Staying connected

One thing which I can remember most surprised me about coming to University, all those years ago (or so it seems at least, many coursework assignments later!), was the sheer number of people I met in my first year.

Be it through halls of residence, my course, societies, friends of friends, random people on the bus or in the launderettes (you soon get used to the standard Freshers’ Week conversation of “What’s your name?”, “Where are you from?” and “Where are you staying?”!) and numerous other avenues, I couldn’t believe how quickly I was being introduced to multitudes of friendly, welcoming and personable strangers. The size of my phone contacts list practically trebled in the first six months, and I went from barely using it in daily life to sometimes seemingly living on it – well, except during lectures, of course!

I was completely taken aback by just how sociable activities and events are around here, and whereas I came to University quite shy (one of my earliest memories was staying in bed for ages on my second day to avoid having to unlock my door, just out of sheer nerves!), I figured the best way to get by would just be to throw myself into as much as possible and keep busy, especially given the distance between myself and my Northern friends (who’d pretty much all stayed up there)!

But I honestly couldn’t have predicted the number of social opportunities which were on offer from the very first day. Within ten minutes of setting foot outside halls, I’d been invited to a free welcome barbecue that very evening, and but a week later, after merely attending a few society welcome meetings, I had three socials on my calendar already in the forms of a night out, a film screening and a trip to laser tag! I’m lucky enough to say that since then, I’ve not really looked back, having fallen in with a great set of people who have made my time in Southampton undeniably fulfilling and enjoyable, and it’s strange to think that I was ever so apprehensive about talking to them.

But, overall, what I’ve found is that my first week was highly symbolic of what was to follow, and the trait which I personally consider to be the critical essence of the student experience here in Southampton: finding your interests, meeting an eclectic variety of people and characters hailing from all corners of the globe, sharing memorable experiences as you come to know them and, best of all, making those connections with people which can not only lead to great friendships, but can also help hugely to broaden your mind and expose you to the way others view the world.

Just last week, for example, I met someone who’s travelled round Europe, South America and Africa, and is now training to be a stunt double! It’s quite fascinating, and incredibly enlightening simultaneously – I’ve lost count of the number of long chats I’ve had with people on topics ranging from video games to the role of religion, often to the point where we’ve run out of time to continue them!

For me, taking on Performing Arts shows, like the Show in a Week project I just took part in, was a fun way to get to know a lot of great people quickly! (Credit: Caitlin Hobbs)

I think my favourite example of connecting at University though would have to be the case of my first year flatmates, many of whom I’m still living with today. With one of them originating from South Africa, and another a formerly heavy employer of their own local dialect (mostly slang!), at first we were all constantly asking for translations from one another as we struggled to understand what was meant! But as we spent time with each other, we almost seemed to gradually adapt to the extent where we’d picked up enough of each other’s vocabularies (including some extra meanings of words I’d previously thought I fully understood!) to even start, often subconsciously, using it ourselves.  As one might say, “it was sick, fam!”

But it’s not just by phone that I was connecting with people; I’ve found social networks, for example, to be hugely helpful in planning event timetables and such, particularly in terms of organising groups of contacts for easy message circulation (like informing people about rehearsal dates and times for shows I’ve directed!) and resource sharing (for example during group coursework assignments) – and that’s not even mentioning the outstanding potential for procrastination that these networks provide, although not so much these days with my third year project deadline looming!

Best of all, however, is the easy way that such networks and devices allow you to easily stay in touch with everyone at the press of a button. Numerous times per day I find myself writing messages to people asking for a favour (often “please can you grab me some milk?”!) or needing help with an assignment, or arranging a meet-up, and the ease of access to technology which supports this communication is hugely salient across campus, allowing you to pretty much get in touch with anyone, at any time. It’s a great privilege and facility to have, and it’s definitely an aspect to consider for anyone considering Higher Education (although it’s not essential by any means!). However, any kind of phone, laptop or communication device can really help you to keep on top of things, particularly if, like me, you need the extra organisational help!

Yet regardless of how and when you communicate, life as a student is about just that: communication with the people that make up the student body around you, in turn making the most of the rich community that embellishes every campus and broadening your own cultural horizons. Indeed, if there’s one thing I’ll miss come the end of University, it’ll be the frequent, informal afternoon and evening meet-ups in the Students’ Union bar – the perfect place, for me at least, to stay connected!

Robin