A beginner’s guide to Botanic Avenue

Botanic Avenue is the golden mile of university life, containing everything good for student life and all that is so very bad.

Every type of student can be seen on botanic from the slacker to the swot to the hung-over.

And that can be tough, so here’s the biggest and most important parts of Botanic life – and how to survive it.

Uni-linkers

Beginning at the Queen’s end of Botanic waits a long queue of sullen looking Jordanstown students.

Look upon their glum expressions as they wait for the Uni Link to take them away from hallowed QUB ground to J-town. A place Queen’s students know is “somewhere up the motorway”.

Pfft, they could travel through a black hole for all I know.

Beware them, and if you’re living in Botanic, put up with them. They’re part of your life though.

Grim

Queue for the cash machine

You know the one I mean. The one beside the Cancer Research shop is probably the hottest  ATM in Ireland and the UK. It’s never shorter than a 2 person queue and there’s no jumping the line.

Research suggests that this is due to it’s close proximity to non-debit card taking Boojum which leads me nicely into the next popular feature of Botanic.

Ain’t nobody got time for this queue

Queue outside Boojum

Boojum is quite literally the centre of the earth for some people, with their lives revolving around their delicious burritos and salad bowls in a quest to earn themselves an infamous “Boojum Addict” t-shirt.

The job description for Boojum appears to be “alternative as fuck” going by first impressions of it’s employees and by their lack of card machine.

Insult this institution of south Belfast life with caution though as it will be met with serious backlash. You’re officially not a student until one of those greasy bean parcels have passed your lips.

You’re getting excited just looking, aren’t you?

Snapchatters in Starbucks

Apparently there’s a rule that can’t have a coffee with your friends anymore without 167 of your closest Snapchat friends knowing about.

Don’t even dream of throwing out the cup of your coffee based caramel Frappuccino with an extra shot of pixie dust and whipped cream on top with your name on it before instagramming it either.

These kind of people sicken me

Squealing girls heading into Madison’s

I know there are plenty of boys who enjoy cocktails from Madison’s, home of the longest happy hour known to man.

However 99.9% of the female student population is filled with joy and excitement at the mere mention of Madison’s. While the price hike from £3 to £3.50 hit the purses hard it is worth it for happy hour to finish at 11pm rather than 9pm.

Challenge yourself by trying to go through the entire menu in one term.

Madison’s Queen since 2T12

People crying inside Chip Co because it’s so amazing

Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration but Chip Company is the holy grail and the solution to every problem, especially hangover related ones.

Their late night opening hours and delicious goujon meals means it’s the first stop after a night out and more craic than most after parties.

It is where love blossoms over a chicken burger and random chants break out periodically to unite the fair customers of Chip Co.

Whilst other places on Botanic also provide delicious food none of them compare to getting a glorious Chip Co at 2.30am.

Dare you to find better