Your say / The University of Bristol
Top mistakes Freshers make and how to avoid them
Summer is coming to an end, which means a new crop of students are arriving at university, full of excitement for Freshers’ week. That was me exactly a year ago now. For those people, I would like to tell you some of the things I learnt not to do during your first year.
Don’t spend all your time on the Triangle.
This is a common mistake for uni students. Some fail to leave the Triangle for all of their three years. Yes, the Triangle is fun and the student mania that takes place at the clubs is exciting, but Bristol is one of the most culturally rich cities in England. It is a privilege to study in such a place, so not experiencing it properly is a missed opportunity. Explore: Gloucester Road, Bedminster, Clifton; take a day trip to Bath. These places span from lovely and relaxed to exciting and bustling.
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Wandering around Clifton is one of the most pleasant experiences you can have in Bristol. Lovely parks, lovely houses, lovely shops. Very good spot to grab coffee with someone. A relaxed drink in Clifton is also very nice.
Gloucester Road offers more varied music than the Triangle. For me, I was done listening to “Now That’s What I Call Music” – style DJs after a couple weeks. Gloucester Road clubs are great for a more varied selection, so you can listen to music that you haven’t heard before.
Gloucester Road in the daytime – photo: Betty Woolerton
Another mistake, do not spend all your time in Wetherspoons.
Yes, the prospect of a £2 pint is alluring; however, there are some absolute gems of pubs in Bristol. The blank canteen-like atmosphere of a “spoons” gets old quick. Pay a bit extra for your pint and go on a nice crawl. Highbury Vaults, The White Bear, Seamus O’Donnells (Best Guinness I’ve ever had), these are some great pubs and I have only just scratched the surface of what Bristol has to offer. Walk by an interesting pub and see what it is like. Even if it is bad it will have more character than a Wetherspoons.
Each pub you go into has its own atmosphere and quirks.
I had the best Guinness of my life at Seamus O’Donnell’s – photo: Martin Booth
Go out during the day.
Yes, I know that sounds obvious, but first year can become a permanent hungover fugue state. Maybe one week take it easy on Friday and have a nice day out on Saturday. My suggestion is going to Leigh Woods just over the suspension bridge. Also, there is a brilliant goat enclosure near the Downs. It is a nice serene change up from first year student life, which can be manic. It is very nice to amble around and isn’t too far a walk from campus. Most of the memories I hold dearest to my heart happened in these moments in first year, rather than the ragers that I barely even remember. These are opportunities to have wholesome moments with your friends.
More generally, make sure you do some nice sober activities – not everything you do has to involve drinking. Your body and mind will thank you.
Leigh Woods in the summer sun – photo: Martin Booth
Don’t go out just for the sake of going out
Yes, I get it: you want to have the crazy Freshers’ year and you don’t want to miss out on the endless possibilities of a night out. However, if you don’t feel like going out, don’t force it. Let’s be honest, most nights follow a similar pattern. They start with power drinking and end with drunken rambling. If you don’t feel like it, take the night off. Feeling tired at the club is terrible
You start resenting the loud music and people and questioning the point of going out when you don’t want to. Don’t fall into this trap. A night in with a movie is not lesser than going out to a nightclub.
Don’t miss out on the music scene.
You can see a lot of live acts for cheap and sometimes for free in Bristol. Try things out even if you have no idea what they are, or if you would like them. I remember seeing a feminist punk band called CLT DRP, that I had no idea about and it ended up being one of the best gigs I’ve been to.
There are an array of places that are great: Rough Trade for new bands, The Old Duke for jazz, Crofters Rights for good bands for cheap. Try new bands out and see what sticks.. Bristol has one of the most exciting music scenes in England. Don’t miss out on seeing the next Portishead or The Sundays.
A gig by band Imagine That in Bristol – photo: Issy Packer
Buy a French press
Instant coffee sucks and buying coffee from a coffee shop everyday can bankrupt you, so invest in a French press. Now you can make lovely coffee at home whenever you want to. Additionally, making coffee is a very meditative and therapeutic experience. If you’re feeling really fancy, buy a milk frother. This is not something that is essential but, if you want to live a luxurious life, a milk frother is needed.
I haven’t personally levelled up to the espresso machine, but best believe I’ve got it in my crosshairs.
Coffee is life – photo: Martin Booth
Do the reading
My final tip and the first one that has anything to do with actually going to university. Do your reading. Even if you are not aiming for top grades, it makes lectures a lot better if you understand what the lecturer is talking about. Sitting through a two hour lecture where you don’t understand any of the topics is a pain. Get around this by doing the reading. Also, don’t pretend like you have done the reading in seminars. Everyone realises and it is embarrassing. There’s no shame in admitting when you haven’t done it.
Remember you’re at university to get a degree – photo: Martin Booth
Main photo: OMG Bristol
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