Living at home while studying at university, sounds boring doesn’t it?! You might think it means not as many friends or not a big social life. As a stay at home student myself, I’ve lived to tell the tale, and boring isn’t the case. In fact, I would describe my first year at university as quite the opposite – fun.
Continue reading “The benefits of living at home during your degree”To choose to live in Bristol as a student is to choose to enter into a completely different way of exploring, moving, creating and living. There isn’t a corner of the City that isn’t signed with some form of creativity and individuality, and they’ve left no room to question the authenticity of the people and appreciation of the history.
Bristol has mastered a way of being all-inclusive
Mercedes
Bristol has mastered a way of being all-inclusive — from the party-goers to the theatre-goers, to those who prefer artisan coffee shops and a good page-turner, to those who are desperate to keep the kids entertained for half-term, to the history fanatics, to those who love a good shaded spot on the grass with good company, to those who love a bit of ‘me time’ — there is something here for everybody.
To all of the foodies out there, you won’t be left disappointed. I’m yet to find a cuisine that doesn’t have its own place. They’re dotted all over the City too: Harbourside, Stokes Croft, Gloucester Road, Clifton, Cabot Circus, Cribbs Causeway — thank me later, and “Bon appetit!”
Creatives, whether on your own or with a group, a whole weekend can be planned to get the creative juices flowing. You can go to places such as the Arnolfini or Spike Island, or get lost in the fresh air up at the Clifton Suspension Bridge, or even in the array of quirky cafes to plan your next project.
Bristol has an amazing understanding of community
Mercedes
Bristol has an amazing understanding of community, and it’s almost as if everyone and everything is working in tandem to keep the buzz of the City alive. Every campus has a different atmosphere, but all comfortable in their own right, and you can feel the drive of each student independently yet collectively working together to create two of the best Universities in the UK.
No matter where you’re coming from, Bristol is definitely a home away from home — and the more you put in, the more you’ll get out of it.
Find out more about living and studying in Bristol
There is something quite serene about stepping outside into the dark and breathing in the cool air as you leave campus after a long day.
How can we pause the thoughts that run through our minds of tasks to complete, of lessons we’ve learned, of when to fit in work before the next lecture?
Stand still for a moment. Breathe in the night’s sky. Look up for the moon.
Listen out for the birds who have yet to make it home to their nests. Feel the wind pass you before it rustles through the hedgerows. Take stock of your surroundings.
Winter can be a stressful time for students and staff at university. Deadlines need to be met and content has to be delivered. Take the moments in between to enjoy the nature around you and remember that it, too, is letting go of itself; trees are shedding their leaves, flowers are drooping down to their underground bulbs, and the regular rain aids minerals to spread across the land, nurturing the soil in preparation for spring.
If you’re looking for a place of quiet, the pond areas at Frenchay campus provide tranquility, where the fish rest on the pond beds to calm their hearts in the cold.
As well as enjoying our Frenchay campus’ natural comfort, a bus ride to Bower Ashton will take you to the doorstep of Ashton Court Estate, where deer wander freely and a trip through the woodlands to the top of the hill allows for incredible views across the Bristol landscape. Being wheelchair friendly, Ashton Court is a great place to appreciate Bristol’s terrain for everyone.
Have you got a festive feast coming up in the holidays? Now is the time to take advantage of our Frenchay herb gardens! There are spots in the Walled Garden, and outside K Block and R2 Block, with labelled herbs available for all staff and students to pick and take home to cook with. Some rosemary and parsley with your roast potatoes, perhaps?
If you are finding the last week of lectures hard, then why not bring some nature back indoors with you to craft with in the evenings? You could collect fir cones, dry them on the radiator, paint their tips and dangle them on your bedroom wall with string. Or gather some fallen twigs, dry them out, and glue them into star/tree shapes as decorations.
An effective addition for your room at university would be to paint small stones you’ve found outside – either by creating the patterns yourself or by picking up leaves on your walk, drying them, painting them and printing them onto each stone. Not only is it free (you can ask for some paint at the Resource Centre), but crafting will help to soothe your worries during this busy time. Placing the stones in a dish or along a bookshelf in your room will make for a lovely feature.
There are plenty of ideas to find on Pinterest and other crafty sites, but make sure you only pick up natural items that have fallen – nothing still attached to trees as they are still vital to the network of our wildlife!
Wherever you are during the next few weeks, I would like to wish you a happy and well-rested holiday.
And don’t forget, there is always time to breathe in the night’s sky and stand still for a moment.
Hi my name is Lucia and I am here to tell you all about the accommodation, facilities, and things to do at and around UWE Bristol. I hope this gives you an insight into life at university from a student perspective.
Frenchay Campus is the largest campus at UWE, where most courses are based. Here, around 3,000 students live on campus in the various types of accommodation. The student village and Carroll Court contains flats/houses of 6, and Wallscourt Park have a selection of flats of 8 and houses of 12. Living away from home for the first time and having your own freedom to do what you want is a great feeling. However, things sometimes aren’t always going to be how you expect them to be.
I spent my first year in a flat of 8 people in Wallscourt Park. I loved my room and my flat in general, the kitchen was a perfect size and the rooms felt very cosy but modern – the double bed was of course a huge bonus! However, I know I would have liked to hear people’s stories before I came to university and would like to tell anyone moving into student accommodation this year hopefully it all goes well, but it’s okay not to get along with everyone.
There were quite a few different personalities in my flat which at times was a challenge and caused some tension . We were luckily able to carry on and enjoy the company of others. At the time it felt like the end of the world but in reality, it was a matter of dealing with it appropriately and surrounding ourselves with other flatmates and friends.
You have to remember you are put together with people you might not otherwise socialise with. There may also be disagreements within your flat/house but you’re not the only ones. This is the first time for the majority of people living away from home and with lots of people of the same age. Do what makes you happy, but make sure it is not at the expense of everyone else – be respectful and accept that everyone has different hobbies/interests.
Campus is a great place to be even when you don’t feel like venturing into the city centre. The new student’s union is a great place to socialise and grab a drink, play pool with your friends, or watch the football! There are also lots of events that happen on an evening, including the SU-esday club nights. If you fancy a place to work the new business block has amazing views and modern study spaces, alongside the library with 4 different floors depending on the type of study you’re looking for. Next to the library there is a café/restaurant called onezone, and a Starbucks to keep you going on those late nights!
If you ever need to make an appointment or sign up for a prescription, there is a doctor’s surgery on site next to Carroll Court. You can call or pop in to arrange an appointment, though it can get quite busy sometimes due to the number of students on campus! They also offer free STI tests, so if you are ever worried you can put your mind at ease. If you ever want to seek any support for mental health there are councillors that you can book appointments with and 24 hour online services that cater to all needs, so no one has to feel like they’re alone.
Each accommodation facility has the option to use laundry. There is a washer and a dryer, and they are located at various points within the accommodation blocks. They are extremely useful, and long enough to put a wash on, watch a Netflix episode and come back to collect it!
Near to the Student Village you will find the main centre for sport. This building contains a gym, sports halls, squash courts, private rooms and a climbing wall. Outside there is a huge astro-pitch, used for sports like hockey and football. Off campus, there is a new development of multi-sport pitches, where you will find sports like American Football. There is also another gym situated in the farmhouse near to Wallscourt Park. I would definitely suggest here if you like to work out in a quieter space, but both gyms are equally as good.
Yes! The nearest shopping park is called Abbeywood and it has an Asda, B&M, a gym, McDonalds and collection of other restaurants. On the other side of the road, there is a Sainsbury’s and a Lidl, along with another gym and The Range. If you fancy going shopping or for a walk, there are bus stops on campus that take you into central Bristol and even all the way to Bath.
The bus into Bristol takes around 15 minutes, and is perfect for finding new places to eat, doing activities such as mini golf with friends or walking alongside the river. If you fancy a walk somewhere greener, Stoke Park is a 5-10-minute walk away from campus and has views overlooking Bristol. It runs alongside the motorway that takes you into Bristol so it is hard to miss. Campus also has lots of green space, there is a field behind Wallscourt that you can sit on and there are little ponds that house the infamous UWE geese.
I hope that this has given a brief insight into what is available at UWE Bristol. There are so many opportunities that cater to so many different people. University life is a very different experience but there is so much to do and lots of support available.
Find out more about living at UWE Bristol
Choosing where you want to spend the next three years of your life – or longer – isn’t easy. So you need an opinion you can trust. You’ll want to hear from the students who actually study here.
Our eager team of students have joined together to tell you about their experiences of living and studying at UWE Bristol.
Through a series of podcast, blogs and short films they’ll tell you about the whole university experience in their own words. From the clubs and societies they’ve joined, to living in Bristol and the accommodation and facilities on offer here. Find out how they felt about coming to university at the start, the challenges they may have faced and the advice they have to offer.
Keep an eye out for regular posts and articles designed to help you experience UWE Bristol through the eyes of our students and give you an insight into what it’s really like to study here.
