You’re not going to ‘find yourself’ at Glasgow University

Being a fresher is a whirlwind of ‘firsts’ and the nice thing about coming to uni, is that you can “find yourself”. You can totally reinvent yourself, pick a fun new nickname, entirely change your wardrobe, and be an entirely new you. It’s incredibly easy and anyone can do it. Except you actually cant, it’s not that easy, and absolutely nobody has ever achieved this. Ever.

The myth of “finding yourself” at uni is entirely bogus and you will always just be you – not to sound too much like Doctor Seuss. And that is the cold harsh truth of it. However, fear not, because you can still be various versions of yourself, show off the good sides and portray only the best bits of your personality to your new friends. Being yourself means shockingly little. Being likeable and approachable, I’m afraid, is the best way to survive uni and make friends. So lets dive into a few of those versions you may find yourself being… pub edition. 

“Pub?”

When you’re a student, that text can open doors to various drastically different nights ahead of you.

Perhaps you’ve just left a lecture, trying to convince yourself to step foot in the library for the first time this week and suddenly you’re entire evening has been derailed and the assignment you have due on Monday isn’t that important after all. Because sometimes the appeal of the pub isn’t the £3 Tennent’s or treating yourself to the overpriced Jubel; its that someone thought to ask you.

At uni, where friendship groups shift between course mates and friends and from sports and societies, that casual text message can feel like a small, hidden confirmation that you belong somewhere. You’re not necessarily saying yes to the drink; you’re saying yes to being part of the evening.

However, who did they really invite to the pub? Depending on who sent that “pub?” text, a completely different version of you can show up.

Version one

Post-lecture you. This version of yourself is spontaneous, you’ve most likely arrived with the intention of having “just one” yet suddenly, a second round is being ordered, the person who barely spoke during your seminar’s dating life is being dissected and you’re deciding which pub to go to next. A casual afternoon drink has the ability to transform ordinary lecture acquaintances into people you’re having actual conversations with.

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Version two

West End you. There’s a plan, maybe it’s Ashton Lane, maybe its somewhere you’ve been before but the important factor here is that you have made the conscious decision to go out. This version of you is slightly more confident, you’re prepared for the inevitable West End experience of encountering half of your social life in a pub in Woodlands. You might start the night with your flatmates, run into course friends then end up talking to people from a society. Great Western Road rapidly turns into an extension of campus, but this version of you knew exactly what they were getting into when they accepted the invite.

And finally, version three

Pub regular. This version of you knows exactly what to expect, you know where you’re sitting, you know what you’re ordering, and you know who might be there. You don’t even need an invitation anymore. This is a familiar scene. For this version of you the pub is an act of routine and belonging, there is no expectation other than to just be. You’re there because this is where your people are. This version of you is arguably the best one.

Perhaps that’s the thing about the pub invite, over the course of university it stops being about where you’re going and is rarely just about having a drink. It’s about who you want beside you when the lecture is over, the deadlines can wait and you’ve got nowhere else to be.

So, which version of you gets the pub invite? Probably the one your friends want to spend an unplanned Tuesday evening with.

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