As a recent alumni of UoS I didn’t know this part of the country at all when I started so if you are struggling with knowing what to do in your first week of university here is a list with some of my ideas to help you settle into a new city… a new university… and a new way of life:
Explore the City of Southampton
If Southampton is completely new to you, the best way to get used to your new surroundings is to get exploring, and for university students, this could be a good way to familiarise yourself with the bus routes that you are likely to use regularly. They also offer Voi scooters and bikes as a great way to get around.
If you enjoy shopping, Westquay in Southampton’s City Centre will be a great place to visit, with plenty of places to enjoy a drink or meal as well. Whilst you’re in the city you could stroll down to Ocean Village and the marina to take in the views of the Solent.
Don’t forget to check out the other parts of Southampton closer to campus, especially if you are living in halls near Highfield. Head over to the places below if you’re looking for things to do outside of the city centre.
Portswood
If you have chosen to live in Glen Eyre (I was), Sainsbury’s in Portswood could be a likely place for you to do your weekly shop if you don’t want to go too far. While you’re there, there are several charity shops to check out if you need any extra furniture for your flat/house/room.
If you fancy a coffee shop as your study space of choice Portswood is full of places like Muse, Mettricks, Coffee #1, and Trago Lounge that are popular amongst students. October Books could also be the perfect place to get your books for your course at a cheaper rate with student discount. Of an evening, The Mitre and The Broadway are both great, affordable places to go for a drink if you want to go off campus.
Bevois Valley
You’ll get to know this part of Southampton very quickly if you like going out or go on any socials or bar crawls with a club or society. The strip of pubs and bars along here are fan favourites for UoS students. Look out for The Hobbit, Shooting Star, Jesters and Sobar in particular.
Get to Know SUSU
Go to Freshers Events! The best way to decide which club or society to join would be to go to Bunfight and see what each one has to offer. Freshers Fair is also important to go to if you want to get some exclusive offers and discounts for your first year. Their student life fair – literally does that it helps your life as a student be the best it can be! Have I sold it enough?!
Take a look at the Freshers schedule on SUSU’s website. There are plenty of events to get involved in. I did these with my flat, but you can take this as an opportunity to go alone and meet some new people.
One of the most important things to do in your first week is to get to know campus. You’ll need to know where everything is, so it might be worth writing a checklist with your flatmates and ticking places off as you go. This will give a nice opportunity to walk around the green spaces on Highfield and a chance to walk down to Avenue Campus and The Common and enjoy a nice stroll there.
Get to Know Your Flatmates
It can be quite daunting when you’re plummeted into a situation where you’re living with a handful of strangers. I found that getting to know them better and planning fun things to do together can help with this. Don’t feel pressure to become best friends with your flatmates, but doing activities can make living together a lot easier and more comfortable.
Here are some ideas of what you could get up to:
- One thing I wish I had done in first year was to go to a supermarket and do a communal shop with my flat. If there are items that you and your flatmates all use e.g. milk, it’s better off being a communal item so it reduces waste and saves fridge space!
- My flat and I did a group trip to IKEA to get any shared bits for the flat. We also bought shared appliances such as a toaster, ironing board etc.
- Go on a flat night out and explore the nightlife. There’s plenty of things to do if a night out isn’t for you, but nevertheless, you could go for drinks in The Stag’s or have lunch in The Bridge or attend one of the 30+ freshers events let alone all the options in places like Bevois Valley and Bedford Place before going clubbing at Trilogy or Switch.