<p><strong>1. Get yourself out there</strong><br />Check out what events are happening in the city and at uni, and attend as many as you can (<strong>check out our handy list of selected events below</strong>). There will be a mix of ticketed and free events, to suit every budget. These allow you to make friends and maybe try something that you wouldn't have before - this is just the start of so many new experiences!</p> <p>Keep an eye on the SU social pages on<strong> Instagram </strong>and<strong> Facebook</strong>, the <strong><a href="https://www.plymouthartsu.com/">SU website</a></strong> and the college's official social channels on<strong> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/plymouthcollegeofart/">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/plymouthcollegeofart">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/plymouthart">Twitter</a></strong> to stay up to date with what's happening in the college itself and the city as a whole.</p> <p>If you want to find out more about the SU clubs and societies, come along to the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/events/459142271604367/">fair in the SU on Thursday 26 September</a>. This will also be an opportunity for you to start a society of your own if nothing catches your interest. We are also rounding off your induction week with a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/events/2437072856533916/">Pizza Party</a> in the SU bar space on Friday 27 September, and we're holding our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/events/863416920708746/">Freshers Fair</a> on Friday 4 October where you can enter some amazing competitions (including one to win a Polaroid Original camera!) and get discounts from lots of great local businesses.</p> <p><strong>2. Find your local inexpensive food shop</strong><br />If you've just moved into your student accommodation, spend a bit of time getting to know your local area and find somewhere cheap to stock up on food. It’s very likely that you’ll have an Aldi or Lidl close to you, if not then consider shops that offer point card systems such as Tesco or Sainsbury. Moving into shared accommodation? You can club together with your housemates and do joint food shops, and maybe even cook together to save money.</p>

<p><strong>3. Broaden your horizons</strong><br />During your first week, set a personal goal to talk to at least one new person a day, this is a great way to introduce yourself to others and build potential friendships. Building a network of people who work in all different disciplines opens the door to collaborations - imagine being a fashion student who knows a crafts student to make props for their collections, a photography student to take amazing snaps of their garments and a film student friend to help them promote their work!</p> <p>And don't forget to sign up to some of our <strong><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/student-life/workshop-wednesdays"> Workshop Wednesday</a></strong> sessions - we have set aside Wednesday as an extracurricular day, where our students are free to explore creative skills outside their usual programme of study by choosing from a rich, rolling menu of workshops led by our excellent technical staff.</p> <p><strong>4. Keep on top of your work</strong><br />Get into the swing of being on top of things from the start, time management and prioritising deadlines is key. This way, tackling coursework in your second and third years will be a breeze.</p> <p>If you're struggling with work, or worried about anything, then there are also lots of different ways that you can access support at Plymouth College of Art - from workshops on writing in the <strong><a href="https://sites.google.com/pca.ac.uk/library/home">Library</a></strong>, to mental health support and counselling from our <strong>Student Support</strong> team. With a recent publication in The Guardian reporting that some universities had up to 12 week waiting lists for help, we're proud to be bucking the trend with <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/posts/no-waiting-lists-for-counselling-services-at-plymouth-college-of-art">no waiting lists for counselling services at Plymouth College of Art.</a>.</p> <p><strong>5. Enjoy yourself</strong><br />Make the most of every opportunity, have fun and enjoy yourself. After all, you will only be a fresher once!</p>

<p><strong>Still feeling nervous or anxious? Why not drop into the SU (near The Refectory) and chat to SU President Rowena or SU Manager Paige over a cuppa. You can also drop them an email at <a href="mailto:rmurphy@pca.ac.uk">rmurphy@pca.ac.uk</a> and <a href="mailto:pnolan@pca.ac.uk">pnolan@pca.ac.uk</a>.</strong></p> <p><strong>Student's Union social channels</strong><br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PCAStudentsUnion/">@PCAStudentsUnion</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pca_su/">@pca_su</a></p> <p><strong>Plymouth College of Art social channels</strong><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/plymouthcollegeofart/">@PlymouthCollegeofArt</a><br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/plymouthcollegeofart">@PlymouthCollegeofArt</a><br />Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/plymouthart">@plymouthart</a></p>

<p><strong>A few events coming up soon...:</strong><br />Tuesday 24 September<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1305117489663599/">Drake Circus Student Night</a><br />Drake Circus Mall from 6.30pm - 9pm</p> <p>Wednesday 25 September<br /><a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/free-city-centre-yoga-sessions-mats-are-provided-tickets-72220660941">Free Yoga Sessions</a><br />House of Fraser, Plymouth from 10am - 3pm</p> <p>Thursday 26 September<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/459142271604367/">Clubs &amp; Societies Fair</a><br />In the SU from 12pm</p> <p>Friday 27 September<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/2437072856533916/">Pizza Party</a><br />In the SU bar space from 3.30pm - 7pm</p> <p>Friday 27 - Sunday 29 September<br /><a href="https://plymouthartweekender.com/">Plymouth Art Weekender</a><br />Venues around the city</p> <p>Friday 4 October<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/863416920708746/">Freshers Fair 2019</a><br />In the SU from 11.30am - 2pm</p> <p>Friday 18 October<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/429464334336699/">Volunteering and Careers Fair</a><br />In the SU from 12pm - 3pm</p>