Don’t kid yourself, we know you’re not from London

There's a self-evident truth about university that many are forced to deal with on a daily basis – in the introduction of new friends mainly. In the first few minutes of talking to a new hallmate or a coursemate, pleasentries are exchanged. What's your name, your course, your hall maybe, and then where you're from and maybe live right now.

However simple a question this may pose as, it reveals many intricasies and dillemas concerning the answer that many may reply to you at uni. Ask anyone at moderatelly gentrified university in the North where they're from and 99% of the time they'll reply to you with 'London'. Surely, there's not 1 million students who hail from London, right?

There aren't. Just students would generally find it easier to say London rather than their small airport village (Luton) or quiet industrial estate (Milton Keynes).

It's a phenomem that is rife in the small talk of Freshers in Freshers Week, coursemates in lectures, and randoms on nights out. The reasons for why many would prefer saying London over their town, village, or city are varied. It may be easier for some instances. Who the hell knows where Sudbury, Salisbury, Crawley, or Basingstoke is on a map or if they actually exist.

For those who are unsure about basic UK geography, telling someone that you live in London makes life much easier for both parties. But, then alternatively, this issue creates a divide between true Londoners and the latter.

It is almost a rite of passage to come from London and go to a university in the North. When someone fakes their identity, a Londoner can feel hurt and disparaged from showing their true patriotism. This issue is large on campuses across the Midlands and the North, from Nottingham to Durham, and sadly will never die out.

Next time you're making small talk, just don't say you're from London.