I wasn't nervous about starting at university. Not really. Not until I was sitting in the car, watching the streets winding by, realising that, for all the balmy weeks of summer, it was all finally happening.

But I mean, what was there to be afraid of, right? I had an amazing freshers' fortnight to come and beyond that six years of a course I couldn't wait to begin. I'd be myself, make friends for life and be intellectually engaged at one of the best universities in the world. It all started with this: music, banners, sun, hall seniors and staff; all there to welcome me to my new home.

Those kind of ideas aren't that easy to process in the moment, though, and despite the enormity of it all I was focused on the little things: was I wearing the right clothes? Would the people be nice? What about my roommate? When I reached my room, the only sign of him was a big cardboard package sitting on the floor. International, maybe? Who knew. I put my stuff on the nicer bed of the two, half-unpacked with my dad and set out for lunch with the rest of my family.

I couldn't finish my meal. I thought that it was because the beef curry was so rich, but in retrospect there were probably a few other reasons too. It was a nice thing to do, I guess, but I found it odd that all the attention was on me. It was my big day. Was it? We all went back together so they could see the room, but it wasn't long before they'd said their goodbyes, taken their photos and left. The door might have slammed dramatically had I not propped it open.

So began the process of meeting people! It started with an awkward circle of introductions in the kitchen, but that's understandable - everybody's a bit nervous. It gets better. There was pizza, at least! When my roommate arrived I went back with him to sort stuff out before our whole hall got together for our first big event: a free boat party! The warden thought it'd be a great idea to take an hour-long walk rather than the tube; it wasn't, but it gave us a lot of time for mingling. Lots of time to ask about names and courses, to shake hands. The usual rituals. The party itself started slowly, while people queued up for their free drinks, but before long we were all on the dance floor and there to stay. We could have known each other for years.

Just over a month in, it's hard to talk about my first day with any kind of perspective. Since then I've met loads of great new people, had an amazing time and had my interest piqued with dissections and venepunctures, lectures and practicals, clinical communication and patient contact. I've joined clubs and dipped my toe into the medical world for the first time. The scale of what lies ahead kind of staggers me at times, but I'm still as excited about it all as I was when I first pulled up on that warm October morning.