Adam Smith Business School

We asked our alumni community to reflect on their time as students and to offer some advice to our 2025 UofG Freshers. Read on to discover some practical wisdom from alumni who remember exactly what it feels like to be a fresher!

 

There's something special about those first weeks at university - the buzz around the campus, the awkward introductions, the first taste of independence. For many former students, those days were filled with excitement, uncertainty and discovery. Now, looking back, they see these early days as moments that shaped them, whether it was in the clubs they joined, the places they explored or the lessons they learned. With 'Welcome Week' just around the corner, we want to give our incoming students the best possible start to their University of Glasgow experience. We're asking alumni to reflect on how they spent their time, what they wish they'd known then - and what they'd tell their younger selves now. 

 

Clubs and Societies

Getting involved in clubs and societies can be one of the most rewarding parts of university life and going along to a club or society meeting in your first few weeks can open the door to lifelong friendships with people you might never have met otherwise. Heather (MA, 2023) recalls almost skipping a home student event - until she went and met a new best friend, who's now going to be her maid of honour when she gets married!

For many alumni, it was the clubs and societies that brought campus to life. From debating in the GUU to volunteering with Enactus, these groups offered more than just fun activities, they were places to find belonging, build confidence and make lifelong friends. Whether it was taking part in a Business Case Competition or the quiet joy of a stargazing trip with the Astronomy Society, those first steps into student life often led to memories that feel special years later.

 

The Campus

There's something about the University of Glasgow campus that stays with you. Maybe it was the first time you walked through the cloisters or sat in the reading room with it's old wooden chairs. For many alumni, these places were more than just a space to study, they were places to reflect and feel part of something bigger. You could almost imagine generations of students before you doing the exact same thing. 

Today, the campus continues to evolve, blending a strong sense of history with a look towards the future. Our new buildings (such as the Adam Smith Business School) have revitalised our campus. Yet even in these new spaces, some things stay the same, with students gathering, learning and making new friends just as they always have. For our alumni, it's a reminder that while the University grows and changes, the vibrancy of our campus life always stays the same. 

 

Glasgow

Glasgow was never just the place you studied; it was where you learned just as much outside the classroom as you did inside. TV Chef Anthony Bourdain once called it 'the antidote to the rest of the world', gritty in all the right ways and still utterly charming. A city where you could spend your afternoons in vintage shops, your evenings in a pub with sticky floors and still somehow make your 9am tutorial. Not to mention the infamous sub-crawl: a rite of passage involving questionable decisions, a lot of laughter and a vague memory of trying to count how many stops you actually managed (I bet you're doing it now).

Glasgow gave you stories that would last a lifetime. Just when you thought you knew the city, you would discover somewhere else; a new cafe in the southside or a green space tucked between some grand buildings. Years later, it's not just the places our alumni remember, it's a feeling of being curious and completely at home in the city. 

 

Share your story

University is a time of discovery - not just of subjects and skills, but of yourself. If there's one thing many alumni wish they could tell their student selves, it's to trust that they can achieve anything they put their mind to. As Heather (MA, 2023) put it: 'Be confident that your potenntial is there. You can develop it if you believe in yourself first.'

If you're one of our alumni reading this, we'd love to hear what you'd tell your younger self. Your advice could be the encouragement a current student needs to take that first step, join that society or simply believe in themselves a little more. Take a moment to fill out our form and help us pass on the wisdom, one small piece of advice at a time.

Share your advice

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First published: 10 September 2025