Getting out and about

Although time seems to be flying by these days, in this month more so than others when exams come pouring in thick and fast, I can still vividly recall one of my earliest nerve-wracking memories at University.

At the beginning of my first full week living in Southampton, I received a timetable from ECS (the school of Electronics and Computer Science) detailing a timetable of their ‘Jumpstart’ Fresher-orientation event, including when and where to be at the beginning of each day. Lots of courses tend to have similar programmes which are very helpful in getting you acclimatised to your new surroundings; mine, for example, included a walking tour round the city’s various sights and hotspots, and gave me a good overview of my whereabouts.

If I was still feeling disorientated, this was a pretty big clue what was near to me...!

But with my introductory programming beginning earlier than my flatmates’, I was the first to be confronted with the potentially intimidating prospect of travelling independently in an unknown city, two hundred and fifty miles away from the nearest well-known face, and armed only with a uni-link bus pass and a timetable to make the journeys.

Reflecting on it now, it does, of course, seem quite a silly thing to be worried about – there were plenty of people available to ask, for one thing! But at the beginning of your University career, you do find yourself in a constant state of adjustment as you adapt to a completely new lifestyle (as Rohit previously described). This means that even the smallest thing, like mentally mapping your location and how to find lecture theatres, seminar rooms, shops and (some might argue most importantly!) pubs and clubs, can initially be a challenge.

And so not wanting to be late on the very first day, I took to memorising the bus numbers and departure times from my halls the night before every trip, researching the route on foot through Google Maps in case I missed them, and planning for all the possibilities as if the ten minute journey were a trip across the Atlantic!

But, in truth, there was little to worry about indeed, especially given that my flat was a matter of two minutes away from the bus stop – I could even see the top of the double decker buses from my window, which proved quite useful if I felt up to the sprint! Plus, in many of the University’s halls of residences (I’m not sure if this applies to all of them, though, so please check when applying for accommodation!), the cost of a bus pass on the uni-link bus system is incorporated into your rent, effectively providing you with free trips around the city whilst you find your feet and learn where everything is.

The service itself is brilliant in how it caters to students of all disciplines, and it’s nowhere near as complicated as your typical bus system – I’m still not too sure of which buses to jump on back at home! You don’t need to be concerned about memorising which is your route out of tens of different minor variations, or what large quantities of initials stand for, you simply learn which of the 4 or so services passes nearby and you can quickly get to where you need to be.

Services are inexpensive and very regular indeed, and I’ve never had a longer journey than half an hour or so, even when I’ve been to St Mary’s stadium on a packed-out match day. Having said that, if you are planning to grab the bus to campus for an early lecture, I’d perhaps try to wake up that elusive quarter of an hour earlier – you’ll soon find that the 8.50am service is hugely popular with other lying-in students, and the buses can only fit so many people on!

Now with added Premier League football!

At the beginning of second year and now living in a student house, I made the decision to save money and walk everywhere, trying to make use of uni-link for longer journeys only (such as for quick trips into the city centre). Thankfully, Southampton is a wonderfully walkable city and, my house being in a great spot, no journey, be it to a supermarket, club or eatery, takes more than 15 or 20 minutes. Highfield campus itself is around 10 minutes walk away – although I often forget that this figure applies if I’m speed-walking, probably late for something!

Not only have I enjoyed the obvious benefits of walking health-wise, I’ve also begun to appreciate the aspects of being part of a community more. Nowadays I’m almost guaranteed to bump into someone I know on the road to campus, allowing for a nice catch-up – or a passing “hello!” as I carry on running! Although I would advise following your gut instinct regarding your security – no city is perfect – I’ve yet to encounter anything at all unsavoury. It pays just to be sensible.

So while moving to a new area may seem a bit overwhelming at first, within a few months you’ll soon know your Burgess Roads from your Bloomfield Gardens, your Welbeck Avenues from your Wessex Lanes, and your Highfield and Avenue campuses like the back of your hand. It’s just a case of exploring your surroundings, becoming settled in, and getting out and about!

Robin