I’ve also been to Edinburgh, the Brecon beacons, Bristol, Devon, Yorkshire and Cornwall. I’ve seen Stonehenge, the Angel of the North and the Roman Baths in… Bath.
But there are still so many places I haven’t been.
Me in Edinburgh outside the Castle,
back in June 2010 for a
post-Fresher’s city break!
In fact, it makes me wonder how the many international students at the University of Southampton will ever get to see everything the UK has to offer if I haven’t managed to after 22 years! How will they combine studying here with sampling what our country has to offer? Well, that’s where Explore the UK comes in.
Explore the UK is a society set up to ensure that international
students get this opportunity. They make sure students from all over the globe
settle in at Southampton, feel at home, and get the most out of their stay
here. Previously called ‘Pre-Sessional Society’, they provide vital help and
experiences for visiting students, right from the beginning of the summer. Not
only do they hold nightlife events and provide support, they organise big trips
across the country throughout the year. These trips are also open to any
student at the University.
On 16 March I went along with the team on a trip to visit Cambridge.
The trip was so popular that the tickets sold out without much need for
promotion, and over 80 students attended for just £13 each (that’s less than a
return using public transport!). On a very cold and very, very wet March
morning (where is the spring weather?!) we took a three hour coach journey
halfway up the country to one of the UK’s intellectual capitals, ready to see
the famous colleges and buildings that make up the prestigious University of Cambridge.
The view of King’s College, Cambridge,
with its impressive chapel and
amazing architecture
We started off the day with a two-hour tour by a company called ‘Footprints Tours’, who offer tours of both Oxford and Cambridge. Their tour guides are university educated, professional and from the area, providing tourists with a genuine and informative experience, without the boredom. The society itself had paid for the tour, allowing the students to get the most out of their visit without the extra cost. We were split into two groups, and endured the rain until it finally stopped as we were taken around the city. My group were shown around by Fred, who was one of the founders of the company and really shone with enthusiasm. His animated explanations of the city’s place in the history of the UK and his funny anecdotes made us forget about our cold toes and soggy hair, as he led us around the colleges and side alleys, explaining stories of student pranks, architecture and famous alumni.
Students inside the chapel at Pembroke College, admiring the building
Among the sights we saw were Pembroke College with its beautiful chapel (designed by Christopher Wren), the Mathematical Bridge, Trinity College and the Corpus Clock (unveiled in 2008 by Stephen Hawking and made of 24 carat gold). The splendour and decadence of the sights was clear, but even more spectacular was the sheer history involved, with the oldest college having been founded in 1284, and the multitude of scientific discoveries, Nobel prizes and dominant historical figures associated with the university. There were far too many stories to tell, but the two hour tour went very quickly and everyone really enjoyed it. If you ever go to Cambridge or Oxford and you want to know everything there is to know about the city, I really recommend the Footprints tour group.
The grounds of Trinity College, with its beautiful court.
My favourite moment was standing in the hall at Trinity College and hearing a choir singing – there were statues of Tennyson and Isaac Newton surrounding us and the sun had finally come out to shine down on the courtyard. I’m a sucker for history and old buildings, and it really was a fantastic moment. My other favourite part was being told that, since only fellows of the colleges could cross the grass in each courtyard, a group of migrating ducks – whose route went through the centre of the grass in one college – had been made fellows, so the rules didn’t have to be changed! Everyone found this pretty funny.
Inside the chapel at Trinity College
The students were then allowed around four hours of free time to do what they wanted, whether that was a spot of shopping, more sightseeing, punting on the river or, as we did… watching the Six Nations in a lovely cosy pub, away from the rain! Everyone who had paid for the trip seemed to have a great time. The society committee seemed very happy with how the event went, and we finally arrived back in Southampton at around half ten that evening. After a long day of walking around a new city, I was definitely ready for bed.
Me, Rowanna and Rachel, who are both key members of the Explore the UK
committee
I’m not sure when I would have been able to see Cambridge if I hadn’t gone on the trip with Explore the UK. It’s not somewhere I would have taken the time to visit unless there was an event such as this, and I am so glad I took the opportunity to go! It was even more appropriate with the Oxford vs. Cambridge Boat Race, which takes place this year on 31 March – Easter Sunday!
Explore the UK are a very friendly, enthusiastic team who genuinely
care about the students involved – not only when they are settling
international students in the summer, but throughout the year. Their next trip
is to Edinburgh in June this year and they are still taking deposits at £25 for
the £99 trip which, once again, is a bargain! Find them on Facebook if you’re
interested (https://www.facebook.com/ExploreTheUK) or email them at presesh@soton.ac.uk!
Joanne
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