Missing university welcome week

[Badhabits67]

Will this affect the person making friends going forward

Nope. Yes they will miss on convos about freshers week shenanigans but you meet people throughout your time at Uni so no biggie

But may depend on uni? I thought "official" enrolment for LSE is in the same week as freshers week.

I think in the long run, no, but would make it harder in the short run not to have already found a few people in that first week. But wouldn't it also mean missing required University induction activities, not just social stuff.

I'd only consider it for a very good reason. Why start off on the wrong foot?

When DD started university freshers week wasn't just about joining societies and partying. She enrolled at the university, she registered at a local GP, she made friends that she is still with in her third year and she had a few taster lectures.

Unless it is unavoidable I really wouldn't recommend missing freshers week.

Not sure what DD's welcome week entailed specifically, but four years previously at the same university, for her brother studying Biochemistry, it included things like required lab safety sessions etc.

Wouldn’t choose to miss it, but if it happens then it won’t be a disaster. DS just started uni and one of his flatmates has yet to arrive. Many are quarantining after travel or isolating with Covid this year. If the latter, there may still be online things they can get involved with during Freshers week?

I missed my uni freshers week and it did make it a bit awkward on first proper day as everyone already at least knew the names/faces, whereas I had to walk into the lecture room and just plonk myself next to the friendliest looking person I could find.

But I made friends and settled in pretty quick so wasn’t the end of the world.

I suspect there will inevitably be people who miss it this year. DS just had covid and we worked out that, if we all caught it as a result but in stages (like other families we know), DD would potentially end up being unable to attend for the first few days. Luckily none of us did but I'm sure other people won't be as lucky.

It's all to do with the person, and nothing to do with where they live, when they show up etc.
If your kid is fun and interesting and friendly, they'll be fine. If they're weird, shy and annoying, it wont make a difference.

As long as they have done all the admin required which might include meeting with a personal tutor, attended all welcome events specific to their programme, made course choices if necessary, registered with a GP and found out what their timetable looks like and where exactly to go on Monday morning they will be fine. Most of this can be done online this year. They will have missed out on things like tours of teaching facilities and the library but this can be caught up with. Welcome week is there to complete the admin and get students ready for study, the social aspects are not the main thing as far as the university is concerned. It really bugs me when I have to give up time in the busy teaching weeks to register and orientate people who chose not to attend welcome week. I don't show it though, since obviously some of them have totally legitimate reasons. In some cases the courses they wanted to do will be full and there will be complications because their late registration means they are not in lab groups etc. Our first group project starts in week 1 of Semester 1 so students joining late have to be slotted into groups which is tedious for us and unsettling for them.

I wouldn't worry about the friends side of things, but they will miss the inductions etc, and all the support that is in the first week along the lines of registering for things and also joining, and maybe trials for teams and so forth.

Why are you considering it ?
I mean, if it is for a long awaited operation or something then it is what it is, but if it were for a holiday, I'd suggest the student goes to the first week.

I agree with Kite22 who has put it better than I did. DD had a lot of admin and course inductions the first week. It was useful for finding her way around, and by the time lectures started she didn't feel like she had been thrown in at the deep end.

DD has had a lecture snd a tutorial, both F2F, and been set work for tomorrow’s seminar.

She also had to choose her optional modules and was given her timetable a couple of days later, including the options.

So aside from the social and admin, she would have missed actual course work,

Ds has a meet your personal tutor and a course introduction lecture plus meet the department in freshers' week.

It isn't just about friendships.