Enjoying university life in Southampton without alcohol

So this week is Alcohol Awareness Week, and as  students, I’m sure we are all familiar with alcohol and the effects in can have on our bodies and minds.

As someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy clubbing, didn’t attend every Freshers' event religiously, and doesn’t relish the thought of a hangover, I’ve compiled a list of alcohol-free activities for you to try in Southampton.

Being a student isn't all drinking and nights out!

1. Try Mettricks, Southampton’s own local coffee chain

Instead of going out for a drink at a pub, you could try Mettricks. There are three in the city centre, one at Guildhall, the Old Town, and at Bargate. With a cosy, casual vibe, it’s the perfect place to chill with your friends on a Saturday, or bring that essay you’ve been meaning to write and go full hipster doing work in a non-mainstream coffee shop.

2. Explore Southampton’s cultural side at the museum and the art gallery

The SeaCity Museum is just the right size to get done in an afternoon, and has some amazing exhibitions highlighting the diversity of people in and around Southampton, and how that has changed over the years.

The City Art Gallery is located just behind the museum, and is currently home to part of the exhibitions for the British Art Show 8. It also has a beautiful permanent exhibition of the Perseus Series, which is a cartoon depiction of Greek myths. On top of that, entry is free!

3. Take some time to relax in Valley Gardens on campus

Hidden behind the Union building is a gorgeous place to come and relax. In the summer it is the site of our Bioblitz events and insect walks, but in the winter it is a fabulous place for robin-watching. If nothing else, it’ll be a good Instagram opportunity.

4. Find societies which don’t run alcoholic socials

I know of a few societies which have socials and events that aren’t all at SoBar and Jesters, but you’ll be pleased to hear that the socials they run sound like some of the best. For example;

• Sprinkles - for ice-cream and crepes!
• PlayZone -  a giant, adult-sized playground. Yes please!
• Oxygen FreeJumping  – it’s just a room full of trampolines – what more could you want!?

5. If you do get roped in to going out, don’t panic

If you order something that looks fizzy and (preferably) a funny/bright colour, people will be fooled! My favourite for this trick is a lime and soda, it can definitely pass as a vodka lemonade.

Georgia

Saving the world: A student guide

You might have heard that the COP21 Agreement made in Paris last year came into effect on Thursday 3rd November. This means that countries including China, India, and the U.S. now are legally obliged to stick to the global temperature target of no more than 2°C above the pre-industrial levels, and to pursue a target of 1.5°C. This is a great step in the right direction, but cannot be done without everyone playing their part.

If you’re like me and care very much about challenges such as food security, biodiversity loss, access to water and global climate change, I’ve compiled a list of some things you can do to save the planet as a student at Southampton.

If you’re in halls, this might sound obvious but switch things off, meaning lights, extractor fans, lamps etc., when you're not going to be in the room or around for the day. You would be surprised at the number of times that I’d come home from a day of lectures to find bedroom and bathroom lights still on. I know it seems easy to use as much electricity and water as you want when in halls; some people say, “If only I do it it’s not going to make a difference…” But think about it this way; it’s a good habit to get into, especially if you’re moving into private-rented houses in your second and third year!

On that note, it's easier than you think to recycle (which all halls at Southampton cater for) and there are even annual competitions to win ice-cream!

If you want to make a direct impact on your carbon footprint, consider cutting out meat and dairy products from your diet. Not only will this save you money on groceries, it will also directly affect your personal contribution to emissions! The University's Vegetarian and Vegan Society will be able to help a lot as they are willing to help with any questions you may have, such as recipes, where to buy food, and general advice.

You have the option of doing your washing in halls on a lower temperature too, and if you invest in a clothes horse, you can cut out the dryer element (saving you money, once again).

Join groups which are environmentally focused. Green Action Southampton undertakes a range of projects including an SU Food Co-Op, to cut down on packaging and transport, candle-lit evenings at The Art House Café in Southampton (vegan!), the Southampton Climate Forum, and they also run the awesome Environmental Rock Music Festival! The Marine Conservation Society run weekly beach cleans in and around Hampshire, the Student Switch Off Society – funnily enough – switch things off, and I’ve heard it’s quite fun to run around campus and turn off as many plugs as you can…

If you’re more politically minded, you can join the Young Greens who meet regularly to discuss Green Party issues, and are focused mainly on change in Southampton, so there will be things you can actually get involved in! There are student groups for most major political parties.

Obviously, I’m not saying everyone has to do all of these things and join every student group starting from today, but maybe if you could pick one or two off the list and start there, you could really make a difference today.

Georgia

Go all out for Halloween, on a student budget

So, the big night’s coming; the one where everyone (literally, everyone) is doing something – not New Year’s Eve, no, I’m talking about Halloween.

Now you’ve probably seen the memes ‘two kinds of people on Halloween’, those who use it as an excuse to dress up cute, and those who go all-out scary. Honestly, I’m one of the latter variety, and I LOVE to get dressed up on Halloween.

Pound stores

I do buy all my expensive bleaches etc. at discount pound stores, but this is also the perfect place for cheap make-up and SFX gear, especially if you’re someone who has no idea what they are doing and this is the first (and only) time that you’ll be attempting this in the space of a year!

Usually, I pick up some liquid latex, some paint (depending on what I’m thinking of doing), and some fake blood – both of the squirty variety and squeezy variety (they have different consistencies and can be used for different things). There are loads of pound shops nearby in the Marlands in the city centre, so you can shop around.

Charity shops

If you want to move away from the mass-made costumes and be slightly more original, I can often find an old-looking, kind of scary dress in one of the Portswood charity shops. I’ve found an old black dress that I burnt and made look generally disgusting for £5 and a white lacy thing that I made into a creepy zombie bride for £3.

Halloween-themed playlist

I love everything from Tim Burton to The Purge on Halloween, so  I’ve started on a Halloween YouTube Playlist with the basics you’ll need to throw an awesome Halloween party. Feel free to add to it and take away as you wish!

Use YouTube

YouTube tutorials are really revolutionising the way that we go about our daily lives. Just last week I used one to help me fix a blocked drain, and the next thing you know I’m watching a tutorial on how to do a full hip-replacement (spoiler alert: it’s hard).

This is one of my favourite Halloween tutorials by Glam and Gore, which is a very realistic Regan from The Exorcist, and  another by PinkStylist which is from the movie Smiley - his tutorials are always awesome! Here’s one that I made last year showing how to do a quick infected Zombie bite, and one for a quick ripped mouth.

I hope these tips are helpful, and that you have a super scary (but affordable) Halloween!

Georgia

My top five places to watch Euro 2016 in Southampton

Football has always been something I love to watch, but it wasn’t until I moved to England that I actually watched a full match. Since then, I have downloaded a couple of football score apps, so I can keep track of how the Saints are doing when I can’t watch the game.

Regardless of whether you’re into football or not, it’s hard to not have noticed that the Euros have started in France. As Norway didn’t even qualify this year, I have to be true to my second and third home country and cheer for England and Romania.

Most people might be back home for the summer by now, but if you are in Southampton and you need some good places to watch the Euros, I’m going to share my top five favourite spots!

I’ve tried to not mention the obvious student hot-spots, like The Stag's or other pubs/bars on or around campus. Instead, hopefully, I’ll be suggesting a few places you haven’t heard of before.

The Alexandra 

I promise I haven’t picked this just because the name is cool, but the Alexandra or ‘The Alex’ is actually on the list of the 25 best places to watch the Euros in the whole of England!

It’s located on Bellevue Road, which is just off London Road. If you’re looking for proper English football spirit, then this is the place to go. Their outside area is filled up with seats and screens, but it still gets quite crowded, so an idea is to come in good time before the game starts. Considering they have proper old video games and a huge collection of board games to choose from too, spending a few hours here won’t be hard.

 

The Social 

Located in Bedford Place, The Social is one of my favourite bars in Southampton. During the England game last Saturday it got quite crowded downstairs, but not to worry; they have an upstairs bit as well where they also show the football.

The Social is probably a bit pricier than what students normally are used to, but its free entry and a nice atmosphere there, so well worth a visit regardless if you are watching the Euros or not.

The view from my first class seat during the England game at the Social last Saturday. 

Ninety degrees 

Ninety Degrees, or just ‘90’s’, is just around the corner from the Social and with £1.90 for a pint on Sundays, this is where my boyfriend usually goes to watch the football during Premier League season. Since he is a local I trust his word that it’s a good place to watch sport, although I personally have never been there to watch the football. They also do food in there, so you can wine and dine to the football.

Yates's

I’m sure Yates's is the definition of proper English football spirit and that’s why I include it on my list. Have you ever walked past Yates's before a Saints game? If you have, I’m sure I don’t need to explain further why it is on this list. Yates's do food as well as cheap drinks and is located on Above Bar Street.

The Bedford Arms 

Last, but not least – The Bedford Arms is quite similar to Yates, just located in Bedford Place. You can get a cheap meal deal or some not-so-pricey drinks along with the football. Again, if you are looking for the English football spirit in a pub, this is a good choice!

My boyfriend James and I. I’m wearing his England shirt from when he was 11!

I hope you're now inspired to go and find your new favourite place to watch the Euros this year! Enjoy watching the games, and good luck England and Romania!

Alexandra

Common People festival 2016

I’m not really sure where all the time has gone, but we have reached June. June marks the end of my second year at university and the start of the summer holidays. Next year I will be graduating and that thought itself is daunting. However, the taste of  'freedom' has taken a bit of getting used to, and I keep thinking I have an assignment due, when I don’t!

For me, the best way to get rid of it was to attend the Common People festival last weekend. Honestly, what better way to kick it off than with a trip to Norway and then a festival with no other than Craig David as the main headline – I’m not complaining!

Common People is a big music festival right on Southampton Common, so an ideal location for us students!

The main issue I have with festivals or similar events in England is that, most of the time, I have never heard of the main headline acts. House music is cool for a night out, but not what I would listen to during the day. There aren’t many artists I would go to a festival for. However, I’d go to a festival for Craig David. And so I did, last weekend when it was the Common People festival!

It was a weekend festival, but due to my student budget, I only went on the Saturday. Rumour has it that it was even more fun on the Sunday, but since I wasn’t there for that day, I will tell you about the Saturday.

Even though Craig David was the last act on, I got to see some other good bands like Public Enemy and Primal Scream, and it turns out I have heard their music by before without really realising it was them! It was a pleasant surprise to hear and see them live.

The festival itself started around 11 am, but we didn’t get there until around 5pm. Apparently, as I heard from other friends and later on read, there were massive queues to get in earlier in the day – luckily I didn’t have to queue for more than 10 minutes by the time I arrived. The queues for food and drink were very long, though, which was a bit of a disappointment, but probably typical for any festival.

The festival area itself was Southampton Common, which I’m sure most people here know quite well. They managed to fit a massive bouncy castle, a number of stages and over ten thousand people into the space without it feeling too cramped; I think it’s fair to conclude that it is a decent space for a festival!

Singing along to ‘Seven Days’ and ‘Fill Me In’ by Craig David live, was almost a bit surreal. When Craig David first had his breakthrough I was probably six or seven years old, but his songs have somehow always followed me and loads of my friends throughout our lives. I didn’t actually know he was a Southampton native until after I moved here, but as you might imagine, it was extra fun to see him live here in Southampton.

He described it as the most important show of his life and opened up the whole set by saying ‘It has never felt so good driving down the Avenue’. I personally couldn’t have had a better experience. He played all the good old hits, but also his new music and covers, which resulted in a good mix of everything, and a lot of fun!

I am already looking forward to going Common People next year and seeing which artist will be playing!

Alexandra

Making memories at Southampton

Last week I handed in my last piece of coursework, officially ending the taught part of my Masters degree, and four years at Southampton.

It’s a strange feeling. Although I’m not finished yet as I still have my thesis to write, I’m supposedly finished with teaching for good. I started school when I was three years old and 19 years later I have finally come to the end – which is almost impossible to comprehend. Being at one school or another is literally the only thing I have ever done, and now I have to go and do something else, it makes me feel really very old! Rather than talking about the future (which is a bit terrifying and still seems so far away) I want to write about the past four years at Southampton. I went on a bit of a mission through my Facebook to find my favourite memories from my time here, so that I could share them with you.

Just hanging out with new friends in first year.

First year was mad and it seems so long ago now; but looking back through all the photos I remember how much fun we had just getting together and having dinner, or just chilling out in the flats with the big kitchens. I have met so many wonderful people in Southampton and I owe so many of my favourite memories to them.

First Christmas Dinner

The Geogsoc boat ball

India!

In second year we went on a week-long trip to Bangalore as part of one of our modules and it was one of the best experiences of my life. As well as working with the Belaku trust, and interviewing women who worked with them we had so much time to explore the city and their culture.

We also raised money for a school for slum children and were treated to an afternoon with them which insane amounts of fun.

The trip to Bangalore really sparked my interest in statistics and the importance of them in the real world outside of the classroom and, considering statistics is my chosen career now, I really owe a lot to the people we worked with.

All of us sightseeing

At the school

Joining the kickboxing society.

Kickboxing was absolutely brilliant and I am so glad I joined the society. This photo is all of us looking smart ready for the AU Ball, but I have hundreds of others from various different social events and it was hard to choose just one! Being part of a society is almost an integral part of university life and it made my second year so much more interesting and exciting. I would recommend that everyone joins at least one, and with so many to choose from I’m sure you’ll find one that you fall in love with.

Looking presentable for once!

Learning how to cook

When I came to University the only thing I was good for in a kitchen was as a potwash. Four years later and that’s completely different. I’ve written a few times about my favourite recipes and the importance of being able to cook your own food (it’s healthier and you save money!) so I thought cooking deserved a mention here.

The photo below is from New Year’s Eve last year which was spent with some of my closest friends from Southampton drinking and making fresh pasta. That might not sound like the most exciting way to bring the New Year in, but it was such a lovely evening and although it took us a good few hours to prepare, the food was delicious!

Homemade ravioli

There are so many more memorable events, from impromptu dinners to going to see Bill Bailey at the Mayflower a couple of weeks ago. The list is endless but the above are my absolute favourite. I will definitely miss the randomness of University life.

It’s wonderful to be able to look back and know that I wouldn’t change a thing about my experience here and I’m happy that it’s not quite over for me yet!

Emma

Battling the mid-semester blues

While looking for inspiration for what to write this week I read through the previous blog posts written by my fellow writers, hoping that something would inspire me. All I achieved, in fact, was being extremely jealous of Ben’s visit to Playzone!

The reason why I was battling to find something to write about is that I am now two-thirds of the way through the formal taught part of my Masters, which means in this week run up to Easter I am buried under presentation preparation, reading and coursework prep. I think that I feel like I have no time to do anything interesting worth writing about!

I have always been this way; during the first semester I’m full of enthusiasm and energy, but by the second semester I’m feeling pretty drained because of all the demands on my time. Mid-semester blues are something that pretty much all my course mates are feeling right now, and the only remedy is to find little things that you can do to try and cheer yourselves up. Which, thinking about it, is something worth writing about!

Last Friday, at the end of a one-week intensive module, our poor little brains exhausted to the point of potential explosion, we went to the dry ski slope in Southampton which is only an eight-minute drive away from campus and you can ski for free with your sports and wellbeing membership! I did not know this before and it’s probably the best news I’ve had in weeks.

I love skiing but since I am perpetually broke, real snow will continue to evade me for the foreseeable future. The dry slope is the closest I’m likely to get, but that’s okay because it’s a really great place and for the first hour we had the whole slope to ourselves! Afterwards we picked up a bunch of pizzas and garlic bread and chilled out at mine – a perfect start to the weekend.

 

It's not quite Austria, but just as fun

 

We even had great weather for it! 

My second activity to cheer myself up was to start looking at booking a summer holiday. Since I have to write my dissertation over the summer, my partner and I are only going to take a little over a week, so we are trying to plan the best week ever. Comparing flight prices and looking at hotels is infinitely entertaining, motivating and a fab break from work!

Finally, something a bit random. Every Monday I have a five hour lecture block at Southampton General Hospital, and normally I would take the bus there and back. This week, since the weather was so lovely, a few of us decided to walk back which was really nice. The Common in the sunshine is so pretty and walking is so much more inspiring than sitting on a bus trying not to fall asleep!

A nice way to end a Monday

Everyone has their own little ways of fighting back against the mid-semester blues, and instead of feeling guilty about taking time off work, we should feel great about it. There’s only so much time you can spend studying before you need a break.

Emma

On being an 'adult in training'

One of the joys of being a student is the strange limbo it puts you in; somewhere in-between being an adult, and the deep recesses of your childhood. Sure, you’re out in the big wide world, possibly far away from home, most likely fending for yourself like some sort of regular, fully-grown human being…but at the same time you’re also not quite past the point of total responsibility. An ‘adult in training’ almost.

This may not be true of everyone, but it’s certainly something I’ve noticed recently, specifically in third year, now that I’m on the very cusp of giving up education altogether. The thought of being a full-blown adult, without any “I’m a student”-style excuses, is at times, sort of a scary one. It’s also deeply exciting too, but the desire to cling on to childhood wherever possible is certainly a trend that’s quite noticeable in a large number of students.

After all, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. If you’re about to see your childhood off for good, you might as well see it off right; ease in to your adult future in the best way possible. Celebrate your former existence as a child one last time.

The large majority of this year has been spent trying to find a way to do this effectively, and last week a few friends and I stumbled across something which certainly set us on our way to total grown-up acceptance: Playzone.

Playzone is a children’s play area and activity centre located somewhere between Southampton and Portsmouth. It’s also, however, one of few places of its kind in the country to open its doors to students.

Some friends and I making the most of the Playzone slushies!

Yes, on select days of the week for a certain amount of hours in the evening, students can pay a sensationally reasonable fee and tackle the ball-pits and vertical drop-slides of their childhood once again. There are even slushies on sale, for that full sugar-rush experience. Few times before have I managed to find such an accurate recreation of childhood: everything from the painful burn of the rope ladders to the terrifying heights of the plastic slides was intact. And you know what? It actually taught me a pretty valuable lesson.

It feels like a major part of being a student is clinging on to the past and the freedom of childhood, but the second you find it again (here, at Playzone, somehow in its purest form), you realise just how much more fun being an adult is. Sure, you get to run around and be totally carefree as a kid, but you never really get to do anything hugely meaningful.

Embracing childhood is fun but slides aren’t the secret to everything!

Since starting here, I feel like I’ve clocked up a whole bunch of thoughtful and worthwhile experiences which have really built my character. Running around Playzone was certainly a laugh, but if I had been doing exactly that for the past three years, I wouldn’t have had anywhere near as much fun overall.

The most positive moments of my life as a student have come from the times where I feel like I’ve really grown as a person; when I’ve felt myself actually growing up.

So although most students might just feel like some in-betweener, only half-way to adulthood, that’s ultimately the best part. It’s the one time in your life you have the freedom of a child but the intent of an adult, making for quite possibly the most exciting three years imaginable.

Ben

A road trip to Lyndhurst and the New Forest

I have mentioned a couple of times Southampton’s prime location in terms of visiting surrounding areas on the South Coast. Last weekend I had the pleasure of ticking a few more places on my ‘to-see’ list. Although we did the trip by car, some of the places mentioned here are easily accessible by train, so there’s no excuse not to go!

The New Forest has been on my to-see list for a long time now. I originally wanted to go before Christmas to see the Christmas market there, but with no time it had to wait. Christmas or not, the New Forest is definitely worth visiting. Peaceful and beautiful are my two key words to describe it. If you enjoy walks on The Common you will love the New Forest. However, wearing white trainers to the New Forest isn’t the best idea – so the only thing I would say is to bring wellies! It wasn’t raining on Sunday, but it was still quite muddy and wet and most people there got the memo and were wearing wellies. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t, but it makes you very dependent on following the main path. With that being said, the New Forest is huge so it will differ depending on where you go.

A  New Forest Pony!

A beautiful view

This brings me to Lyndhurst! Why have I not heard about this place before? The town centre is so lovely with small shops and family-run cafés - it’s perfect for a little day trip. Among other things, they also have a Maserati and Ferrari showroom there for car-lovers who would like to look at pretty cars. Even I found it very cool, and I’m not too fascinated by cars!

If you are a car enthusiast, Beaulieu is only about 10 minutes away from Lyndhurst. If you haven’t heard of it, it has a very cool car museum. We didn’t go in, as we thought we’d save it for the summer when it’s warmer outside, but this is apparently a very cool place and I’ve only heard good things about it. Beaulieu in itself was also a very nice place to drive around and we somehow ended up in Lyndhurst without noticing, so it’s all very close together. However, this is probably easiest to do if you have a car.

Driving through Lyndhurst 

A trip out to the New Forest is so easy and I would highly recommend it.

On a different note, I know that most students here probably received their exam results yesterday, so I would like to go a bit off-track and just remind you that if it didn’t go as well as you’d hoped, it’s not the end of the world. Don’t let it ruin your motivation for semester two! Remember that the University has plenty of help to offer if you need someone to talk to.

Alexandra

Post-exam motivation

On these grey days with exams hanging over most of our heads, I bet I’m not the only one who feels very tired. As this blog post is being published, I’m having my last exam and it would be an understatement to say that I’m looking forward to being done!

I have been thinking about what I want to do when I finish my exams. After all, I have almost a week off and I’m not planning on going back home to -16 degrees in Norway!

The best thing I could think of would be to go to a spa and just stay there for a week, but that’s probably not the best idea on a student budget! I am, however, planning on some extreme relaxing time, catching up with TV shows and highly needed sleep. However, a week off shall not be spent just being in bed. Or at least, I’m trying to convince myself of that.

I woke up to this picture sent to me by one of my best friends back home and quickly decided I will stay in England for my days off. 

For my week off I’m planning on going somewhere here on the South Coast where I haven’t been. I have mentioned it before, but from Southampton there are so many trains and coaches you can catch, so now it’s just a question of where. I’m thinking about going to nearby cities like Portsmouth, Winchester, or maybe Salisbury and see Stonehenge, but any other suggestions are also highly appreciated.

Bournemouth, 40 minutes by train away from Southampton. Send me some sunshine, please! 

Strangely enough, I’m also looking forward to semester two. It’s a fresh start in a new year and that in itself is quite motivating. It’s also a bit daunting, since I’m halfway through my degree and I have no idea where the time is going!

Semester two of second year is also very special, since this is the semester we are applying for exchange in third year. This is something I really want to do and Southampton has so many good exchange opportunities for all the different courses that it’s hard to choose where I want to apply. To my knowledge this has to be done by February so, it’s quite soon!

I’m also going to take a bit advantage of all the wonderful opportunities offered to us as students here at Southampton and attend one of the many workshops Enabling Services are offering. Did you know each Monday they arrange something called Mindful Mondays for students? I have never been, but from the description I found on the event details, it looks like something I could find useful.

Last, but not least – I’m actually excited to get all the things ‘I will do it after exams finish’ done. This includes a deep-cleaning of our house, go proper food-shopping and getting registered at the Doctors. Yes, I was one of the lazy ones who didn’t want to stand in the queue outside the Surgery, but luckily I can register all year around.

I hope everyone’s exams are going alright and that in the deepest sleep deprivation and that you all at least have something to look forward to after exams!

Alexandra

Recharging your mental batteries

As Emma pointed out in her last post, we’re now roughly at the half-way point of the semester, or perhaps just past it. Half way between the excitement of Freshers’ Week and the joy of Christmas, and it’s usually at this stage in the term where things start to lag a little bit mentally.

It’s perfectly natural to start to feel a little tired by this point; in fact, it’s highly likely that you will be, I know I am.

This doesn’t mean you’re bored, or you’re fed up; it just means that you’ve had a lot of fun, you’ve worked really hard, and now you’re more than welcome to take a few days or so to recharge that mental battery.

This won’t be true of everyone, obviously: we’re all different; beautiful and unique snowflakes as a strange, fictional philosopher once said. So if you’re not feeling the urge to slow down just yet, that’s perfectly fine too. The important thing though is that if you do find yourself losing the capacity to work or if you start to feel jaded at all with anything in any way, do allow yourself some time off. We’re all human, after all.

I say this now because just this past week, I took some time off myself to refresh and re-energise, re-evaluate my working mindset, and you know what? I’ve never felt better.

Part of this came from the fact that I happened to be graced with a reading week (basically, a week without lectures), and so, with so much extra time suddenly to myself I figured I would do something I’d never really done very much whilst here at the University: visit home.

My reasons for not doing so more often are pretty varied; from the fact that it’s quite a slog on the trains, and that I usually find myself too busy to make the trip, but this semester all the pieces just seemed to fall into place and so, I found myself Essex-bound for the first time in nearly two months.

I never thought I would miss this empty little train station back home 

Aside from the trip being a pleasant change of scenery, it also really helped me to kick into play what I just talked about: recharging those mental batteries. Again, it differs from person to person, but for me, home is very much one of the only places I can properly switch off my brain and just enjoy doing nothing of importance, so it was insanely lovely to spend a weekend doing so. With my deadlines pretty much out of the way for the time being, and a decent-sized gap before the next set, it was the perfect occasion to relax and regather some enthusiasm.

It’s safe to say that it definitely worked. After even just a few days in the comfort of home, away from producing radio shows and editing articles, I felt very much on top of things again; 100% ready to conquer whatever work awaited me back in Southampton. Even the journey back was more painless than ever as that good old positive mindset took over. There is really no match for being well-rested.

Catching the fireworks in my local park at home was a perfect way to end a relaxing few days away

So, the moral of today’s post is simply this: allow yourself the time to rest and recharge. Whether it’s a weekend away, an afternoon with Netflix or an hour spent power-napping, take care of yourself and all the wonders and challenges of university life seem to take significantly less effort to master.

Even if you can’t manage a trip home, there are plenty of ways to keep yourself smiling.

Ben

My favourite places to eat in Southampton

We have reached November, which means that we are already halfway through this semester and I keep thinking we just started the term last week! Last year I was counting the days until I could finally be home and not have to cook my own food anymore. This year has been quite different. To make a long story short, I have been sofa surfing for a while now and with this I have also been eating out so much I actually miss cooking food.

Some of you may have read Emma’s blog post on preparing food at University and enjoyed it as much as I did. But understandably, there is a time when you can’t be bothered to cook or you want to go out and just enjoy good food. So, to make something good out of my weeks without a kitchen, I’m going to share my favourite places to eat in Southampton. Of course, there are plenty of places to eat on Campus, but it's always nice to explore cafes further into the city. Everyone can find something here that suits them, and I have mentioned a few places which are ideal for lunch and breakfast as well with some good restaurants for dinner.

There are plenty of good Italian restaurants around the city, but my favourite is Piccolo Mondo.
Piccolo Mondo is located just across the road from the Civic Centre. It’s not easy to spot at first, but given that every time I have been there it has been very busy, it must mean that they have a lot of regulars coming back. The portions are a decent size, so be hungry. I love the spaghetti carbonara here.

Mexigo. This is very easy to find as it is located right on London Road. My friend Miranda and I have almost tried everything they have to offer; from burritos, fajitas, tacos to nachos and enchiladas. We both agree the enchiladas are the best, but don’t come too late as they are often sold out for enchiladas after 6. It’s also a reasonable price for the food and you can take it away or eat in. 

Nara Sushi. I won’t claim that I have visited every sushi place in Southampton, but the few I have visited has been quite disappointing and hence I have been a bit sceptical to sushi here. For someone who eats sushi probably twice a week when I’m home, it’s safe to say I have missed having a proper sushi restaurant, so finding Nara Sushi in Bedford Place was one of the most pleasant surprises I have had while eating out in Southampton. The coolest thing about Nara is that you can bring your own drinks there, so you can buy whatever you want and enjoy it with your meal. Obviously it’s not very budget friendly if you want to go here every week, but if you are eating sushi for the first time, go to Nara.

Halladays Tea Rooms in Bedford Place is not exactly a place to come for dinner, but for breakfast, brunch or lunch this is heaven. Remember the delicious pancakes from my last blog post? This is the place. They serve everything from pancakes, ciabattas, baguettes and salads to full English breakfast. Check out the tea menu, I dare to say no other place in Southampton can offer a bigger variety of tea. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and very busy on Sundays, but worth every pound.

Again, it hits me mid-eating that I should take a picture of the food, but then half of it is already gone! Here's my breakfast at Halladay's Tea Rooms

When in Bedford Place, Retro Café is also a good choice. Located in the upper part of Bedford Place, this is a very enjoyable place to have lunch or simply just go for a coffee with a nice atmosphere.

Café Valentines in Oxford Street. Three words; Try the smoothies! I know there are some very decent smoothie bars around West Quay and High Street, but the smoothies here are actually just as good.

They also make delicious coffee, so if you fancy a Sunday stroll, you should end it here as it’s just a 5-7 minute walk from the docks.

I hope this gives you some inspiration to places to go out for coffee, tea, lunch or dinner in Southampton. As mentioned, I always seem to take pictures of the food when it’s too late, so I apologise for not having better pictures! However, if you are extra curious you can check out more restaurants and cafes on Tripadvisor.

I’m always up for trying new places too, so feel free to let me know in the comments if there’s somewhere I have to try next!

Alexandra

#LoveSouthampton

You may or may not be aware that the University has been running a campaign on Instagram and Twitter known as #LoveSouthampton.

Basically, students and members of the public post pictures that represent why they love Southampton on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag. I think it is a brilliant way to show the city from all its different sides!

I know myself that some of the pictures the University has been retweeting and ‘regramming’ are from places I yet haven’t seen, so it’s also a great way to get inspiration on what to see next around the city.

I decided to put my own little twist on it and share some of the reasons to why I love Southampton on this blog.

1. Southampton Sunsets

My list is in a completely random order, except for this one, which without doubt has to be my number one. Southampton has some of the most gorgeous sunsets I have ever seen and it is a pure joy walking home from the bus and seeing the sky looking like this:

Without being cheesy, I should probably add that there’s no filter on these pictures. Some of my friends from Norway live down in Ocean Village this year and the sunset from the docks is absolutely spectacular at times. Top tip: go down to Mayflower Park on a cloud-free day and see the sunset from there.

2. Southampton Docks and the waterfront

Speaking of the docks…

Since the docks and area close by (Ocean Village, Oxford Street etc.) are some of the places I like the best in Southampton, I can’t avoid mentioning them! Although the docks here are very industrial, it is still a cool place to visit or go for a walk around. As mentioned, Mayflower Park is great for sunset spotting, but also cruise ship spotting. You can also walk out on the pier where the ferry to Hythe goes from to get a good view over the Solent and any ships sailing in or out. During November there is a Bonfire Night event down by the docks at the Mayflower Park with fireworks, which was very enjoyable last year. Go if you can! It’s on Saturday 7th November this year.

3. The University’s campuses

I think I have expressed my love for Highfield Campus before in a blog post, but Highfield is not the only campus the University has which is worth a visit just because it is super nice there. Unfortunately, this semester I have no lectures at Avenue Campus, but Avenue is definitely one of the nicest places to be. Boldrewood Innovation Campus is the newest addition to the University and, although I probably never will have any lectures there, the buildings could be taken straight out of a picture in an architecture magazine, so if you (like me) enjoy architecture, then a visit around Boldrewood should be on your list.

Avenue Campus, home to the Humanities.

One of the Boldrewood Campus buildings, as seen from my bus journey.

4. The different events organised by the University and SUSU

A lot of students can probably relate to speed-reading some emails from the University and Students’ Union about different events, just because we get so many emails and notifications all the time.

Last week I went to one of the Distinguished Lectures the University organises and I almost got very cross with myself, asking why I haven’t gone to one of these before! I had the privilege of listening to Sir Mike Rake talking about Britain and the EU and it is was one of the most enlightening lectures ever. I loved every second of it and I learnt so many thingswhich were not only interesting for me on a personal level, but definitely will be very helpful for my course in the future.

It definitely made me more aware of all the unique possibilities we have through the University and motivated me to attend more of these events and lectures. SUSU also organises fun events around campus like this one which took place two weeks ago!

The Guide Dogs visited campus a few weeks ago with some Guide Dogs in training, thanks to SUSU.

5. The Saints! 

It’s almost a bit ironic that I put Saints as one of my reasons to why I love Southampton, because three years ago I couldn’t even watch a full football match without getting bored. Moving to England made me appreciate the football culture a lot more and the Saints game we went to last year was such a great experience that when my bank account allows me I will be back at St. Mary’s Stadium watching another game. Until then, many of the pubs and bars in Portswood are good places to watch the games coming up and the 'Sofa Score' app has been keeping me posted about how the matches go when I'm not in England.

 

A Saints game at St. Mary's  stadium

 

6. Bedford Place. 

Last year for me, Bedford Place was synonymous with clubs like Orange Rooms and Buddha Bar…and not too much more than that. I never spent any time there during the day time and it’s not until very recently (like this week!) I have realised how nice it actually is there. Although I have nothing at all against major coffee-chains, I like finding local cafes with a bit of soul and exciting menus. I already knew you could find this in Oxford Street, but as it is far away from my flat it is not my go-to place during the weekdays.

At the moment, I actually think Bedford is better for a late Sunday breakfast than any other place in Southampton. Just look at what I had for breakfast last Sunday!

Apart from this you can find many other cafés and local clothing and shoe shops. Let’s not forget the most important place, the best sushi place in Southampton: Nara is located in Bedford Place.

I could go on with this list for a while - maybe I will write a 'Part Two' post to why I love Southampton later on this year! Either way, I hope this maybe inspired someone to go and see more of Southampton or grasp more of the opportunities we have through the University.

Remember to share your pictures on Instagram and Twitter with #LoveSouthampton!

Alexandra

Student holidays at home and abroad

For final year students, last Thursday was results day and, just like last year, I had conveniently booked a holiday during that week.

I was in Amsterdam for four days with my girlfriend and as I got my first text telling me that our results had been put online, we rushed to find a waffle shop with free Wi-Fi.

It was then, whilst eating my waffle topped with chocolate sauce and whipped cream, that I found out I had been awarded a first class honours for my Masters in Physics! I was over the moon and the knowledge made my waffle taste even nicer than it already did!

Amsterdam is a beautiful city, notable for its architecture and canals. 

Naturally that moment became one of my holiday highlights, along with watching the sea lion show at the local zoo, taking a relaxing canal tour through the city and engaging with the interactive exhibits at the Amsterdam Museum. Whilst Amsterdam is known for being a party city, it also has a large amount of culture, including the fascinating van Gogh museum and the Rijksmuseum, which houses an enormous gallery of 17th Century paintings amongst other collections.

The sea lions were incredible. 

As I mentioned above, this is not my first holiday whilst I’ve been at University; I went to the beautiful Belgian town of Brugge last year and I have also been on two less-cultured holidays to Marmaris and Magaluf. With budget airlines and great deals to be found online (we found a four star hotel room at a very tempting discounted price), going on holiday as a student is cheap and easy, and is fast becoming part of the University experience, especially considering that students have incredibly long summer holidays that run from June to September!

My girlfriend and I enjoying our holiday in Amsterdam together. 

Even if your friends aren’t organised enough to book a summer excursion, there are still chances to travel as many societies hold their own holidays. For ArtSoc (the University’s Art Society) there was an opportunity to go to Florence over the Easter break, but sadly with a looming Masters project deadline, on top of revision and interviews, I was unable to go. Most sports societies tend to organise competitions or tours abroad too, and if the sun isn’t your thing, the University has a Skiing and Snowboarding Society too!

As a student it can sometimes be hard to find funds for holidays, so there are always alternatives closer to home. At some point over the summer, my friends back home in Surrey want to do a small camping trip, where badly barbecued burgers and haphazard tent erecting is more than enough to have a good time! If you’re in Southampton over the summer, why not explore the New Forest with some friends? It couldn’t be closer!

This summer is my last big break before I start work as a medical physicist in September, so I am allowing myself to enjoy it and take all the opportunities that come my way. My holiday to Amsterdam turned out to be a perfect way to celebrate all the hard work I put in to my degree and I’m now looking forward to graduating in three weeks’ time.

James

What to do after the exams have finished

The wait is finally over and my exams are now a thing of distant memory. This momentous occasion coincides rather nicely with this, my 50th Life at Southampton blog post, which makes this week a very special one indeed!

Unlike previous end-of-exam celebrations (of which I’ve had eight!), this one also marks the end of my degree and my time here at Southampton - all I need to do now is wait for my results and then graduate in mid-July before I will officially become a member of the University’s Alumni community! However, I’m not really thinking too much about that now, because I’m still enjoying the joy that comes from sealing your examination script and then leaving the exam hall for the final time.

Overall I was happy with my examinations and regardless of how I do, I know that I have given my all. This means that I can now relax without any worries or regrets, letting myself enjoy my well-deserved break (even if I say so myself!).

In the immediate days after sealing your last exam you feel an urge to go on a socialising binge, cramming in everything that you couldn’t quite fit in over the exam period. Since I finished mine last week, I’ve tried to do as many things as possible, not only to celebrate the lack of a workload, but also to make the most of my final week here in Southampton!

Straight after my final paper, I made the most of the summer sunshine by playing Frisbee for a couple of hours in the local park with my housemates. It was fantastic to have the chance to enjoy the lovely weather and one of the many green spaces in Southampton, instead of being stuck inside revising! Although when it came to having a barbecue later in the week, the weather, in typical British fashion, didn’t behave itself!

As a house we were trying to decide what to do in our final week together to celebrate four wonderful years at Southampton. We initially decided to do another Come Dine With Me competition, but instead we settled on going out to a few restaurants across Southampton as a sort of farewell food tour, with the intention of ticking off a few places that we were yet to visit, such as the newly refurbished American-style 'Bar Three Diner' in the Students' Union building.

The rollercoasters were no less scary in the lovely weather.

However, our main event of post-exam freedom was a road trip to Thorpe Park, which is only just over an hour away from Southampton by car. We had been talking about such a journey for a few years now and finally the end of fourth year brought about a perfect opportunity to do it. Luckily the weather prevailed (I even ended up with a slight lobster look from the hotter-than-expected sunshine!) and we chose a day where there were minimal crowds, which meant we lost count of how many rides we managed to get on! It was certainly a great way to end our time at University together, especially whilst laughing at our dodgy rollercoaster faces!

My girlfriend and I drying off after a thorough soaking on a water ride. 

I think the answer to the question, “what do you do after the exams have finished?” is a simple one. I would say to reward yourself for all the hard work you have put in over the year and to make sure you make the most of Southampton in the sunshine and all the city has to offer!

Whether it’s a small barbecue gathering, a society trip somewhere or spending quality times with friends, make sure you unwind before starting up again, either for another year at University or out in the world of work.

Happy post-exam celebrations!

James