Things I would’ve told myself in Bristol Uni Freshers’ week

Park Street will NOT make your legs hench


After spending what must have been an hour walking around the ASS to find a seat because it was past 10 am, I realised that my first year has taught me many things – some valuable, some less so.

To help out next year’s fresher herd and for those who are still a bit confused – here’s a list of everything I would have told myself in Freshers’ before being immersed in a world of wavey garms, hills and pink puffer jackets.

  1. You will own every piece of clothing you once thought was hideous.

You came to university thinking it was a crime to wear anything than blue skinny jeans, and now you’re down at Stokes Croft market where nothing is edgy enough for you.

Say goodbye to anything remotely mainstream – Banksy didn’t try to make the city unique so that you could be ‘normal’, that’s just dishonouring tradition.

  1. Park Street will not make your legs as good as you think it will

This is the tragedy of every riverside fresher.

You thought living at the bottom of Park Street would help your legs, that the pain of walking up one of Bristol’s most famous hills on a daily basis could be worth it; wrong. Park Street leaves you just as sweaty as it did in Freshers’ Week, and you’ve barely gained any muscle.

  1. There is more rivalry between city centre and Stoke Bishop than UWE and UOB

In a world where we have equal rights and freedom, we are divided by the Number 16.

Forget the binding force of human nature, we are fragmented by a Wessex bus service and whether or not someone has an en suite.

  1. Bristol actually has a cat pub

In a time of innate stress and uncertainty about the future, the fact that Bristol has a pub where you can stroke cats makes the world a bit cheerier.

When those moments occur when you’re not sure if you can hold out from seeing your pet until another month or two, be sure to visit this gem.

  1. Woodland Road is your enemy when you’re rushing.

We’ve all been there- you’ve just power walked up Park Street and now you’re so close to your seminar, but wait – there’s about a hundred people in the same position.

The saying “you can’t go over it, you can’t go under it, you’ll have to go through it” has never felt so real, and you have to take the advice of a from a book you read when you were about five.

  1. Don’t expect everything to fall into place at once.

On a more serious note, it’s okay if things take time. You’re in a new city with new people and are having new experiences – don’t expect things to happen so quickly.

You can’t rush great friendships, annoyingly most great things happen by chance, so stay positive and the world will work for you.

  1. Enjoy your first year as much as possible.

First year is the best of a good situation – you get to experience whatever you want and whilst it’s important to work hard…the marks don’t count towards your degree.

Enjoy the experience in whatever ways are right for you, because in a year’s time you’ll be having nightmares over Turnitin, so make the most of your first year, because there really isn’t anything like it.