Bristol Pride 2019 was a glorious event. Thousands of us celebrating our queerness in the heart of Bristol was a sight to behold! Although the size of the event stopped me from finding the UWE Bristol float, they were there once again as one of the sponsors. Here’s my experience of Bristol Pride 2019, plus everything you need to know about Bristol Pride 2020.
by Razaan, BSc(Hons) Civil and Environmental Engineering
Hi, I’m Razaan, and I am currently a third year student at UWE Bristol. I’ve been living in the city centre ever since I started studying here, and it has its pros and cons. In this post, I’ll walk you through what it’s actually like living in the centre as a UWE Bristol student.
By Chloe, BA(Hons) Creative and Professional Writing
Chloe shares her guide to arts and culture, festivals and shopping around Bristol. She tells us her favourite things to see and do in the city, and shows us why Bristol is such a great place to be a student. Watch Chloe’s vlog too, where she shows us round Bristol’s hotspots.
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.
Bristol is a diverse, historic, and exciting city that can be enjoyed by everyone, whatever your background or interests.
As someone from the countryside, UWE Bristol appealed to me because of its close connections with businesses as well as its location beyond the city where there is much less ‘hustle-bustle’.
And after only one year at UWE Bristol, I’m hooked!
As a UWE Bristol student you will have plenty of time to explore during your time at university. From discovering the amazing street art completed by Banksy in the 1980s, to shopping at Cabot Circus or Cribbs Causeway, there is always something to do.
By day, Bristol is always busy. By night, the city comes to life as there is always an event on at one of the countless nightclubs scattered around the city. Visit Thekla, an old cargo ship turned nightclub, for live music and indie events, Lakota and Motion for jungle, DJ, and drum and bass events, and any of the other clubs such as Pryzm or SWX for everything in-between!
The view from Cabot Tower
If you want to escape the city, parks such as Brandon Hill offer scenic views from the 105ft Cabot tower which was built in 1897. Alternatively, Clifton Suspension Bridge and its surrounding green areas are only a 15-minute walk from the centre and definitely worth walking up the steep hill to get too. Ashton Court Estate and Leigh Woods are also easily accessible from the suspension bridge and make for a lovely afternoon walk.
UWE Bristol has three campuses which all have their own stories to tell – did you know Glenside campus used to be a hospital?!
Frenchay Campus is where many of the courses are taught and is essentially a village in its own right with shops, bars, a gym and a library. Not only does this campus boast these onsite features, but it is also extremely close to Abbeywood Retail Park and Bristol Parkway train station. Wherever you are based the efficient and cheap bus service is frequent enough that being a few miles out of the city centre makes barely any difference to your experience within Bristol.
I hope that you have an incredible few years in Bristol. Enjoy the fresher’s week events and work hard!
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.