If you’ve just arrived at Jönköping University, you’ve probably already heard the same advice a hundred times: go to Kick Off, meet people, say yes to things and make the most of your first weeks at university.
But what happens once Kick Off is over?
The answer is: student life doesn’t stop.
One of the easiest mistakes new students can make is thinking that Kick Off is thee moment to make friends and experience Jönköping. And while that’s true, it’s also only the beginning. Once the ovees come off and your schedule starts filling up with lectures, group projects and the occasional existential crisis about your course choice, it can be harder to find your way into the social side of university.
That’s where events outside the official university calendar come in.
On September 26th, Summer Hangover is bringing one last taste of summer to Jönköping. The idea is simple: summer may technically have come to an end, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to.
For new students, events like this can be a good excuse to do something slightly outside your usual routine. You don’t need to have been at JU for three years, know everyone in your programme or have a huge group of friends to go. In fact, these are exactly the kinds of events where you can meet people outside your class and start getting to know the wider student community.
And if you’re still figuring out what the Jönköping social scene actually looks like, this is your chance to explore it.
Summer Hangover is an event designed to feel more like an experience than just another night out. It will be run by Life and will take place at Sliver and for those of you who are new to Jönköping, it is worth remembering that student life here extends far beyond campus.
And while the Kick Off period is one of the easiest ways to meet people, student life is about much more than those first ten days. The Kick Off is simply the first step into student life, not the whole journey.
So, if you’re a new student and you’re already wondering whether you somehow missed your chance to make friends, you haven’t.
Go to the event. Bring your flatmate. Ask the person sitting next to you in class if they want to come. Go even if you don’t know anyone.
Because sometimes the easiest way to find your people at university is simply to put yourself somewhere new and see who you meet.
Visit life on istagram @life.jpkg to learn more about the event.
Kick Off may be over. Your student life is just getting started.
Writer: Loreleigh Mostert
