Fresher’s guide to getting home in one piece after a night out

This is a guest post from David at TheUniPod.com

All the mums and dads at home are going to worry about their children at university; what will they eat? Will they be happy? Will they meet nice, new people? Will they be motivated to study? Will they get home in one piece after a night out? Hmm. 

When making your choice of university these are things which don’t even come into your mind, but come Fresher’s Week, and students will tell you that some of these are easier than others; bunging a pizza in the oven is classed as cooking in the student world and scoffing it whilst in bed with a DVD is an acceptable and rather content way to dine.  There will be a bit of studying and there will be a bit of fun. All students can confirm this, but getting home in one piece is quite often a blur for many and they sometimes won’t be able to tell you how they managed it. 

It’s easy enough to drink yourself into a merry state, let’s admit that, and when you’re at home in a familiar town getting home is freakishly embedded into your brain, even when severely intoxicated. I’ve got some news for you. Getting drunk in a new town during Fresher’s week may be great fun… up until the moment when you literally haven’t a clue where you are and you can no longer hear the buzz of the club or bar in the distance. Here are a few tips for getting home in one piece:

It’s a good idea to jot down not only your address but a couple of “landmarks” or directions on your phone and save them in the notes section. Or, take a photo of the information so that it’s easy to find if you’re fingers aren’t cooperating with your brain (it’s happened to all of us!). Jotting down “landmarks” is pretty funny if you’re in a group as you’ll almost feel as if you’re hunting for your university, but still feel safe as you know it’s hiding nearby somewhere.

Most university towns offer an ingenious taxi service scheme that could save you if you’re one of those incredibly generous people always buying rounds and end up with no money at the end of every night out. This is problematic, unless you sign up for this pre-paid taxi service that basically uses your card details to pay for any journey home that you need. This is a great one for reassuring the parents and also means that you can relax knowing that you’ll get home safely not only during Fresher’s week but for the entire university year.

Some universities, like Leicester, for example, really do care that you come back from a night out in one piece - almost as much as your parents - and they offer bus services from the student union to halls. This is a God-send if you’re attending a city university and don’t fancy stumbling down roads that seem to look increasingly unfamiliar on your way home back to halls. It’s also a cheaper option than getting a cab, so despite all the moans about university fees you’ll be grateful they sorted you out on this one.

If you’re a cheeky student from Sunderland you will even be able to take advantage of Station Taxis “free” lift home if you’ve run out of money. All you simply have to do is show your Student Union Membership card and then sign an account at the end of your journey as confirmation. The Student Union pay for the lift and then when you reclaim your Membership Card you simply pay them back.

These kind of schemes are becoming ever more common at universities, so be sure it’s one of the first things you check in Fresher’s week. Getting back to university halls or accommodation in one piece despite wibble-wobble-walking may be easier than you thought- this is something I definitely learned as a Fresher in my first year at university. With that being said I am not encouraging that binge drinking reputation we all seem to have as students! Enjoy yourself but also be safe!