These UoB moments shouldn’t be embarrassing, but they really are

Why is walking back from Aldi with full shopping bags mortifying

2 years ago

We all have those moments that keep us awake at night, cringing at the thought of the embarrassing things we’ve done before.

These activities are completely unavoidable and normal, yet they seem to be embarrassing for all.

Here are the embarrassing moments that all UoB students face on a weekly, even daily, basis.

Walking down (or up) the Teaching and Learning building stairs

This is the most obvious one, and everyone feels awkward when it comes to these peculiar stairs. Does anyone actually know the correct way to do it? Do you do massive steps and try and treat them like normal steps? Or do you do an awkward shuffle, making sure both feet hit each stair?

One-stepper or two-stepper?

Posting on Fab and getting no responses

Trying to sell a ticket, looking for a housemate, a general query – we’ve all posted on Fab. But is there anything more awkward than everyone simply scrolling past and getting absolutely no responses? Worse yet, a pity like or comment from one of your mates.

Trying to eat your lunch in a study space

Hours of studying is bound to make anyone hungry. The worst is being sat around a bunch of strangers silently studying hard and needing to open a noisy bag of crisps. Even when you try to chew quietly, it just seems to make more noise. There’s no rules against eating in (some) study spaces but for some reason it’s embarrassing to do so.

A monster is needed after a productive time studying

Carrying your Aldi shopping home

This one is especially embarrassing if you’re a silly fresh that lives on the Vale, but even if you’re a Selly resident it can still be kind of embarrassing. Bags full to the brim of discounted food to last you the week, it would make more sense to get a Bolt, but students need to save money in every way possible. Having to stop on benches and take a breather, because you’ve worked up such a sweat would be such an ick if you saw your library crush doing it. But when you take a break, you need it from your broken back and fingers holding onto the bags for dear life.

Worse than a walk of shame?

Losing your friends at the Guild

Walking around alone texting your mates whilst trying to find anyone you know to cling on with for a dance in underground is so awkward. Why is it so difficult to find your mates at the Guild? Don’t even get me started on the texts saying to meet at the Mermaid Fountain, but getting there and seeing absolutely no one you know.

Seeing your Tinder matches on campus

We’ve all had a lonely moment of weakness where we viscously scroll through Tinder, and getting matches from fellow UoB students. Then being bothered to engage in a dry, pointless chat that goes along the lines of what course do you do, and all the other pointless questions. The conversations normally tend to come to swift end, but that doesn’t make it any less awkward or embarrassing when you see them on campus and make eye contact.