A southerner’s guide to Sheffield

Now don’t get me wrong, the South is great, but when it comes to University there is no argument, the North is the place to be. If you have chosen Sheffield as your number one place of study (well done) and you are a fellow Southerner, here are a few things you will need to know as you embark on your journey to this mysterious land.

The temperature drops

We all know British weather predominantly consists of rain and chilly temperatures. The South is certainly no stranger to this, however, if you take anything from this article please let it be these words of advice. Take a coat and a stupid amount of jumpers with you. Honestly you probably won’t adapt to the climate until second year at the earliest. Hang in there you southern softies, you can do it.

The North has its own lingo

Northern lads and lasses have their own set of vocabulary that differs from ours. Thus when North and South students mingle for the first time, you must be prepared for some difficulty in communication. Your new Northern friends will look at you in a state of confusion when you first incorporate the words ‘peak’ or ‘bait’ into your sentences. Likewise you probably won’t understand why your pals are wanting ‘tea’ for dinner and a bacon ‘barm’ for brekkie. For the record that’s a roll to you and me.

Kingsmill has spoken

Your southerness will be picked on

Now in these situations it is important to stay strong and count yourself lucky that you don’t experience the same level of grief as the midland folk. Nevertheless one must be aware that your southern roots will be used against you. This may include your ‘posh’ accent, your extensive use of sarcasm and stereotypical ‘rude’ behaviour. If you live in or around London you will most certainly be reminded of the fact that you will struggle to afford to live after you leave uni. I am afraid to say that there really is no comeback for this one. Can’t win em’ all.

You can say goodbye to expensive booze

As a southerner you will never complain about a night out in the North being too pricey because we have all experienced the struggle of going hard at pres to avoid buying drinks so you can afford a taxi home. At least it makes us experts at acting sober, or so we think. Anyway you can go to uni knowing that a night out will more often than none be a pleasant fairly priced surprise.

You can literally buy a bottle of wine on a night out for £4

You will either love or hate Northern food

Curry chips may become a thing of the past when you enter a world where the almighty chips and gravy exists. Some of you will genuinely detest the idea of soggy brown chippy chips. Fair play to you guys, I know you can’t help your tastebuds. The majority of you will, however, likely worship this delicacy and yet will keep quiet in a attempt to remain loyal to your curry sauce roots. It doesn’t stop at the chip shop, be prepared to be swamped with pies, parkin, pikelets and a lot of orange advertisements stamped with the words ‘Henderson’s relish’.

Forget ketchup, Henderson’s is the only condiment you’ll need

So, when travelling to Sheffield, be prepared to be shocked at how cheap everything is, how much people love gravy, but most importantly, don’t forget your coat!