Freshers Week is Changing: Learn How to Navigate Changing Student Preferences

Why is Freshers Week changing?

It’s down to a change in attitude.

Gen Z, 18-21 years old and of age to attend university, are looking for more than just traditional nightlife. Going out might be on the agenda, but they’re just as likely to make well-loved food spots and cult cafes their haunt of choice when it comes to downtime.

We can’t ignore gaming or exercise, either. Gen Zers might be more inclined to jump on online gaming platforms and chat with their friends for the evening or join a running club and have a drink or two at the social once the run is over.

But don’t just take our word for it: check the statistics. Back in 2022, Mintel – a UK-based research firm – carried out a study on the lifestyles of Gen Z. They found that 46% of young adults said going to restaurants is how they spend time with their friends. In that same study, 36% said going to pubs/bars for a drink, while gaming, cafes and exercise had comparable popularity to drinking. 

Don’t forget mental health, either. As communications surrounding mental health have grown and grown, it’s unsurprising that the current generation of young people will come into adulthood with a greater understanding of the matter. Some young people would rather live without the downsides that can come from a heavy night out.

And, of course, there is the cost of living crisis. Everyone’s feeling the strain at the moment, with the price of everything increasing. Students have more options but less money, so it makes sense as to why their habits would be different to their millennial counterparts. 

Taking all this into account, it’s easy to see why Freshers Week is changing.

How can promoters adapt to this?

From the research carried out by Mintel, it’s clear that Gen Zers value communicating with each other. 

So, it’s about diversifying what you’re currently doing. You have to think about ways you can create events that aren’t tailored to drinking and listening to music. 

For example, gaming was a popular choice in the Mintel study. You could create an event focused on gaming and community, hosting tournaments on the night and handing out prizes for the winners. Throw in a couple of food vendors while you’re at it. 

With an event like this, you’re catering to an interest but adding something different. The interest in gaming will drive initial interest, but the chance to meet new people, enter competitions, win prizes and grab some great food at the same time will make your event appealing. It’s an enhanced version of what you can do at home. 

Of course, some promoters will already be hosting gaming and other non-music events, like comedy nights. So, think about how you can attract students to these events. It might involve separate student nights or discounted events. 

Here at Skiddle, we’ve got a variety of tools that can help you. Let’s have a look at them in the next section of the article. 

What Skiddle features can help?

The first Skiddle feature you’ll want to use is Reps. Reps lets people who aren’t part of your team – think students and eventgoers, for example – sell tickets for your event in exchange for cash or rewards. 

Every year, millions of new students take to the universities of the UK, ready to make their new city or town their home for the next three years. You can benefit from this. 

You can advertise for reps on social media, who can then sell tickets to people around campus that they know. This opens your event up to new markets, as they’ll be selling to people that you have never met. 

The next feature you’ll want to use is Discount Codes. With this feature, you can create single, multi and unlimited-use discount codes to give attendees a great deal. 

They can also help with promotion, too. You can hold competitions for discounts on social media either weekly or monthly, telling the first 30 people who like a post, for example, that they will receive a discount on tickets. 

For more information on Reps, click here. To discover more about Discount Codes, click here.