A stroll around campus

It seems like quite a while ago that I started writing this blog - and it’s nearly impossible to sum up what’s happened since! But ever since I began, there’s been an idea lingering at the back of my head for a post to write in my final year: based on the premise of spending a solitary day, probably just a typical Monday, on Highfield campus, I’d simply walk around the University buildings and bullet point the things that’d jump out at me, which made me smile or attracted my curiosity, in turn hopefully revealing the amazing quantity of day-to-day happenings here in the incredibly vibrant University community.

I’d like to spend some proper time on it to do it justice, so hopefully it’ll soon follow the conquering of the annual November deadline rush, where everyone scrambles to get work in before Christmas! But taking part in some photography training at the University last week somehow ended up providing an apt preview of just how long the piece will probably end up being – when I get round to writing it, that is!

I attended the session with the aim of hopefully being able to provide higher quality snapshots of my University life on here through the medium of a camera phone (not always the easiest task out and about in the city!). We received a number of tips about improving the quality of our photographs, and in turn how to go about trying to capture the essence of an effervescent student body. It was fascinating to see just how much a simple camera phone really could achieve through keeping an eye out on your surroundings, particularly if you happen to be in the right place at the right time!

Towards the end of the session we were given an hour or so in which to get outside and start making our own photographs happen, working on the principles of anticipating good pictures, framing shots with the sunlight, and often just by asking people whether they would mind us taking pictures to capture some more naturalistic (although consequently perhaps camera-pressured!) moments. Some people understandably declined (I wouldn’t want my photo taken after a 9am lecture – as a non-morning person, it wouldn’t be a pretty sight!), but the majority were happy to let us go about strolling around campus and quite literally getting a snapshot (or two) of the University in action, which was a hugely illuminating experience.

Ultimately the one thing I took away from the exercise, aside from the useful photography tips, was a significantly deeper insight into the eclectic undertakings of the University community as a whole. In just forty-or-so minutes of the hour we were allocated, I’d already been round and snapped bike repairs on the concourse, passionate discussions between students and lecturers outside lecture theatres, the beautiful greenery on campus, a well-attended daytime concert in the Turner Sims, several games of Squash being played as competitively as ever, bustling bars and cafes in the Students’ Union, and many a friend reunited over lunch! Out of the interests of the privacy of the parties involved I won’t put many of the photos up here – only the people I know and asked personally – but suffice to say that it demonstrated to me that, when I finally get around to bullet-pointing for that future blog post over the course of a whole day, the list certainly won’t be shy of varied content!

The University's Valley Gardens were looking beautiful, even on a Winter’s day!

There was a great turnout at the Turner Sims’ daytime concert!

I was lucky enough to be on hand to capture a hug between two of my friends who’d spotted one another outside the Union!

Even when you’re perhaps not feeling like taking part in the more active elements of University life and you just want to relax, there’s still a lot to make you smile. Slightly wearied by many an assignment the other night, myself and the rest of my house went on a spontaneous trip to one of our favourite dessert parlours nearby for some sugary treats - and left positively bouncing home! It was yet another example of a simple, yet nonetheless brilliant, activity, resulting in a great evening.

A trip to Sprinkles was just what the doctor ordered after assignments galore!

It’s amazing just how much you can see with a simple stroll around campus. And if you don’t believe me, why not come on an Open Day or Campus Tour and try it some time? It might just render you as inspired as its left me.

Robin