If you join a social at university, you have to endure the first year as a fresher.
This means unflattering costumes, themes, being the first to down a pint, and having to listen to the rules of your social secs. As strict as this may sound, if you throw yourself into the spirit of things this can be a very fun year, where you bond with your fellow freshers through embarrassing fancy dress outfits.
Holiday Themes
As students will take any excuse to dress up, the holidays allow for just that.
Halloween social
Everyone’s social will 100% take advantage of the Halloween holiday, and thus will ensure that freshers are dressed up as much as possible.
For many, this may mean ordering the brightest of orange clothes, while covering any showing skin in bright orange body point. Being pumpkins as your social secs dress as gory characters, or go all out in terrifying yet pretty outfits, makes dressing as a pumpkin even worse.
Going out as a luminous orange ball will be one social that you will never forget. The beauty of these socials is that you get to share your embarrassment with fellow social members, coordinate outfits, and ensure that you are as orange as the rest of your team.
A top hint, throwing yourself into this theme instead of doing it half-hearted will not only save you from embarrassment, but will also save you from punishments your social secs may bestow on you if they believe you have tried to look ‘half decent’ in this theme.
Christmas Social
Christmas is a time where everybody will throw themselves into the celebrations of the holiday. Your social will not be an exception.
Older years may choose to wear Christmas jumpers, dress as Santa or anything snow-related. Yet they may make you and your fellow first years dress as matching Christmas Elves.
Ensuring you look in second-hand shops, clothes swaps places, and online sites such as Amazon, eBay, and Depop, will mean you can enjoy these socials without breaking the budget.
Also remember the issues with fast fashion, and how recycling and reusing your clothes for social and fancy dress can really help the environment.
Shrekxy
This is a theme very easy to explain. Covering yourself in green paint, wearing green clothing, and even purchasing some Shrek ears will allow for no one to mistake what social you are on.
Everybody loves the film Shrek and, as the character is very easy to replicate, this is a cheap, embarrassing, funny, and enjoyable social to attend.
Remembering that everybody will be looking as ridiculous as you is something to take comfort in. Being on a night out and not worrying about what you look like might be a refreshing change for many of you.
Similarly, there is a Princess and the frog theme for many socials, this entails older girls dressing as beautiful princesses while freshers dress in green and become frogs for the evening. This is to distinguish the first years from the rest of the club, and is a right of passage to then dress as the ‘prettier’ characters in the following years.
Gender Swap
Finally, a gender swap is one of my favourite socials. Dressing what you believe the other gender most typically looks like, can be a real break from your typical night out attire.
It gives you the chance to experience what the other gender will do on an evening out, and can be a fun-filled evening when socials combine, and you get to see everybody in their alternative outfits.
Overall joining a social and being a first year student means that you are going to have to wear some humiliating yet memorable outfits for nights out.
Don’t let this deter you from attending socials. Some of my favourite memories have been from looking ridiculous on nights out with my friends, and creating memories where you can embarrass yourself. Take comfort in not having to worry about how you look, as you are dressed as either a pumpkin or a Shrek.