshers to get acquainted with a whole new culture – from making new friendships to figuring out where to get food. 

Leo, 23, Bath Spa University: I was born and raised in Peru, and came to England in 2017. I wasn’t sure what to study, so I took a few gap years! But Freshers was legendary. I met a lot of friends. It was an eye opening experience. I finally remembered how to be young again!

Mari-Jeanne, 23, Swansea University: My current cell provider is GifGaff because we had information on it [at Freshers]. I did get takeaways from the local place. So yeah it sort of introduced me to a lot of brands that I obviously don’t have in South Africa.

Gen Z values are playing out in Freshers 

Gen Zs are often heralded as the “sober, sensible” generation – and our research does back this up. Last year, we found that just 6% of students drink alcohol regularly and heavily – their most common approach is to drink only on special occasions (43%). So, what does this mean for Freshers – a time period commonly associated with drinking culture? There are subtle differences. 

Hannah, 18, ARU: It was very heavily based on drinking. I don’t mind a drink, but everything’s really focused on drinking this year. It’s okay for most but it’s not really my thing.

Mari-Jeanne: I do think it’s important. I’m not necessarily a fan of the noise, but I do think it is important.  And as an undergrad I participated in those types of things as well.

Toby, 19: I think Freshers was really fun. I spent some of it doing work, but also like engaging with either welcome lectures or events put on by the societies here. 

George: So UEA has a week for Freshers then they do an extra week on top for Clubs and Societies. So I’ve been [taking part in] both actually: doing the Freshers but also being part of the clubs and showing them to students. 

Freshers is about friends, new beginnings – and brands, too

Freshers is such a new and exciting time for students – and amidst all the new experiences, they have a real appetite for brand discovery. 81% of students come away from Freshers with purchase intent: that is, they go on to buy something they discovered during Freshers, or at least plan to. 

Keshavi, 26, University of Strathclyde: There were many stalls and many promotional stalls, all to know what brands are here. Just Eat and Deliveroo are new for me. 

Hannah: You get a buttload of pot noodles. And laundry samples. And I’ve seen a lot of hand sanitizer…

Isabella: There was quite a lot.  Some of them were local Brighton ones – Trading Post, which is a Sussex-based coffee shop. We had PRYZM there. They gave me a free lanyard. Also, the Brighton club Chalk was there. There was Dominos’ everywhere. I think WKD were there because I still have their bottle opener on my keys. There were definitely many more.

Ashikita, 20, Sheffield Hallam University: I do remember the university promoting other brands, I think they were promoting Subway. I did go on to buy from Subway. I was never really a person for Subway, but then getting the flier [made me think] let me just give it a try.

Want to be a defining memory for students in Freshers 2024? Get in touch today to discuss kickstarting your student marketing campaign.