I’d participated in the Open Days and in the Saló de l’Ensenyament education fair, so La Benvinguda was the natural next step. I have very good memories of attending the Open Days as a prospective student myself and of my first day on campus as a new student, and that really motivated me.

My main motivation was to give the new students someone they could go to if they had any questions during their first few months at UPF, for them to feel comfortable coming to me and to be able to help them with whatever they need. I would have liked to have had someone like that when I started.

I don’t know whose idea it originally was, but kudos to them! It’s a brilliant initiative, for both the new students and the guides. Some of us are already in our fourth year, just a few months away from finishing our degrees, already stressed out about the future, about our bachelor’s degree final projects, about which master’s programme to do... Seeing how motivated the new students are, how excited, was incredible... and contagious; it made us want to give it our all. Telling them about the subjects and projects we’ve been doing since coming to UPF was also very exciting. And the moment with the DJ was great.

Make the most of your classes. There will always be time to hang out and have a beer in the square after class. The most important advice I can give is to take advantage of all your subjects, whether or not you think they are interesting, because they all have something to offer. You have to use these four years to get as much out of your lecturers and the content they teach as possible.

I decided to participate in the La Benvinguda for several reasons. First, those of us who started our studies last academic year weren’t able to have this experience. I thought that by being a guide I could make it easier for the new students to adapt to the university community. Second, and related to that, it seemed like an initiative with a lot of potential benefits and one that could provide new students with useful tips to make things easier for them in the first few weeks of the academic year. Finally, the fact that you get 1 ECTS credit for doing it is always a good incentive to encourage student participation.

I would rate this year’s La Benvinguda week, and the initiative in general, very highly: there are so many positive things you can get out of it. First, you can meet your new classmates in a different, much more dynamic way than what we’re used to. Second, you get to know the different spots on campus. Finally, you learn about how things work in general, and the different activities you can do once you’re part of the UPF university community.

The advice people give in these cases is usually fairly clichéd. Nevertheless, I think you can learn by enjoying yourself and making an effort. In addition to academics, I think university is a time to meet people and broaden your social relations with other people and classmates in the same situation as you. Besides, and this touches on the last question, I think the La Benvinguda initiative promotes these values and allows students of all ages to get to know each other and grow the UPF community.

I mainly decided to participate in La Benvinguda so I could help the new students the way I would have liked to have been helped when I started university. I also did it to get to know my campus and university better myself and to share the experience with other students and classmates. Finally, I would say it was to be part of the community and to make my academic education more social, to participate more in university life. The fact that you earn an ECTS credit for doing it also helped me decide.

I would rate it very positively. For a pilot test, I think it went really well. On the whole, it achieved its main goal: narrowing the gap between the university and the new students. I thought it was a very good initiative, and I would love to see it continue and be the first of many more editions to come.

My advice is that, obviously, university is for studying and training, but there are also a lot of other aspects worth experiencing that go far beyond books or syllabi. Being part of UPF means participating in the activities, going to parties, hanging out at the bar and meeting up to go to Les Aigües [the library]. That is what makes these university years so special.

I participated in La Benvinguda and decided to be a guide for two main reasons. First, when I enrolled at UPF, I didn’t have the opportunity to experience anything like that. From the moment I read about the proposal, I thought it was a great idea. I know my classmates and I would have liked our first contact to have been more informal and laid back like that, with current students at the university explaining to us first-hand what it’s like and how things work. I think all new students in their first week at university should be given a tour of the campus to familiarize themselves with it (which isn’t easy!) interspersed with activities to get to know each other and start building a group from Day One. Second, I signed up not just to help new students integrate into the university community, but also to help myself. I’ve met fantastic people and had a great time in every UPF engagement and promotional activity I’ve ever done (Open Days, the Saló de l’Ensenyament education fair, etc.). I wanted to do it again!

I think there are still some aspects that will need to be ironed out for future editions. Nevertheless, it’s a really good initiative and, even if the students don’t realize it, it will help them a lot in terms of getting to know the campus and their classmates from the very first day. I would rate it very positively, and I know it will have a big impact on the new students. It is definitely something that all universities should do because it is very necessary.

First, take advantage of the fact that the university is the ideal place to learn: investigate, talk, understand, question and interact with the academic world the university provides. Second, have fun! Make a lot of friends, talk to everyone (whether classmates, students from other degree programmes or years, teaching staff, etc.), and go out. In other words, get the whole university experience! It’s only four years, and they go by (all too) fast. UPF students are very privileged to be able to learn in an environment like this and with these teachers. Take advantage of it!

Finally, stay calm. Even those of us who have been at the university for years still get panicked when Week 8 comes along, as if it were our first term at UPF. Good luck!

The first week at university is an extremely exciting and intense experience: you barely know anyone yet, you’re bombarded with information at the welcome sessions, you’re afraid of this new unknown stage, which will probably be difficult and challenging, and you’re terribly anxious about the dreaded #PompeuPace. In short, you’re wondering how you’re ever going to survive.

But it’s not all bad. You’re starting to venture out, getting to know your new classmates, and discovering what will be your new home for the next few years. After that, everything begins to flow much better. That’s why I participated in La Benvinguda as a guide: being able to show new students the university that I’ve fallen in love with based on my experience is just great. This new initiative is an excellent way to provide new students with a story from a fellow classmate, to make it more enjoyable. It gives them an opportunity to clear up their doubts and ask questions about the path they are about to embark on. Plus, you make new friends to see at the next Pompeufarra parties!

In a nutshell: brilliant and necessary. As I said, I thought it was a great idea, all the more so given how they did it, combining the academic-institutional part with a more relaxed and informal one that, together with the guides, allowed us to share with our new classmates everything university life at UPF has to offer, beyond the classroom. This initiative will continue – and will surely continue to improve – to give incoming students the best possible welcome to their new home: Pompeulàndia.

I only have one piece of advice, and I think it’s the most important: don’t let your fear of getting all caught up in things – in a good way! – stop you. The pace will be different. You’ll need to plan more and better, but don’t let that overwhelm you. Go to as many Pompeufarres as you can, debate and learn in the associations, volunteer, make the most of your Erasmus stay, find a conversation partner to learn a new language, train in fields that overlap with your own.

In other words, sign up for as many things as you can. It’s only human to be afraid when you’re facing something new and unknown. But don’t worry. Your time at UPF will be whatever you want to make of it: all the services, lecturers, teaching and administrative staff, association members, etc., will always be there for you, to make this experience enriching and enjoyable in every way.

One of my main motivations for deciding to be a guide was to help first-year students better adapt to UPF. A lot of us didn’t have this opportunity, and I think it’s very helpful for newcomers. Telling them about my personal experience at this university, answering their questions and giving them tips can facilitate their adaptation. Besides, meeting new people always adds value and gives you new experiences. 

Personally, I think the La Benvinguda session was a very good initiative. It’s already brought different university departments, new students and postgraduate students together. Helping new students get to know the UPF facilities and the different programmes the university offers really helps them adapt. Plus, this initiative allows them to meet their classmates and make new friends before classes start.

Advice depends a lot on each person’s experience, but I think there is some generic advice that is worth giving, too, like to be humble, which is a really important aspect to emphasize. Today’s society attaches a lot of value to your CV, but also to the way you are. Being humble and never underestimating anyone is and will be one of the most important factors in personal and professional success. Knowing how to empathize is also something to strive for. We are not perfect: we are always learning. That’s the essence of life. UPF is quite strict. I think students have to shake off this fear during class, especially in seminars. Making new friends also entails a lot of benefits.