Everything you’ll miss about UEA when you graduate

Try to make it through this without crying

| UPDATED

The time’s finally come. You’ve handed in your last essay, your exams are nearly done and you’re inching closer and closer to having to leave UEA for good. 

There’s no place quite like Norwich. Whether you’re getting stuck to the LCR dancefloor or sunning yourself down by the lake there’s so much to miss at UEA. We’ve selected a few of our favourites for you to reminisce over.

The LCR

The LCR is a combination of heaven on earth and the final circle of hell. Where else in life will you find yourself surrounded by everyone you’ve ever met, battling a sticky floor just to get yourself a bargain VK? Deep down we all know that the LCR is gross. We know the music is the same shit we’ve been listening to the last three years and we know it’s only one tiny step up from a school disco. But the LCR is ours, we love it and we’ll definitely miss it.

Those weird taxi waiting rooms

How did you end up in the Courtesy waiting room? No one knows but suddenly you’re there, contemplating all the horrendous things you did on Prince of Wales. Don’t worry there’s no judgement in the waiting room – everyone looks as bad as they feel under those harsh fluorescent lights.

Derby Day

Derby Day is the one day of the year when we get to fully embrace our UEA pride. Sure you never cared about uni sport before but for this day you’re an expert and a number one fan. Is there anywhere else where you can get away with throwing up in the back of a Pole Dancing display or where one simple Pool game can make someone a lifelong hero?

Once you’re outside UEA it’s not acceptable to chant insults at people just because they went to Essex. We might be four time champions but when you stop being a student that’s no longer an excuse for a day off.

The Lake

We all know the UEA campus is beautiful, and the lake is a prime example of this. Whatever your needs the lake will always answer. If you’re looking for a cute date spot with your library crush it’s the perfect place for a romantic stroll. If you want a place to hang out with you friends, it’s a prime picnic spot and if you’re mid-revision breakdown there’s benches that are perfect for crying.

The Five Ls

One of the best things about going UEA is how quickly stories about the Five Ls get round. We’ve all got that friend of a friend who completed three of them but got caught in the library.

But soon you’re going to have to graduate knowing you weren’t one of the famous few who managed to complete them. You probably didn’t even try the lake and you’ve missed your chance now.

Pimp My Barrow

PMB: when we all get to spend a gloriously sunny day in fancy dress, get drunk and push a wheelbarrow through the streets of Norwich and then end up back in the beautiful LCR for the biggest night of the year. Do we even need to explain why we’ll miss it?

Campus Kitchen curly fries

They are the best food on campus and they are £1.

Union policies that no one understands

We’ve all spent the last three years moaning about the Union passing policies that no one really gets. But it could be so much worse. Once you graduate you’ll have put up with people passing laws on things that actually impact your life like tax and housing and alcohol prices.

You’ll long for the days when your biggest worry was a sombrero.

The queue in Unio

Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from the hustle and bustle of uni life. Standing in line waiting twenty minutes for a latte gives you an opportunity to take a quick breather, think about where you’re going with life and more importantly avoid the library.

The true, unadulterated joy when they actually get your name right is like no other feeling on earth. It’s going to be hard finding a comparison once we don’t have Unio to rely on.

So many hipster lunch spots

In your home town you have that one cafe where you can go if you want a better than average coffee. In Norwich you’re spoilt for choice. You want vegan falafel wraps you can have vegan falafel wraps. You want hand ground coffee sourced from deepest, darkest Peru – it’s on your doorstep. You want the best fish and chips money can buy then you’re in luck. Be pretentious, be hipster, be full of delicious food.

Having an excuse to wear fancy dress every Tuesday

You will never have the opportunity to wear that totally accurate Mr Blobby costume that you invested in for Damn Good 90s night again.

Dressing entirely in UEA branded clothes

We’ve all become so used to sports teams parading around campus dressed head to toe in their UEA tracksuits that we forgot that’s not how normal humans dress. Even if you’re not on a sports team no one would bat an eyelid if you dressed solely in UEA clothes. Whether it’s a hoodie or a “UEA is Wonderful” t-shirt or even a UEA Christmas Jumper. We wear our pride on our sleeves.

Apparently you can’t do this in the real world and you have to wear clothes that didn’t come from the Union Shop.

All the drunk food you could ever want

Wherever your night out might lead you, there’ll always be some cheesy chips or a burger waiting for you. If you’re on Prince of Wales there’s a kebab shop for every season. If you’re on campus the hatch is there to cater to your every drunk whim.

Everyone living in the same three roads

Never again will you between the same three roads as everyone you know. It’s called the Golden Triangle because of all the solid gold memories you’ll make there. Even if you live all the way out in Dereham you know that all your best friends are only a short hungover stagger away.

Campus pets

You might not be allowed pets in your student house but who cares when your campus is literally crammed full of wildlife. We’ve got birds and bunnies and even ponies. The Union realised we loved cute critters so much they brought us a whole petting zoo complete with pygmy goat.

And just when we thought things couldn’t get any cuter – cloud dog appeared. All the fluffiness of a real pet without any of the responsibilities.

Once you graduate you won’t be able to spend your days surrounded by fluffy animals. The real world is cruel.

The LCR ticket exchange page

I never knew people lost so much stuff until I started getting notifications for the LCR Ticket Exchange Page.

You could lose everything: your campus card, you house keys, a precious heirloom that’s been in your family for seven generations. No worries – give it ten minutes and it’ll turn up on the LCR ticket exchange. We’re so honest that the story of one laptop getting stolen in the library was huge news that shook us all to our core.

Outside our campus walls people aren’t so kind. You’ll start to miss that little notification every time someone misplaces a bank card.

Oh UEA 

Oh UEA isn’t just the song – it’s a way of life. Of course we love singing our anthem loud and proud at every opportunity but there’s so much more to “Oh UEA” than that. We’ve got our own wonderful vibe. You know a UEA person when you meet one and that’s what we’ll miss the most.

We might not be the biggest uni in the country, let’s be honest most people just know us from Alan Partridge. But we don’t care, we’re in it together at UEA.

Even after you’ve graduated you’ll always know your heart belongs in Norwich.