Arzan Turel
Cannon Writer
While sitting at home, I reminisced about something that was going through my head almost exactly a year ago: Is F!rosh Week worth it?
This is my opinion on F!rosh as someone who (regrettably) didn’t take part. I don’t particularly enjoy the thought of being thrust into forced social situations and I will admit that I am slightly introverted. It takes time for me to open up to people which doesn’t make for the best first impression. Meeting new people or more importantly, being forced to meet new people through awkward icebreakers is something I’ve always hated. This was the reason for my reluctance to go for F!rosh, the thought of paying to fuel my anxiety was unfathomable, incomprehensible.
But that’s where I was wrong – the part of Frosh that I believe is the most important isn’t making lasting friends; it’s to dip your arms into vats of purple paint (I am aware that this doesn’t seem like a selling point, bear with me), getting your yellow hardhats, running through the fountain in Nathan Phillips Square, meeting the Skule™ Spirit Heads, hearing the Ye Olde Mighty Skule™ Cannon going off. This is all while surrounded by a thousand fellow students all going through the same exciting, daunting and at times scary experience that is Engineering.
If any of this sounds too far out of your comfort zone, there’s been some additions recently to the activities. These should hopefully cater to you, there are more relaxed and chill spaces where you and Leedurs can take a break from all the running around, charity events and alternatives to the nightlife events that maybe wouldn’t interest you. Also, you don’t actually have to go for any events you don’t want to, you can always skip the things you’re not interested in. This is what F!rosh is about, the once in a lifetime Skule™ experience, which I sadly missed out on.
In an attempt to remedy this, I’ve decided to take a more active role in the Clubs and activities in my second year. I was hoping to join clubs like UTAT or UTRA, but due to circumstances I’m sure we’re all aware of, I am currently stuck abroad away from home. This led to me choosing instead to pursue a passion of mine that could, for the most part, be done from anywhere in the world – hence me writing this article. For those of you like me or for any reason couldn’t go for F!rosh – don’t worry – even someone like me who at the very thought of “making new friends” would be reduced to a puddle of nervousness and dread is doing fine.
I won’t sugar coat it; it’ll be awkward and sometimes hard to talk to new people but F!rosh Week isn’t going to solve that problem for you. The best friends you’ll make are going to be the people you sit next to in this semester, and hopefully for the next 4 years. Alternatively, if you stay at a student residence then the people around you, struggling and/or savouring the independence of living away from home.
So to my answer my own question; would it have been worth it?
In hindsight, yes. But I wouldn’t know would I, I never went.