Ah, Fresher's Week - that magical time when you meet your housemates for the next year, spend more time in bars and clubs than out of them and instantly forget the name of everyone you introduce yourself to.

What with the dreaded Fresher's Flu, killer hangovers and trying to figure out if your new flatmates are sane, it can be a testing time - albeit an exciting one.

So make the most of your first official week of university life and come out the other side with our guide on how to survive Fresher's Week.

Good luck, students.

1. Pace yourself

Know your limits
Know your limits
 

You've started unpacking, your parents have left and your flatmates have asked if you want to go down the pub to get to know everyone better. Then tomorrow there's Hudd Crawl, and then that bar your friend reccomended is having a Fresher's night with 2-4-1 drinks the day after that. Ooh, and then your course mates are hosting a meet and greet in that bar near uni Wednesday afternoon...and you can't miss the big night out planned for Friday, I mean it's your first official weekend here!

Stop. With so much going on, so many people to meet and so many Freshers' nights to attend, it's easy to suddenly have an action-packed calendar full of nights out, socials and drinks with different groups of people. And while it's important to socialise and make friends in Freshers' Week, you don't want to burn out before term has even begun properly.

Know your limits. You don't have to drink at every single event - and if things are getting heavy, why not have a soft drink in between alcoholic drinks?

And while you may feel like you want to attend everything , you've got all year to discover Huddersfield's nightlife. It doesn't have to all happen in one crazy week.

2. Stay safe            

Store your new mates' numbers
Store your new mates' numbers
 

While you're beginning a brand new chapter in your life and may feel invincible, it's still important to stay safe and remember that you might be in new, unfamiliar territory. Getting lost in town after a few too many cocktails, separated from your friends, is not a good idea.

Make sure you swap mobile numbers with your new mates - so you have someone to call if you do get lost - and make a note of the warden's contact number at your halls of residence. That way, should you get locked out or lost, you'll have a lifeline.           

Don't leave your drinks unattended when you're in a bar or club, or your handbag/valuables - the last thing you need is to lose your cash, phone and keys during the first week.

Try to avoid walking home alone - if you can't, tell someone you're heading home so they know to expect you. And if you're catching a taxi, make sure it's licenced and official - don't get in an unmarked car, whatever great price the driver might offer you.

3. Budget

Keep an eye on your bank balance
Keep an eye on your bank balance

Yes, student loans are wonderful, as are interest free overdrafts - but you don't want to find yourself in yours and struggling after one wild week.

Luckily, student nights and Freshers' events should make it easy to have a great time during Freshers' Week without skinting yourself - but keep an eye on your bank balance, just in case. You still need to survive the rest of the first term, and you might need to buy textbooks and other course materials during the first month.

And while it might be tempting to eat out or order takeaway every night, it's an expensive way to live - cooking a bit of pasta or making a Shepherd's Pie with your flatmates will help you save the pennies.

4. Eat properly

This cous cous salad is full of vitamins
This cous cous salad is full of vitamins
 

Which leads to point four - eat regularly and healthily and your body will cope much better with the excitement and alcohol consumption Freshers' Week entails.

Don't go out on an empty stomach - you don't want be the one in your group that's drunk within the first hour, falls over, throws up then has to be escorted back to your halls, ruining everyone's night in the process.

Cooking with your flatmates can be a fun way to get to know each other (and save money), and if you're new to Yorkshire, you have to have a full roast dinner with Yorkshire puddings on Sunday. It's the law.

5. Stay hydrated

Stay hydrated to stave off hangovers
Stay hydrated to stave off hangovers

Freshers' Week survival is not just about eating well, but drinking enough, too (and no, we don't mean alcohol!). Alcohol makes you urinate more often and therefore dehydrates the body, so its important to drink plenty of water to stave off hangovers and keep yourself in check.

Drinking a glass of water at the end of a big night out can save you from a killer headache the next morning - and carrying a bottle of water with you can help quench your thirst in between Freshers' Fairs and inductions.

6. Pay attention

Don't miss induction sessions
Don't miss induction sessions
 

Yes, Freshers' Week is largely about going out, having a few drinks, and dancing til the early hours, before staggering home, kebab in hand, feeling like you and your new friends have formed lifelong bonds.

BUT - it's also a week to get to know your new surroundings, campus and course expectations before lectures and seminars begin. Don't skive off induction events to go to the pub, and don't miss campus tours because you want to stay in bed. The last thing you need is to be sprinting all over the place on your first day, desperately trying to find your lecture hall.

7. Try and dodge Freshers' Flu

Freshers' Flu can spread quickly
Freshers' Flu can spread quickly
 

After a week of partying, late nights and too much drinking, it's hardly surprising that some people spend their first week of lectures coughing and sneezing. On campus and throughout university halls, Freshers' Flu spreads like wildfire - so do what you can to stave it off.

Avoid eating in lecture halls and seminars - you don't want to catch the germs of those around you - and use antibacterial hand gel before and after eating in public spaces, just in case. You don't know what state of illness the person who touched that door handle before you was in!

Take multivitamins, and eat and drink healthily. And if you do succumb to Freshers' Flu, get plenty of rest (whatever the temptation, don't sneeze and splutter your way through a night out), get plenty of fluids and invest in some cold and flu tablets. However terrible you may feel, you will not die. Your body just needs to take some time to recover.

8. Don't worry

It's normal to feel overwhelmed
It's normal to feel overwhelmed
 

No matter how much you prepare for university life, it's perfectly normal to feel a bit overwhelmed - or even anxious - during the first few weeks.

You're in a new place, away from family and friends, and sometimes it's not as exciting and incredible as people say it is - perhaps you don't get on with your new flatmates, or you feel isolated.

But don't worry. Take it one day at time - and don't over-analyse the situation or compare everything to life back home. If you don't have much in common with your flatmates, look at the societies on offer or try meet people from your course. Just go with the flow, do what feels right for you - and in a few weeks you're bound to feel more settled and you will enjoy yourself more.

If your anxiety continues, or you feel like you're struggling to cope, tell your university - most have counselling services available to students.

9. Make memories

You're only a Fresher once!
You're only a Fresher once!
 

Freshers' Week is your chance to let your hair down before the hard work begins - so make the most of it! It won't be long before reading, essays and exams steal your free time - so enjoy your final week of freedom before lectures and seminars begin.

You're only a Fresher once (although that won't stop you from doing it all again in second and third year), so make memories that will last for a lifetime - and you never know, some of the friendships might too.

Moving out for the first time? Don't forget anything with this handy packing guide.

And hear some sage advice from graduates who have been there, done that, and lived to tell the tale.