As we pulled into Robinson College, the mixture of excitement and nerves I felt was not far from the experience I had arriving as a fresher. Two years later, looking back on my naïve, 18-year-old, fresh-faced self, I realised that not that much had really changed since my time began at Cambridge. Whilst nothing can compare to that ‘first-time’ feel, like many things, Freshers’ Week improves with practice (in other words, when you are no longer a fresher). Having an established network of friends, along with the knowledge to vet ‘dead’ events from your week, makes the spectacle much more enjoyable for a returning student than for one just starting. The pressure to ‘break the ice’ becomes a hilarity after the awkward moments experienced as a fresher in those all-important ice breaker events such as speed-dating or boat-building.

Of course, I’m naturally older and wiser, able to impart my abundance of knowledge on new freshers, but group conversations of ‘does anyone actually know what we are doing?’ still occur on a regular basis. And there’s no denying the ever-present FOMO. I think no matter what age you are, if you are starting something new, however big or small, the Fear-Of-Missing-Out complex manages to creep into your psyche and sit comfortably at the back of your mind. If anything, the prospect of having only three terms left of my undergrad degree is more daunting than meeting eager new faces could ever be. I know that, despite many a stressful experience, I am going to undergo serious separation anxiety once I leave - all the more reason to get a cheeky Masters in, I suppose.

Admittedly, having had two years of ‘Freshers’ Week’, it’s a lot easier to pick and choose what you go to and whom you speak to, and I’ve found my attitude has become a lot more relaxed as time has passed. I’ve realised that indulging in stereotypical Cambridge notions is very amusing and there’s no denying that knowing your environment gives a person much more confidence in their everyday life. Although I’m still worried about aspects of my course and what the year is going to bring, I can already get excited about Christmas in Cambridge and events I know are going to happen which, obviously when in first year, I didn’t appreciate.

Understanding that the Cambridge bubble is not the be-all and end-all of life at present lends itself to refreshing your perspective on uni life. It’s a lot easier to make fun of stressful moments that seemed unmanageable as a fresher, and I’ve developed a more carefree approach. Equally, as a serious and studious finalist, I cannot fully indulge in the luxury of not worrying too much about the year ahead. The balance of work and play is, in a way, harder this year as the work is more demanding and the pressures are extremely real, yet I also know that this is my last year and naturally I still want to experience everything under the sun. Going into finals year, the challenges I face now put all the anxieties I had as a fresher into perspective. At the time, though, they were real worries.

With hindsight, what would I do differently? Coming from a rather sheltered all-girls’ school upbringing, I was determined to make up for lost time and ‘go wild’. Now I realise that although that was really fun, it’s also acceptable to rein in a little bit and try less hard. Freshers’ Week typically marks the first time somebody has lived away from home for a lengthy period of time and it really is alright to feel worried. It’s normal. Be reassured that the majority of people, whether they will admit it or not, are in the same situation.

As a piece of advice from an aged finalist, watch out for those ‘BNOC’s. Contrary to my dad’s belief, a ‘BNOC’ is not a sub-par A-Level substitute qualification but, instead, a specimen which thrives in the freshers’ environment, imposing themselves on the young Padawan learners, notorious ‘sharks’ who utilise a fresher’s innocence to their advantage, playing the power card of being substantially older and wiser. This can range from several years, stepping into graduate territory, to just a year. Such epistemic distance leads to said BNOC becoming irresistible. And it does take some experience to learn to recognise and deal with this phenomenon.

But whether you’re a second-year, a finalist, or a post-grad, it’s hard to resist having a Ground-Hog Day moment when, although it’s like coming home, the challenges facing you at the beginning of the year are daunting as well as exciting, old as well as new. Although I have the security of knowing my way around college, of a fantastic group of friends, and generally having some clue as to what I’m doing in my degree, the prospect of entering the dreaded ‘Final Year’ is just as daunting as coming to a new environment as a ‘Fresher’. But, of course, in the most cliché manner as possible, I wouldn’t change any part of it. Well, almost any part.