All the little things about living in Cardiff you’ve actually missed this summer

Nothing like the sweet smell of ripped open bin bags and the sound of crying seagulls every week


Oh Cardiff, how we miss you. We really don’t treasure you enough do we? There are so many things about Cardiff and Cathays that make it special, from the people to the places and ofc LIDL bakery. Some things really do stand out though:

Pryzm’s cheese room

After entering the club, you and your buddies head to the tiki room for a few cocktails. You all plan on going to the R&B room or pretty much anywhere but the disco room but Pryzm’s a confusing mess, even more so when you’re drunk. Somehow, you’ve all ended up in the cheese room so you may as well just stay in there.

Being disgustingly messy and nobody can judge you

Everyone’s as bad as each other so they can’t say shit.

Caring for your wasted housemates

If you have the pleasure of living with a rugby lad or two, their hilarious drunken antics will wake you up every week as they stumble back from a rugby social. Sometimes you’ll literally want to rip their heads off but other times it’s actually kind of adorable and it’s not too bad looking after them – still doesn’t stop you from recording their embarrassing drunk nonsense on Snapchat though.

A filthy kebab from Mama’s

Fam fish was only a five minute walk away, but no, your lazy ass couldn’t make it there. You’ll wake up in the morning feeling like shit but still, no regrets.

Those messy one night stands after Juice

Being back at home with your parents in the next room means putting a quick pause on your pulling game. Usually after a night out in Cardiff, you end up disgustingly sweaty with VK stains running down your shirt, necking on with an equally sweaty stranger who possibly may have even slipped on some vomit in the toilets. You’re both too drunk to walk in a straight line but insist on hooking up anyways. Even though it’s too messy to be good, at least it makes for some hilarious stories in the morning.

Then running into your pull as you’re walking around the next day

Everyone knows the pain of having to avoid eye contact with a hook up from the night before as they walk directly towards you. Try looking down at the ground, the trees around you and pick at an imaginary itch on your face to avoid directly looking at them but you’re not fooling anyone. As you walk away you’ll be feeling embarrassed, a bit ashamed and proud all at once.

Fending for yourselves in your sad little Cathays home

A Cardiff student’s favourite pastime is complaining about their shitty little Cathays home. But come on, it’s not that bad? Sure there’s mould everywhere, the walls are too thin and the house is practically falling apart, but there’s something hilarious and endearing about your housemates uniting over a sad little TV late at night, with nothing but a plate of chips and toast because you’ve all blown your student loans way too soon.

Bin day in Cathays

It’s always jolly good fun skipping up and down the streets of Cathays on bin day avoiding the ripped open bags of mouldy food that’s been flung across the streets by the seagulls. Don’t get that kind of exercise anywhere else.

The endless flock of seagulls

We all have that one seagull patiently waiting outside our homes 24/7 for someone to put the bin bags out. These irritating creatures make a mess in front of our homes and sit on our cars as we clean up after their mess. But by the end of the year, you’ve probably named the little fella and got used to him greeting you at the door… almost like a pet.

Looking very majestic today, Jeremy

Seeing the zombies around on the way to 9 ams

Like a scene straight out of The Walking Dead, there’s a steady parade of students with no life in their eyes. Some are hungover from the night before, some are sleep deprived from Netflix marathoning a bit too hard and you’ll even see a few people on the walk of shame. Honestly, they’ve all earned a round of applause for getting out of bed before noon. Take that well-deserved mid-lecture nap mate.

Late nights at the ASSL

Admit it, it’s shit but you do miss it. All those “revision seshes” with your mates where all you do is take turns going down to the vending machine. You all came to knock out at least 500 words on your essays but all you’ve done is collect 3 bags of crisps, 2 chocolate bars and a cup of coffee.

Hearing the drunken parade of party goers from your room at 3am

From rugby lads chanting and singing in the streets to couples screaming at each other for whatever reason, Cardiff never really sleeps – especially Cathays. Although it can be a bit annoying sometimes, these obnoxious late night noises have become our lullabies.

Never living further than 5 minutes away from a Chinese, Indian, kebab shop, chippy or a pizza place

Crwys road, Woodville road, Cathays Terrace, City Road, Salisbury Road, they all offer a wealth of calorific meals.

The drinks prices at The Taf

£1.69 for a pint of Fosters? It tastes of piss but for that price, I’ll take 3, butt!

Not having parents that nag you to get out of bed

If I want to stay in bed until 8pm after a heavy night at Shang, I can. Nobody will pester me to get up and face adult responsibilities.

Being able to host massive house parties and pre drinks

It’s just not the same at home when mum’s upstairs is it? Nothing beats a wild sing song to Will Grigg’s on Fire, Toto by Africa and Dirty Stinkin’ Bass before a drunken stumble to the SU on a Wednesday night.

Nothing beats a good pre drinking sesh at Taly tho

Being able to catch a 5 minute taxi and having dozens of nightclubs waiting for you, 7 days of the week

“Just drop us off by the Hilton please” and you have all those clubs ready and waiting for you. You’ll probs still end up at Live Lounge though.

Live Lounge

Enough said. There’s nothing like it. Our loveable shithole.

Being able to pull left right and centre

Our housemates applaud us for getting jiggy with it; the louder, the better, and it’s all fun and games when the one night stand is still there the next morning and your mates all pile in to say hi. Somehow we don’t feel like it wouldn’t really be welcomed at our parents’ house.

Always having someone there to get drunk/go for food/go shopping with you

A friend for every activity. Big Tesco trip? Always someone keen. “Woody anyone?” in the group chat; you have about 20 of your pals sipping on a pint of dark fruits in the beer garden in half an hour, tops.

Always that one friend who’s keen for a Tesco trip

Every night essentially being like a big sleepover

All fun and games living with your best friends… Well, until the bins need taking out that is.

Cafe 37

This needed a subheading all of its own. Cafe 37 is THE BEST place in a Cathays for a hungover student, period.