Moving a pile of clothes and a three-day old newspaper, I managed to find a space to sit down and survey the scene. Evidence of Freshers Week 2002 was all around me. Brightly coloured flyers of varying shapes and sizes were strewn across the floor. A free yo-yo advertising a university society, enough pens for a lifetime of lectures, mobile numbers scrawled on scraps of paper, and a T-shirt bearing the name of a sports club. The mess and accumulation of junk was impressive, particularly as it was only a week old.
But it captured the essence of Freshers Week. For thousands of young people this is their first taste of independence, and with it comes a bombardment of messages, an excessive social life, and an exposure to a unique community. For Christian students it may also be the first major test of their faith.
Jonathan, a first-year student at Durham University, looked back over Freshers Week: 'Arriving with my priorities in place was essential. I was ready to tell people I was a Christian, I found some Christian friends and went along to CU and a local church. And I was amazed at the respect I was given by people in my college. Chatting to the early hours about what other clubs and societies I'd joined, and the different things I'd done during the day, I think they realised I am also a human being!'
