Freshers for many people is a loaded word. Hazy memories of nights out, twelve new numbers in your phone by the morning, and a secret cry in your new room as you miss your mum are all part of the experience so they say.

Year 13s edge towards the end of their schooling years having been fed tales of this thrilling time, and sold the promise that they will love this period. That it will categorically be the best time of their lives.

For this years first year cohorts, however, things will be different. Thanks to Covid-19, kissing someone from your block on a night out and pointedly ignoring them for the next three years looks like it is no longer an option. Sex and parties are out of the question. Students will even receive sanctions and potential fines for breaking universitys safety rules, The Sunday Times reported. This years freshers experience is clearly not what they signed up for.

For Millie Richards, the hedonism of freshers isnt something she is particularly sad to miss.

A lot of people I know have that worry, like its built up to be this amazing week and everything, but for me it wasnt the thing I was most looking forward to, she said.

The 19 year-old is about to start international politics and policy at Liverpool, and said that shes heard friends who are worried the new freshers wont live up to expectations but for her, shes especially concerned about the impact on societies.

More so than drinking, she was looking forward to joining the riding club as she wanted to compete in equestrian competitions. On top of that shes especially worried about is whether the virus would impact her living away from home, as lessons move to just online.

I am really looking forward to moving out and gaining some independence so if coronavirus measures were to impede on that it would be really disappointing, she said.

On the other side of this, Hannah Elizabeth made the choice to forgo halls and study from home before she knew coronavirus could impact freshers. The 22-year-old has an unconditional to study criminology at Bournemouth University, and decided to live at home as she couldnt afford halls on top of the course fees.

She has already received an email to say her first term is online, so it is unlikely she will get the freshers she imagined.

I 100 per cent think the pandemic has messed up freshers week, she said.

In many ways this has made living away from halls easier however.

I have to admit also that if the first semester was not online I would have been more inclined to go for halls but knowing the first semester was online that was a massive factor for me as I wouldve had to pay 4-5k of my own money, she said. I was really looking forward to freshers week, the events that go with freshers week and also meeting friends as I feel itll be so much harder to meet friends now.

With so many changes, and the first term already set to being online, she feels the university should have reduced fees too.

I think its a bit bad they havent when its not the same experience.

For many international students, the fact lessons are remote adds another layer of knowing whether it makes sense to relocate to the UK too.

Liu Yasi is studying theatre design in London but is currently based in China. Shes sad to be missing out on the actual class experience as her course requires a lot of experimenting that cant be replicated through an online medium.

Ultimately the 20-year-old thinks doing it online is the safest bet, and is still planning on coming to London as some of her classes are offline.

For my friends who are also going to the UK and have the option to choose to study online at home in China, many are considering staying here for their health and safety, she said.

My family and I talked a lot on whether to defer or not, and decided not to because we couldnt find much to do for me staying here.

Overall shes excited for the change,even though its not what she thought it would be.

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How this year's freshers are feeling about picking the wrong year to start university - iNews