Freshers Week Traditions.

HDX

It's just around the corner now,

What do you do every Freshers Week?

edit: It's ages away.

Vorsprung

I join about 200 UCD meds and crash it!

Time Magazine

Enjoy the atmosphere. I absolutely love it. Bring some money with you if you can at all, you will want to try and sample as many societies as possible. Say you join at 20x€2 is €40 and it sounds like a lot of money, but trust me if you find a society you really enjoy and make friends from it it's well worth it.

As for me, I'll be looking to take up a new sport. I want to be fit again. That said, I was very complimented today when my mam told me I needed to put on weight , I had been thinking the exact opposite.

Now that you're joining the club, I get to correct you on your spelling. It's Freshers' Week .

Awayindahils

It's not just around the corner. It's feicin' ages away, don't get my hopes up about going back to college, there's another 9 weeks or so, seriously, soo not just around the corner.

Crash

I'm going to go get hideously drunk, 3rd year in a row

tainted_dream

Angry Banana wrote:

As for me, I'll be looking to take up a new sport. I want to be fit again. That said, I was very complimented today when my mam told me I needed to put on weight , I had been thinking the exact opposite.

Body size has nothing to do with fitness really. you can be skinny and not able to run 2 miles and be really big and be a professional rugby player. Your mam may also be saying you need to put on weight as in muscle and have a mans physique instead of a little girls.

If you're thinking about a new sport, you realise there can be only one option.

HDX

what option? frisbee?

Crash

I find banning a better sport than judo kev.

shay_562

what option? frisbee?

[pimp]It is, without a doubt, the greatest sport in college. I can't think of why anyone wouldn't want to join it.[/pimp]

Topic: I have yet to establish freshers' week traditions, since my first year freshers' week was pretty **** in terms of actually doing college stuff - my Debs were that Friday, which took out Thursday and Friday nights, and one of my best friends was back in the country for that week only, which took up large portions of my days. The only society things I did were grabbing free drinks in the GMB and the paintball shooting gallery.

Awayindahils

shay_562 wrote:

I have yet to establish freshers' week traditions, since my first year freshers' week was pretty **** in terms of actually doing college stuff - my Debs were that Friday, which took out Thursday and Friday nights, and one of my best friends was back in the country for that week only, which took up large portions of my days. The only society things I did were grabbing free drinks in the GMB and the paintball shooting gallery.

But that's how you met me:D So Freshers week wasn't a complete wipe out.

cuckoo

Traditions:

Newbie students - wide eyed wonder, trepidation and 'where the feck is that building?!?!'

Returning students (watching newbie students streaming in) - *rub hands in glee* Fresh meat! *cackle*

Hey, who doesn't want to wake up feeling a little fresher in the morning?

But, seriously, it's probably a better week when you're not an actual fresher, you're more relaxed and it's more about catching up with people you haven't seen all summer.

shay_562

But that's how you met me So Freshers week wasn't a complete wipe out.

I'd like to think we would have met anyway. Star-crossed lovers-style. Except, ya know, without the lovers part. More in the sense that we spent so much time hanging around the GMB that sooner or later we would have crossed paths. But then, there would have been less shooting and it might have taken me longer than 30 seconds to realise how insane you were. ("Why yes, I'll happily be shot again. And again. And again!")

Hey, who doesn't want to wake up feeling a little fresher in the morning?

I don't know whether to slap you for the bad pun or steal it for myself. Or both.

Crash

tell you what, this year, you take the pun, i'll take the little freshers

PHB

Traditions?

Sunday night drinking on campus
Popping out to see the campers for the good spots
Having a double fry on the monday morning
Going to all the nights out trying to get in for free under an assumed alias

and of course the all important, a hell of a lot of drink

I love freshers' week

shay_562

tell you what, this year, you take the pun, i'll take the little freshers

Since we're not exactly going to be fighting over the same freshers, I'm sure we can come to some kind of arrangement. You lure them in by showing off your crime-fighting skills, I catch them in the giant net, then we divvy them up. It's foolproof...

Popping out to see the campers for the good spots

I've been told that they're definitely outlawing that this year. I hope to god that's true, because I've also be told that if they don't, I'll be sleeping on the chapel steps. Good times.

Also: bleh to insomnia. Bleh indeed.

Crash

if they don't outlaw it, if people want i'll drop them down coffee at some point during the night.

Edwardius

I plan on violating some first year ladies, first single freshers week in years. It'll distract me from the horrendous drinking I've become accustomed to. GO WENCHING!

Awayindahils

shay_562 wrote:

("Why yes, I'll happily be shot again. And again. And again!")

Hey I got a free t-shirt. So what if it was an extra large and could fit me and another me and some extra limbs. :rolleyes:

Crash

Dead Ed wrote:

I plan on violating some first year ladies, first single freshers week in years. It'll distract me from the horrendous drinking I've become accustomed to. GO WENCHING!

sounds like a great plan, tbh.

Pet

Remember the rule; half your age plus seven is the lowest you can go. After that, you can't go wrong.

Crash

17 - spot on


you know, one of these days I will stop being a sleazy git.












but not today.

Awayindahils

Actually that's not the lowest you can go, it's actually supposed to eb the ideal age ratio. It's a bit bonkers before you're about 14. so its always half the guys age plus 7. So at 18 the perfect aged girl is 16. And thats all a bit gray at the moment anyway.

Goes slightly more insane when at 40 the perfected aged woman for a man is 27.

See I wasn't really a debater in school, we spent an entire debating class discussing the realtive pros and cons of the half age plus 7 rule. Coolest debating teacher ever, kinda strange we never did any debating.

Pet

No, it's the lowest you can go. The perfect age is a much more complicated equation.

John

There's no such thing as either a perfect or a lowest age (legality aside of course). You may have less in common with a huge age gap but what ****ing difference does it make what age you are once you're both happy.

Edwardius

Legality? Does it count if it's legal in mexico? Freshies should be ok on that side anyway.

Bartron Prime

I love Freshers' Week so much. It's absolute madness. My tradition has generally been showing up at 9 a.m. on Monday morning to run The Hist stand. I absolutely love the whole chatting to people/ opportunities for creative madness that stand work allows. Doing that flat out then partying it large at Histeria on Wednesday followed by relaxing drinks and some Charlies' food on Friday.

Might take it easy this year. Freshers' Weeks started on Sunday last year as we at The Hist spent it packing condoms and candy in bags! I was up at 6 a.m. last Monday (on my birthday no less), could barely walk and spent a whole week sitting at the computers in the GMB taking names. Trust me, if you hand me a Hist card for the year just gone, I can tell you (probably to within the hour) when you joined. Good times. Who am I kidding? The b******s own me, especially as I'm ex-officio. Dang. I'll be in bright and early I love it too.

It's the ratio for lowest permissible age. That said, guys generally go out with girls younger then them. Girls you see, are more mentally mature than us. Oh well. I like my bright colours and violence so it's all good. As for legality.... It all depends. It's a fluid concept. Why not try the idea of it being less illegal than other things....

Crash

pfff, I don't go near girls younger than me generally. screw that ****. every bit as immature. and in some cases waaaay worse.

Bartron Prime

Fair enough. I suppose that proves what everyone has been telling me for years. I AM that childish. Oh well.

*Chases Pretty Shiny Things and Giggles*

Either that, or I'm just older than everyone I know. Shorter too.

Nothingcompares

I'd take immaturity over lack of self confidence.

I'd echo what Johnl said about age and sex and loving relationships. I'm usually only attracted to older women but at this stage they're getting a bit saggy. Only messing.

Crash

Bartley, everyone knows you're immature :P

Bartron Prime

Define 'immaturity'. Some people use that as a cover until you get to know them better. I don't really believe that lack of self confidence is a reason to break-up with someone. If you care about them, you should do your best to show them how great they are.

I agree. Again, once it's legal or is negligibly over the line (17 and 16 year old). But, the general guideline should be whatever makes you (and most importantly) the other person happy. Unless that's sneaking around my house. Stay OUT of MY bins!

Bartron Prime

This is true Neil. I'm ridiculously immature. But I prefer to call it 'Loveability'. :P

Also:

Go Banana!!

Nothingcompares

Sorry the point i was making that college age guys may be more immature then their female counterparts when it comes to rational attitudes to studying etc. But in my experiecne, girls are far more neurotic and suffer from delusional self hate.

Bartron Prime

Guys are pretty neurotic too. At least, I am. But then again, I am a Curly Haired Bucket O' Madness and this time last year was bashing my head against a wall dealing with a big company for sponsorship. If you have a market cap of 3.2 billion euro, surely you can do *something* right?

It's true. Girls tend to be more critical of themselves. Which is why it's even more important to convince them otherwise.

Nothingcompares

You don't give tours around trinity do you? you sounds like one of "them".

Girls are great but they need to cop on tbh. Like cuckoo. Cuckoo is just swell.

Bartron Prime

Nope. Afraid not. Though my friend got a job there. Bint. I can however, tell you everything you always wanted to know about the GMB including who those stained glass windows are of, why The Hist/Phil/The Theo have it and what happened in the snooker rooms.... I once gave a guided tour to a group of 35 Dutch students earlier this year. Quality.

Copping on? In my experience, both people in a relationship need to change as we all have behaviours that hurt others we don't see when single. But I still say the best way to help a lack of self-confidence is reminf them of how good they are. Which, if you like them, should be how you see them anyway.

Nothingcompares

The job wouldn't suit me but I can see how appeals to some.

Seeing as we giving random relationship advice. I'll go through my own step by step guide to "Is S(he) The one"

Relationships, in my opinion should fulfill 3 criteria.

1. You should be comfortable in one anothers company.
2. It offers companionship.
3. It offers a mature, mutally beneficial sexual relationship.

1. This covers what you said Bently (is bently your real name?). If you can't be yourself while with your partner, this should be a warning that maybe you're going in the wrong direction with the wrong person. Of course, you don't always act the same around your parents as you do your mates as you do your girlfriend but fundamentally, is it a safe place. Can you let it out? Or are you nervous? Anxious about how your partner sees you. These are bad signs.

2. Somebody to do the shopping with. Someone to watch a DVD with. Someone to travel around the world on 1000 dollars with. Someone who will indulge you in your own silly pastimes (I like collecting insects, on my desk sits a honey bee with pink eyes, a blue bug, a ladybird larva, another beetle larva, a bumble bee and some kind of mite ( I think)). And it goes both ways. I'm not saying you have to go a boutique and watch her try on 10 different outfits and eventually buy the first one she tried on but you need to give attention and encourage one another.

3. This is important. Just as important as the other 2. I think some people (mainly naive girls (sorry to be blunt) have an issue with this. Saying something silly (at least in my opnion) that's it's not relevant. Beleive me it is. If you're not happy in the sack, if you're doing things you'd rather not be doing or you're not doing things you'd rather be doing then you have a problem. Sex is the number one stress reliever and one of the best ways to physically express love/desire/relationship emotion.

If you're reading these and thinking - Yes this is what I have with my partner - You're a lucky person. If you're reading this and thinking - No, some of these things are absent in my relationship - you need to act wisely.

shay_562

The b******s own me, especially as I'm ex-officio. Dang.

So when they held out those pieces of paper with the legal jargon about "eternal souls" and all that, they really weren't kidding, huh?

I once gave a guided tour to a group of 35 Dutch students earlier this year. Quality.

I saw part of that tour. It was bizarre seeing you...you know...actually saying something of value for once. But the tourists looked interested and informed and whatnot, so I guess it must have worked?

Bently (is bently your real name?)

Heeheeheeheehee....

Edit: Nothingcompares (I feel like I should keep up the pretence of not knowing your real name), good list - I still feel instinctively like age should be a consideration (there are some age gaps that are just too creepy for words, and even if both people are happy, that doesn't reduce the ick factor) but to each their own.

Crash

Hrmmm...how long til I should split this off into its own thread....meh i'll leave it til morning. too tired...

Bartron Prime

I would have loved that job. Minus the attentions of Joe Gorman of course...

That is some fairly sound advice. I would agree with a lot of it.

1. My real name is Bartley. Trust me, my full name is hilarious, as is the fact I share it with my dad, grandad and great granda. I wouldn't necessarily say that you should instantly able to be yourself for it to be a llong-lasting relationship. Granted, mine ended but it was reasonably lengthy and had nothing to do with me being myself. You do need to be yourself but trust is also important. It takes a while for that to build up to let the real characteristics (those things beyond humour, opinions, mannerisms) be shown. There are things about ourselves we aren't necessarily comfortable in revealing to our significant other at first. Revealing them can be difficult and painful. Anxiety is generally a sign of lack of confidence on your part. The real problem arises when you know that revealing something would make the other person value you less.

2. Totally agreed. With the caveat that you have to make certain they always feel a part of what your doing. I have failed to do that on a number of occasions. But yes, it should just feel right to be with them.

3. While sex is not vital to the success of a relationship initially (I believe rushing it can do more harm than good), if you do have a sexual aspect relationship it does need to be based around mutuality. It is the highest form of expressing how you feel about someone (bar marrying them or starting a family with them or watching Will&Grace with them). Therefore, it needs to work for both of you.

Might I add:

4. Trust. Absolutely vital. Without it there really can't be a relationship. No-one can stop minor moments of jealousy, but you should be able to step back and go "No. That's silly". If you can't there is a serious problem.

5. Honesty. You really should be able to tell each other anything and how you feel and discuss anything. There should not be topics that are off bounds, while respecting each others' opinions.

I am, right now, single. My last relationship had its ups and downs but I would overall describe it as very good which ended because it had done so naturally. Still, a great learning experience and happy times. Moving on now and waiting until I find someone who I would like to be with. And yes Crash, they'll probably be younger than me..

To bring this back on topic, how do you feel about the 'Feel A Fresher' tradition by which I mean pulling at nights out in Freshers' Week? I'd be agin' it, but then I'm just a romantic at heart...

Bartron Prime

shay_562 wrote:

So when they held out those pieces of paper with the legal jargon about "eternal souls" and all that, they really weren't kidding, huh?

No they really weren't. Still, I love every minute of it. I'm a Histie until I die. My plan is to head a huge company then sponsor the Schools' and throw bucktloads of cash (a least a hundred thousand euro per year) behind it every year.

shay_562 wrote:

I saw part of that tour. It was bizarre seeing you...you know...actually saying something of value for once. But the tourists looked interested and informed and whatnot, so I guess it must have worked?

Oy. Lots of what I say has value. Whippersnapper. They really enjoyed the tour. Even during the bits when, inevitably, a school teacher rang. I'll have you know, I know more about that building and the Society then virtually anyone. Well, Team Librarian 236 did

shay_562 wrote:

Edit: Nothingcompares (I feel like I should keep up the pretence of not knowing your real name), good list - I still feel instinctively like age should be a consideration (there are some age gaps that are just too creepy for words, and even if both people are happy, that doesn't reduce the ick factor) but to each their own.

True, Catherine Zeta Jones and the ugly old guy are gross.

Nothingcompares

Bartron Prime wrote:

Minus the attentions of Joe Gorman of course

...hehe, they do look like jg fodder tbh.

4. Trust.
5. Honesty.

These would come under no 1 I think.

Bartron Prime wrote:

To bring this back on topic, how do you feel about the 'Feel A Fresher' tradition by which I mean pulling at nights out in Freshers' Week? I'd be agin' it, but then I'm just a romantic at heart...

Well there's two type of fresher girl. There's the intelligent, attractive ones that are interesting to talk to and get to know and have sex with and there are the annoying silly ones that I avoid like the plague.

Bartron Prime

Nothingcompares wrote:

...hehe, they do look like jg fodder tbh.

Agreed. That is why they are (virtually) all pretty young gay boys, which ruled me straight out (Tee Hee, bad pun). Joe is an...interesting....character. Not that I can say much here. He has lots of power over C.S.C. and could be on Boards (Joe has his ear to the ground). Joe knows what's going on in your society before you do. Still, a truly great guy to go partying with. Ah the C.S.C. Ball (Shaft! Those awards were fixed guv'!). Good times. What I can remember of them anyway.

These would come under no 1 I think.

Agreed once again. But, they are certainly two of the most important components within Number 1 and in any relationship

Well there's two type of fresher girl. There's the intelligent, attractive ones that are interesting to talk to and get to know and have sex with and there are the annoying silly ones that I avoid like the plague.

The only difference in Freshers' Week is the odd atmosphere created by the wide-eyed innocence of the Freshers' and the onslaught they receive from college life. People are in those groups generally. I would replace "have sex with" with "have a relationship with" but you probably meant that. People will always be the same. It generally comes down to what you define as "interesting" and "annoying".

Thankfully I've never met annoying people in Freshers' Week and this year's crop were remarkably great people. My first year? At Histeria a 23 year old Spanish guy tried to chat me up for hours... I didn't know anyone so was well disturbed. So here's a hint to people: If you're at Histeria (or any other Soc party) and someone starts weirding you out, approach a member of the Society's committee. Last year, we kept an eye out to make sure everyone was okay. Its their job to make sure you're safe and have a good time, you did give them money to join after all. You own them. Oh, and we kept an eye on the drinks promotions too. Just to, you know, make sure our members were getting good value.

shay_562

pretty young gay boys

Yeah, really, not one of those words describes you.

Bartron Prime

Exactly. I am a handsome straight man.

Who is also old (in college terms). So very very old.

Bartronilic

every day for my 2nd freshers week im having ONLY free drink, free lunch and free breakfast. i WANT TO GO BACKKK.

Pet

I'll continue my usual tradition of horrendous sleep deprivation, and arriving in at about 5pm, hence missing all the activities.

Hmm.

BrenC

I'll be on the stalls in the Front Square, getting people to join the society, and drinking,,,a lot

shay_562

Which society in particular will you be pimping?

Bartron Prime

Ah ruthless society pimpage in Freshers' Week. It's Good Times. Especially when you randomly look after another society's stand for a bit simply because. I even briefly pimped Music Soc last year. I don't really know what a piano is so it was an interesting experience. Still, I got people to join.

Speaking of society pimpage, the best idea I had last year (in pimpage terms) was to get two girls on The Hist stand to engage in some quasi-sapphic posing while I stood in the middle, wore a bona fide suede Pimp-Coat and advertised The Hist. We got more members in those 20 minutes then we did in the past hour. Got to love the intellectual nature of Freshers' Week.

Awayindahils

Bartley I think I'm gonna hit you if I read one more uber Hist post.


And note this is coming from a Histee.