Where to take your parents in Southampton

Finally, we have reached February! I've got a tonne of things to look forward to, but the thing I'm looking forward to the most is having my mum over in England! I've been so excited for this ever since she told me she'd booked her plane tickets.

My mum has never been to Southampton and, although I was a bit cross she never came and visited me during my first or second years, I think this might be the perfect time. I've been here for two and a half years now, and know the city and its surroundings a lot better than I did back then.


This is the plan I have set out for the five days that I get to have my mum here:

The mandatory student tour

A walk around Highfield Campus and a little drive past Mayflower Halls where I lived during my first year. No, no tour of Sobar or Jesters... this time.

Hartley Library in all its glory.

Mayflower Halls as seen from Mayflower Park

City Centre

West Quay is to my knowledge the largest shopping centre in the South East, so it's a bit of a must at least to have a look around. Also, they've just opened the new Watermark extension, which I'm sure is worth a visit although I haven't been yet.

While we're in town, the walk from West Quay down to Oxford Street is not only lovely, but also takes you past some historical places like the Dolphin Hotel, which I know my mum will like to see.

Making a little detour to Bugle Street and the bottom of town will take us past all the cool old pubs like the Titanic. These pubs are the ultimate answer to what I've always imagined an English pub to be like.

Ocean Village

Oxford Street

As my mum is an architect, I'll need to show her the very diverse and beautiful architecture around town. Carlton Crescent has the old Victorian style, while the new Guildhall Square and Ocean Village have definitely contributed to modernising the city. While we're wandering the Guildhall square, I'm planning on visiting the new John Hansard Gallery which just moved to town from Highfield Campus; since I've never been, this is a good opportunity to go. Given that I have been to the Sea City (Titanic) museum over four times now, that might be something mum can do whilst I'm in lectures.

Carlton Crescent

Food

We probably won't go out for dinner every night, but when we do I will take her to one of my new favourite places: Lemoni Grill House down town. Not the cheapest in the city, but you really get what you pay for in terms of the quality of the food and friendliness of the staff - even their takeaway is great. All in all it's a very decent Greek restaurant, although if town is too far for you to travel for a Mediterranean fix, Sula's in Portswood also does amazing Greek food.

The decor isn't bad either.

Further afield

That's roughly what I have planned for Southampton, and we also want to take a day out to see Winchester and the New Forest. I'd love to take my mum to Bournemouth and Oxford, two places I really enjoyed when I visited, but since we are back in July for my graduation we can save those for then.

Hopefully our last day will be spent in London for a bit of shopping and sightseeing, and since it's only an hour away on the train it doesn't require too much planning. Suffice it to say... I CAN'T WAIT!

So, if you're having someone over from abroad or similar, where would you take them? I'd love to know!

Alexandra

I chose #SouthamptonBecause...

...it was the only university I could see myself attending.

There is a little theme on the blog this December, which involve us bloggers telling the story of why we chose to study at the University of Southampton.

If someone has followed this blog for a long time you might remember that I have talked a bit about this already in my first blog post and in my #LoveSouthampton post last year.

Now I’m dedicating one whole post to explain why I chose Southampton and why it was the best decision I have made.

I’ve never tried to ‘sugar-coat’ why I chose Southampton – it was random and quite unexpected. My mind was set on another university and as the offers came back I also got my offer from Southampton. All my conditional offers expected the same grades, so it wasn’t the conditional offer on UCAS that made me do a 360 spin on my choice.

It was the emails informing me so well about halls, university life and international student services offered at Southampton that made me feel (weirdly enough) at home.

When I first got the email about the brand new halls being built at the time (Mayflower Halls) I could see myself living there in contrast to the other universities, and that is obviously the most important thing.

The strange thing with applying for university is that, in the process, you get so caught up with rankings rather than really looking into what the university has to offer. Universities are so much more than rankings, although I’m not complaining that Southampton consistently ranks as one of the top universities in England, Europe and the world.

It is important to remember that you are not only choosing a university; you are also choosing your new city which you will call home for the next three or four years, and it needs to feel right.

That is not to say that I didn’t doubt myself before I actually accepted my offer. I was terrified of going abroad and moving away from my home, friends and family. Fast forward a little, and I accepted my offer at Southampton and was incredibly lucky to also get my first choice of accommodation; Mayflower Halls.

I still believe this is the best choice I have ever made so far in life and, although I had certain expectations of how it would be, I could not have imagined how incredibly brilliant it turned out. It has exceeded all expectations. I was recently reading an article that one-third of Southampton students stay in Southampton after graduating, and I must say - it doesn’t surprise me at all.

Two years later, and I have:

• accumulated knowledge and skills which I know will be valuable for the future
• read hundreds of academic articles and written dozens of essays and coursework
• been taught (and obviously am still being taught) by great and inspiring lecturers who are experts in their fields
• seen a whole new part of Southampton and England
• met friends for life from every corner of the world
• found a quite alright boyfriend as well!

I could go on forever, but here are some pictures to illustrate why I love Southampton so much. Trust me when I say this; if someone told me to write a 2000-word essay on Southampton and why I love it here it would be the easiest essay I have ever written, and I’m only sorry I couldn’t post my whole camera roll here because I truly have the best memories from the last two years here.

#SouthamptonBecause of the city, sunsets and history; Walking to explore the city with friends, Southampton sunsets and interesting history, cruise ships and all the exciting things they bring with them; like the queen visiting Southampton last year.

 #SouthamptonBecauseof  its closeness to fabulous destinations; London, Bournemouth and Winchester. I wasn’t exactly complaining when one of my modules were invited to a workshop in the cabinet office a couple of weeks ago in London.

 #SouthamptonBecause of all the stuff you can get involved with on and off campus; Guide dogs visiting campus, farmers market every week, surfing taster session in Bournemouth and football matches at St. Marys to mention a few.

 #SouthamptonBecause of its hidden beautiful streets and lush Sunday brunches

 #SouthamptonBecause the boyfriend and his (my adoptive English) family take me out to see cool places like last Sunday at Longleat safari park and lantern festival.

 #SouthamptonBecause of this cat, who I have named Albert and who loves to sleep in the newly refurbished area in Building 58. I think he loves the refurbished area even more than the students!

And if you quickly want to see 10 simple examples; I chose #SouthamptonBecause of…

1. Its great, talented and caring lecturers
2. The beautiful and innovative campuses
3. Our library
4. Research conducted on highly important issues (cancer immunology and Alzheimer’s among others)
5. Research you can be proud of because it has been conducted at your university
6. Halls suited for every type of person
7. Over 250 different societies and clubs to join
8. Unilink buses always getting you to campus from every part of town
9. The Union and everything they organise during the year (anyone else remember the llamas on campus before summer?)
10. Staff who care about you and want you to succeed

It’s safe to say if I could choose again, I would choose Southampton!

Alexandra

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

Summer in Southampton: Tudor houses and zebras on the loose

Today was the first time I had ever stepped foot in Old Town, a part of Southampton City with a treasure trove of history. My family are visiting me for a few days for my graduation so I did some research on activities they could enjoy whilst at the same time allow me to learn more about the city itself.

Despite having lived here for three years, I was surprised at the new historical knowledge I learned about my new home! Who knew there was more to know!

Tudor House and Garden

First up was the Tudor House, one of Southampton’s most significant historic buildings. It alone encompasses over 800 years of history in one site.

The Tudor House in the sunniest city in the UK. I felt like I was holidaying in the south of France with that cerulean blue sky. 

Uneven floors, steep steps and low ceilings were kept in their original state to preserve authenticity.


Much history has been uncovered about the Tudor house over the years. It was built in 1492 and has been home to a prominent Tudor lawyer, an artist, and a Victorian bonnet-maker. Interestingly, the house has been deemed by many as haunted because of alleged eerie noises and shapes that can be felt during the night. It is worth noting that the house is built on the site of earlier medieval properties.

Ready for a night out in town… in a classic Tudor dress

A Tudor kitchen

Looks like a boring old wall with scratches right? These marks actually date back to about 1570 and 1620 and show caricatures of people, ships, animals and more. The house was owned by ship-owners at some point so these are likely etched in by sailors.

A real air-raid shelter in the cellars of the house where a family took refuge in during WWII. This was a wine cellar during the Tudor times.

King John’s Palace. Built as part of King Edward III’s efforts to strengthen the town’s defences against the French in the 1300s. Over time, it has been formed as part of the Tudor House structure.

Bugle Street: the view from the window in the 1800s

 

Bugle Street: the view from the window today

Zany Zebras

Next stop was the Zany Zebra trail. Brought to the city by local Marwell Zoo, this interactive and free art trail aims to raise the profile of Grevy’s zebras and the conservation that the zoo carries out. Marwell Zoo’s hope is to inspire the generations to come to take an active interest in wildlife conservation. Overall, there are 150 sculptures scattered throughout the city, some are big and some small. The University of Southampton even has a zebra in the city! Here are those that we came across on our day out…

A Zany Zebra outside the Tudor House

A little one inside the house called ‘Zippy’

Outside the Holyrood Church ruins. It was originally destroyed by the 1940s blitz which heavily damaged the city. Its shell was subsequently dedicated to the Merchant Navy sailors who sacrificed their lives during the war

Outside the O2 Guildhall where many bands such as the Foo Fighters have played in recent times

My mum posing with this artistic nod to one of the biggest names in music 

After traversing through the city, it was high time for some lunch! It took us no longer than a lovely five-minute stroll to get to Old Town to the modern areas of West Quay and the Marlands. Two shopping centres at the centre of Southampton which when combined together has around 200 shops!

Lunch with a view of the docks. The Harmony of the Seas, the world’s biggest cruise ship, set sail from here on her maiden voyage.

Our day was simply amazing. Until now, I never really had a fuller grasp of the rich and vast history Southampton really has. The stories displayed in the Tudor house has given me a glimpse of the city, its people and the wider world throughout the years. On the other hand, the Zany Zebra trail was a brilliant interactive activity for the whole family which my five-year-old brother certainly enjoyed. It didn’t hurt to have the shops and restaurants close by either.

If you’re about to join the University of Southampton in the next academic year or plan to stay in the city during the summer, don’t hesitate to do a little research on what else you can get up to.

Southampton certainly has plenty of shops for you to choose from but there is more to it than meets the eye.

Rylyn

Out and about

It’s easy to be fooled into thinking that Southampton is quite small. Have you ever looked at a map of Southampton and thought it looks a lot bigger than it feels? I have, many times. In my head Southampton is everything between Bassett and Ocean Village, extending as far as Shirley to Swaythling – everything else, I never really used think about as Southampton.

Last weekend, I got to experience a bit more of Southampton; Romsey. I also got to see more of Portsmouth, which isn’t far away.

As I have mentioned before, you can go so many places around Southampton, (the New Forest, Bournemouth, Salisbury, Poole and Portsmouth for example). However, you don’t even need to go that far! Romsey is about a 20 minute drive from the city, but easily reachable without a car by train.

It is a cute little ‘town’ and to my understanding still a part of Southampton. We went to Romsey World of Water, which is actually a supplier for aquatic stuff like fountains. I doubt any students are going to put a fountain in their garden, but apart from that they have a lovely café there and everything from coral reefs to turtles that you can purchase. They also have a massive pond with lots of fish in it and the possibility of buying fish food for a pound, so you can feed them. We went on a very sunny Sunday, so perfect weather for a day out.

My boyfriend, James and I tried to feed the fish, but in the end we gave the fish food to the ducks.

Exam motivation right there - I want one of these in my future garden.

Last weekend also took me down to Portsmouth. We spent most of the day at Gunwharf Quays, which is an outlet shopping city where you can make a good bargain on items which I’m assuming most students can’t usually afford. To be honest, you don’t really need to buy anything, because there are several places you can sit down by the ocean and have a meal or a pint!

It was quite busy there on a Saturday as one would expect, but since you walk outside it was still pleasant.

Portsmouth is also reachable by train from Southampton Central station, tickets are often cheap and the journey is usually not more than thirty minutes.

Along the promenade at Gunwharf Quays

Let me know in the comments if you have other suggestions of local places I can explore!

Alexandra 

Visiting Southampton's Christmas Market

Where on earth has the time gone? It feels like it was just Halloween last weekend and now it is suddenly December. I’m going home in less than two weeks, which is crazy and also very exciting. November for me is a month where I find myself missing home a bit more than usual and with all the deadlines I have had in the last month it’s been hard to really sit down and actually realise that my favourite holiday is coming up; Christmas!

Originally, I was planning on writing my blog post on the Winchester Christmas market, because from what I’ve heard, Winchester was the place to go around here for a proper German Christmas market. I don’t doubt it and I will definitely be making my way up to Winchester this week (hopefully). However, I ended up visiting the Southampton Christmas Market this weekend.

This year’s market - they are actually calling it a Festival -  is absolutely worth a visit and, like last year, located on Above Bar Street (just outside West Quay). All the Unilink buses stop in a walking distance to it, if you don’t live in the city centre.

 

The only thing missing from this picture is snow

The Christmas market has something for everyone, no matter your age. For example, when I was there on Saturday they did a ‘Flying Santa Show’ which I can imagine was a fun experience for the kids who were there. Yes, Father Christmas was there and he flew over the market! According to my sources he does this twice a day, so it’s well worth a visit. They even have music!

I can see you, Father Christmas!

With the huge number of stallholders this year, I actually had to use Google to find out how many there are! According to Discover Southampton, there are over 40 stallholders this year. So if you are lost for ideas on what to get family and friends for Christmas, you should definitely visit as they sell proper hand-crafted things like jewellery, coffee beans, scarves and some really fancy hot water bottles!

In addition to this they have loads of places where you can get something to eat or drink. We especially liked the German Bar, which could’ve been taken straight out of any skiing facility in Norway! In addition to this, there were loads of places selling traditional Christmas food like ribs and turkey, so don’t worry about getting hungry either. They also had several stands selling candy, gingerbread hearts and other treats if you are in need of something sweet.

In all honesty, you don’t even need to go there to buy anything. It’s well worth a visit just for the experience and the gorgeous lights they have put up. Next on my list over Christmas markets to see in the nearby area is the one in Winchester and New Forest. Fingers crossed I will be able to see them both before I go home.

I hope everyone is starting to get into the festive mood even with all the deadlines everyone has before the holiday start. Fellow blogger Ben shared some lovely tips on spreading Christmas cheer on campus, so thank you, Ben – my housemate and I are now in the process of getting a Christmas jumper each! We might not be bold enough to wear it on campus, but at least we can spread some cheer around the house.

In the meantime between essays, coursework and reports, we are going to bake gingerbread, eat rice porridge and drink mulled wine.

Happy December!

Alexandra

My top five 'struggles' of being an international student in England

I have never regretted studying abroad at the University of Southampton - quite the opposite. I think it is one of the best decisions I have ever made (so far) in my life. However, moving to a new country is not just challenging on an emotional/personal level – it also means becoming accustomed to a new country.

It’s not as ‘extreme’ as it might sounds; for many people it’s just learning to drive on the opposite of the road or learning to use the self-checkout at Asda. But there’s definitely some small ‘struggles’ I bet every international student goes through.

This is a list of my ‘Top Five Struggles’ as an international student in England. Take this with a pinch of salt though - calling these issues a ‘struggle’ is exaggerated!

Cars driving on the left side

The annoying thing about cars driving on the opposite side of the road to what I’m used to is that, as soon as I get used to it, it’s time to go home! Then, when I come home to Oslo, I have to get used to the right-side driving again. Suddenly it doesn’t matter if I’m in England or Norway, because the struggle to not get run over is haunting me regardless of what country I’m in! With that being said, my impression is that British people have a more aggressive way of driving. Also, where are all the pedestrian crossings in this country? I’m talking about those proper zebra crossings with a proper green light in front of you, so you never find yourself in doubt on whether you can cross the road or not.

You don’t take card? Card-charge? What? 

If I remember correctly, only 4% of purchases in Norway are made with cash and Norwegians use bank cards absolutely everywhere. I have experienced on trips abroad that you have to buy something for a certain amount before you can pay by card, but I have never been charged everything from 5p to 50p to use my card.

This is probably why I found it very funny listening to people complaining about the 5p charge of plastic bags, but never one word about the charges for using your card. The plastic bag charge is something we have had in Norway for a good 10 years, so at least that’s a charge I’m used to. You can imagine I was thrilled to see that some taxi companies are finally starting to have card machines with them, because driving around looking for a cashpoint after a night out is not cool.

Queueing everywhere

This is absolutely not a negative thing, but definitely a thing I have had to get used to! In Norway you get on and off the bus / tram at whatever door you like, but here in England it is a different story. To be honest, I actually like this, so when I’m home and people don’t wait until I have been able to get off the tram I get extra aggressive and mumble something about how much I miss England! People actually follow the 'stand to the right, walk to the left' policy on escalators here and I love that too.

British politeness

This is not to say that Norwegians are impolite, but it’s hard to compete with British people when it comes to politeness, hence why I constantly focus on not forgetting to say please, thank you and remember to use the right title when writing emails or talking to my tutors. Titles, for example, are extremely new to me; my old teacher just went under the name; John-Arve or J-A and my old headmaster was often referred to as; Tjossi-B. Going from that to writing ‘Dear Dr….’ when writing emails was quite daunting in the beginning.

Furthermore, in Norway if you accidently bump into someone in the grocery store, it doesn’t happen too often that people bother to turn around and say ‘sorry’. It’s something I didn’t use to think about before, but if I’m home and bump into someone and say sorry while they just walk off, I again mumble something about how much I miss England…

Tap water and gas stoves

Regardless of where in Norway you are, you can always drink water from the tap and it tastes better than Evian. Have you for example ever heard about Voss water? That is literally tap water in Norway and I never had any trouble drinking my recommended two litres of water a day before I moved. I love England, but this is one thing I hate. The tap water (in most places) tastes like a swimming pool compared to Norwegian water.

Then there are the gas stoves. I’m sure I just need some more practice on how to use them, but I always have to try at least two or three times to get the flame on everytime I want to use the stove. I’m always slightly scared the kitchen is going to blow up because I’ve heard so many scary stories about this! Luckily, I have a flatmate who is very proficient at using the stove in our kitchen and she’s always close by if I need help.

With this being said, it’s not all that bad. For example, as an international student here I have had the privilege of experiencing some proper British culture. Like last Sunday, Remembrance Sunday, one of my favourite days over here.

Not to mention the fact that I can be a tourist here forever and discover new places around the city of Southampton!

This is the Holyrood Church by High Street, I’ve probably taken walked past it 20 times, but never taken the time to go inside.

Are you an international student too? Feel free to share your own ‘struggles’ of living in Britain!

Alexandra