From bowling to beach: unveiling exciting RSU Freshers' Week 2023 programme

Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Orientation Week, which is organised by the University’s International Department, starts on Tuesday 22 August. Parallel to these more official events, the Head of Integration and Sports Wafaa Farhath Valiyakathu and her assistant Mazeen Mohamed from the RSU International Student Association (ISA) are organising the bi-annual Freshers’ Week that starts on 23 August.

The first event of Freshers’ Week on Wednesday 23 August is bowling. Participation costs €5 and covers entrance and shoe rental. There will be a mini tournament with prizes for the top three places. ‘Because people don’t know each other yet, we direct them towards lanes that they can choose. Eventually they meet and start talking,’ explains Mazeen. 

The next day, 24 August, ISA is organising a scavenger hunt in the Old Town, which this year will be in the form of a crossword puzzle. Participants will meet up at the Laima Clock where they will be split into groups. There is a collaboration with the Cosmos Illusion Museum, so students will be able to visit and enjoy the exhibits there. After the groups solve the puzzle, they meet up at the RSU Student Union (Studējošo pašpārvalde, SP) house where prizes will be awarded for different achievements. 

On Friday, 25 August, there will be a night out in Riga. The price to participate is €16, which includes a beer or non-alcoholic beverage at each bar on the pub crawl. Participants will be divided into groups. 

Finally, on Saturday 26 August, Freshers’ Week comes to an end with a day trip to Vecāķi beach. The train departs at around 16:00. Once at the beach, there will be various activities, games, snacks and, hopefully, a beautiful sunset.  

When planning the events, Wafaa and Mazeen stress that it is important to keep the variety of students in mind so as to create events that appeal to as many people as possible. ‘There are students who have never experienced university life before, and it’s our goal to help them interact with others. We have tried to keep the structure loose this year and give them unscheduled time to communicate and get to know one another. We're trying to accommodate for a lot of different tastes and not make it too scary of an event to attend.’ Mazeen points out the age range of the new students, ‘We have people who have just graduated from high school who are around 18, and then we have students who are in their mid-20s or 30s.’ 

The first semester can be overwhelming and Wafaa’s tip for getting through the first year is to learn to maintain a healthy balance between studying and socialising.

‘Just because you're in your first year doesn't mean you have to study all the time! Find a good balance between everything and focus on whatever makes you happy.’

Mazeen’s advice concerns the student e-platform MyRSU. 'MyRSU has a lot more features than I knew in my first year! Luckily my brother was also studying here, so I could ask him questions.’ For students curious about what technical and practical support the university provides, there will be a separate event to address this a few weeks after the start of the semester. 

Speaking about their own Freshers’ Weeks, Wafaa mentions that she did not attend the events. ‘It took me a while to open up when I was a first-year student in 2019.’ Mazeen, on the other hand, started studying during the COVID pandemic, and therefore his first memories of the University were all online. ‘I would encourage any shy students this year to go to the activities we organise! It definitely helps you to settle into university life quicker if you meet people,’ Wafaa is keen to stress.