The end to our academic grind is in sight: How to celebrate finishing exams in Bristol

To all you brave soldiers still going, well-earned celebration is pending

6 months ago

The exam month of May is in full swing and the ASS is getting more action than the entirety of Hinge. We know it’s tempting to take a long “lunch break” at Royal Fort and return to the library two hours later, but stay focused! Exams are coming to an end and the sun is shining.

Soon we will all be having lie-ins and swapping long days in the library for celebrations for all of our hard work in Bristol. If you’ve spent too long in St Michael’s and forgotten about the outside world, this guide will have you celebrating in no time.

1. Swap an all-nighter at the ASS for an all-nighter in La Rocca

Whilst you might be missing your Wednesdays at Fishies, never fear, La Rocca still stands firmly on The Triangle and is waiting to receive you with open arms. Whilst you may have grown fond of the ASS over the exam period, selecting midnight snacks from the vending machine and planning your outfits incase you run into your library crush, it’s time to hit pause on the library all-nighters and embrace your true feral self. La Rocca is super popular, so you will get to see lots of familiar faces before parting ways over a long summer.

2. Pub crawl on Gloucester Road

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If you’ve only dabbled in Gloucester Road for a Crofters or Lakota night out, you are missing out on some of the coolest pubs in Bristol. Start at The Bell on Jamaican Street and head up to the Cat and Wheel. Whilst the drinks might hurt your bank account slightly more than White Bear or WG, these pubs are more unique, open till later, and the risk of you bumping into your sports night jumpscare is significantly lower. To take it up a notch, go to the pubs with DJs that will have you boogying as well as drinking in the pub garden. The Social and Canteen are also booming on a Friday or Saturday Night and are slightly more wholesome if the grungy vibe isn’t for you.

3. The Mothers’ Ruin and The Crown

Whilst these two pubs off of St Nicholas Street might be more UWE territory, they will have you up until 3am drinking. Start your night at Commercial Rooms and when the crowd becomes a bit too boomer for you, head to The Crown or Mothers’ Ruin for more of a student vibe. Down in the basement The Crown usually has an event going on so you can split your night into half pub, half basement-rave.

4. Pub Gardens

An obvious activity, but you can take pint necking to the next level once you submit your final piece of coursework or leave that last exam. Instead of getting “just one pint” in the sunshine, dabble in some harder-core day drinking at these pub gardens. My favourites are Channings (of course), with a £4.79 Aperol spritz (with student discount), the Hope and Anchor, the patio garden of Barrel House and happy hour at Brewhouse on Cotham Hill (5-7pm).

5. Thursdays at Attic bar

If you’re a bit sick of The Triangle and need to escape Cotham Hill, nothing screams summer vibes like Thursday at Attic Bar. Free entry before 11pm and a sick night of DJs, £3 pints and £2.5 tinnies. If you’ve avoided Stokes Croft for its usual steep prices, this is the night to convince you otherwise.

6. King Street

Join the locals and get tipsy on King Street. Whilst the prices soar above £5 for a pint, you can bring your own drink if you sit on the middle benches at the end of the street. With loads of pubs to choose from, you can start your day of drinking here with Mr Wolfs for afters just around the corner, or even Thekla if you are up to it.

7. Student night at The Blue Lagoon

Head up to the Blue Lagoon for £4.5 doubles on a Tuesday, as well as live music. If you fancy a tribute to a bit of Ed Sheeran or other cheesy, sing-along tunes, this is the perfect night out for you.

8. Have a BBQ in the garden

If you don’t have a garden yourself, like me, you’ll have to learn whose big garden you can leach off for your boozy BBQ. Both a wholesome activity for non-drinkers and an excuse to get drunk at 4pm, a post-exams BBQ is exactly what you need to celebrate and treat yourself to delicious food and splurge out on that Pimms you deserve.

9. Pub golf

Swap the splurging on library snacks from Coop to pub golf with your friends. A night of dressing up, getting smashed and roaming the streets of Bristol, this is what a true celebration consists of. If you’ve never had the time to organise until now, it’s time to get out the Excel spreadsheet and force your friends into teams for a night of competitive drinking and feral activities.

10. Bottomless Brunch at Las Iguanas

Embrace your inner millennial and celebrate with a bottomless brunch. From £30 a person, it might seem spenny, but with great food and non-stop flowing drinks, it will seem like a small price to pay for this experience.

11. Trip to the Everyman

Going on a date or need a calmer way to celebrate? Treat yourself to a film at the beautiful Everyman where you will feel like you’re inside a Covent Garden theatre but instead of folding chairs, you are treated to a sofa. With delicious food served to you, it’s worth treating yourself by spending a bit more. And if you’re a tennis (or Zendaya fan) you’re just in time to go and see Challengers there.