Freshmen Camps: From the First Hesitant Conversation to a Sense of Belonging

Starting university is exciting, but it can also bring plenty of uncertainty. Will I make friends? Who will I walk into the faculty with on the first day of classes? Who can I turn to when everything is still new and unfamiliar?

VU SR's Freshmen Camps help answer these questions even before studies begin. On START FM, students from the Faculties of Communication, Medicine, Physics, and Chemistry and Geosciences shared their experiences. Although each camp had its own theme and activities, one message united all four stories: it was there that they first truly felt like part of the university community.

Returning in September to Familiar Faces

Urtė Mažylytė, a Midwifery student at the Faculty of Medicine, attended the camp with one main goal in mind – to meet people so that starting university would feel less intimidating.

"I hoped I would get to know people so that September would feel less scary. It was wonderful to see familiar faces at the faculty, to have someone to sit next to, and to feel that I wasn't alone – we were all beginning this journey together," says U. Mažylytė.

Jokūbas Randis, who studies Innovative Communication and Entrepreneurship at the Faculty of Communication, remembers feeling uncomfortable when he first arrived at the faculty and even wondering whether he would manage to make friends. In the end, he decided to take the first step himself.

"I thought to myself that this was a once-in-a-lifetime moment, so I simply went up to people and started talking. From the very beginning there was so much energy – the mentors, the freshers, everyone was chatting, and we spent the entire train ride to the camp talking," says J. Randis.

Hubertas Škudžinskas, who studies Cartography and Geographic Information Systems at the Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, also remembers feeling nervous before meeting so many new people.

"I grew up in a small village and had the same group of friends for years, so it was exciting to meet completely new people with whom I'd soon spend a lot of time. At first I was a bit anxious, but we quickly became friends and started building a community together," he recalls.

Mentors Become Your First Familiar Faces at University

Even before the camp begins, freshers receive messages or phone calls from their mentors – senior students who guide them through their first steps at university. Although that first contact can be unexpected, mentors often become the very first people who make new students feel welcome.

Jokūbas admits that he initially wasn't sure how to react when his mentor texted him.

"I remember thinking: who's messaging me and why? It felt a little awkward because an older student had written to me, and I thought I had to behave very formally. But from the very first minute, my mentor spoke to me in such a warm and relaxed way that all the awkwardness disappeared. She made it clear that we're both students and there's nothing to worry about," he says.

That connection did not end with the camp. Today, Jokūbas is a mentor himself, while his former mentor is now the Integration Process Coordinator at VU SR's Faculty of Communication.

"We're still very close. I think it's because of how warmly she welcomed me from the very beginning. That first impression turned into a friendship that has lasted until now," says J. Randis.

Urtė's first contact with her mentor came not through a message but through a phone call. Although that initially seemed even more intimidating, the conversation quickly put her at ease.

"Right away I felt that I could write to her not only that first time, but whenever I had any question at all. Mentors have only recently gone through exactly the same experience themselves, so they have plenty of advice and stories to share. It's reassuring to know they've been in the same situation," says U. Mažylytė.

Eglė Kulionytė, who studies Light Technologies at the Faculty of Physics, was also surprised that incoming students were looked after even before the camp started.

"I didn't expect such a warm welcome or that people would care about us even before the camp. Everyone was incredibly friendly and made sure the activities suited both energetic students and those who preferred something more relaxed. Today, my mentors are among my closest friends," says E. Kulionytė.

Community Is Built by Experiencing Things Together

Every camp has its own theme, activities, and faculty traditions, but what leaves the strongest impression is not only the programme itself – it's the people you experience it with.

At the Faculty of Communication's KOMCHELLA camp, freshers took part in singing competitions, prepared musical performances, and even debated with lecturers. According to Jokūbas, preparing for these performances required genuine teamwork.

"We had to work together constantly. It was fun not only preparing our own performance but also watching the mentors and coordinators perform. Those shared experiences are the ones you remember the most," he says.

At the Faculty of Medicine's camp, From Darkness to Light, students explored different study programmes, learned how to suture wounds, administer injections, and even extract teeth. Urtė says that simply sharing a cabin with her future classmates helped build lasting connections.

"I stayed with Midwifery and Nursing students. Even then we were already dreaming about September, making plans about where we'd go together, and promising to stay in touch. In just a few days, people you had never met before become incredibly close to you," she says.

The camps organised by the Faculties of Physics and Chemistry and Geosciences took place at the Molėtai Astronomical Observatory. For Eglė, one of the most memorable moments was an evening spent on the observatory roof, watching the stars through a telescope. Yet the strongest sense of community came after returning to the faculty.

"Our faculty is quite small, so there's a real sense of closeness. After the camp, when you come back for the first events in September, everyone recognises you. You don't expect a mentor to remember your name, and then they greet you with, 'Hi, Eglė!'" she laughs.

For Hubertas, the highlights of the Chemistry and Geosciences camp were the traditional dances, games, and simply spending time together. But above all, what stayed with him was the friendships that began there.

"What I remember most is the sense of community that has stayed with us ever since. The whole camp felt like a beautiful visualisation of the beginning of our friendship," says H. Škudžinskas.

According to him, the camp showed that university life is about much more than lectures and exams.

"University isn't just about studying. It's also about growing as a person. At the camp, we grow together, form groups, and even though some of us study chemistry and others geosciences, we feel like one team," he says.

Camps Are Where Both Studies and Friendships Begin

When asked whether they would attend a Freshers' Camp again, none of the students hesitated. Their advice was simple: don't pressure yourself to fit in immediately, and remember that almost everyone feels nervous at first.

"I'd tell every fresher to remember that you're not the only one who's anxious – everyone around you feels the same. You make friends, spend evenings around the campfire with a guitar, and create memories together. I'd absolutely go again, and I genuinely recommend it," says Urtė.

Jokūbas also encourages future students to spend less time worrying about what others think.

"Just be present in the moment. Don't overthink whether people will like you or not. Simply enjoy the experience, and everything will work out," he says.

A Freshers' Camp is much more than a few days of activities before the academic year begins. It is where you first meet the people who will soon become part of your everyday life.

Mentors become the people you feel comfortable asking even the simplest questions, unfamiliar classmates become the people you sit beside in your very first lecture, and an unfamiliar faculty becomes a community where you already know you belong.

"It's worth going to the camp because of the community and the relationships you'll build for the future," Hubertas concludes.

All information about each VU SR subdivision's Freshmen Camp, including dates and ticket information, is available on the VU SR Freshmen Camps webpage. Prospective students are also encouraged to follow their faculty's Students' Representation on social media, where the latest updates and announcements about upcoming camps will be shared.