Well summers definitely over…yesterday I was walking home and I was mortified when I actually witnessed a leaf fall from a tree! It’s not all bad news because the start of autumn means the start of term! It’s less than a month until fresher’s week! Throughout the summer in the retail office we have been preparing for fresher’s week and I have become really jealous thinking about all the first years coming to university this year. I am going into my third year at university and I am really starting to dread the twenty four hour library sessions and spending most of my student loan on coffee! I can’t believe that it has been two years since I was getting ready for my own fresher’s week! So for any new starters coming to Durham these are some of the things I learnt from my own Fresher’s experience.

Between you and your flatmates you might just have the domestic knowledge of a normal human

During my first year at university I came to learn how not everyone is so knowledgeable in the domestic setting, even myself! Once you live on your own you realize all the little things you took for granted when ... read more

The Durham University Retail internship starts off as a flood of information.  It is exciting being told all the things you will eventually know how to do like it is second nature (even though feels anything BUT natural at the moment).  

People talk at you about things you hope you understand but aren’t quite sure yet.  So all you can do is desperately smile and nod your head looking serious (like you can do this job and you’re amazingly ‘on-it’ and capable) but also friendly (making sure that people will think you are 1) a normal human being who does more with their life than just worry about work and 2) incredibly fun and simply the coolest cat there ever was). 

This does result in a rather strange facial expression, but just stick with it.  It’s what I have been doing and the retail team here at the Mountjoy Centre have been more welcoming than I could have hoped for.  This is most likely down to them being a very close, supportive team, full of enthusiasm and passion for providing fantastic service but I like to think my funny face had something to do with it… though, on second thoughts, maybe not.

Alongside ... read more