Everything you should know before moving into Glen

The best uni halls? Yes

4 years ago

Glen Eyre is arguably many Freshers’ first choice of accommodation: close to Highfield, varied choices of rooms and that sense of ‘Glen’ community that you’ll continue to rave about until your final year. It’s a lot to take in when you first arrive, but soon you’ll be glad you’re one of the lucky ones who didn’t end up in Wessex.

Here are 13 things you should know before moving into Glen:

1. Use the Common Room, it’s actually really good

Take advantage of having free pool and table tennis tables to use whenever you want! It’s a great way to get to know and have fun with your flatmates and to have a break from the confinements of the tiny kitchen! Not to mention the numerous vending machines (which you say you won’t use, but by the end of the year you’ll pop in for a Snickers at 1am).

2. Beware of the laundry room

Perhaps one of the most stressful activities of the week. Whether it’s getting accidently locked in, having the machine break halfway through your wash, or taking half of someone else’s washing and not realising until you get back to your room, it seems anything and everything will go wrong after making the trek there. Not to mention the pain of the Circuit app.

3. Fire alarms, constantly

7am, 12pm, 6pm, 1am. Whenever. Be prepared to run out of your block at least once in pjs or a towel.

4. Glen Eyre Road

Some say road, others say hill. Who needs a Sports and Wellbeing Membership when you have this mountain hike at your doorstep? Glen Eyre Road will give you calves of steel.

5. Rats on the green

It’s Southampton, get used to it.

6. The windows aren’t reflective at night!

This usually takes everyone a couple of weeks to realise. You may think no one can see your intense game of ring of fire or drunk kitchen shenanigans, but sad to say you are most definitely wrong.

7. Accidently going to Bassett on the bus

A mistake everyone makes at least once before learning the difference between the U2 and the U2B. Saddle in for a confusing 15-minute detour to Highfield.

8. The joys of trekking to Portswood Sainsburys

The disadvantage of Glen compared to other halls is that the nearest decent shop is half an hours walk away. So, unless you want to live the year off Co-Op pot noodles, take advantage of that bus pass and get that U1C. Although a journey, it’s surprisingly therapeutic, especially during exam season.

9. Earplugs

A necessity in a place where soundproof walls do not exist. Trust me.

10. Your bottle collection will be ruined.

It’s a devastating blow, especially after all the effort. Was it worth the amber warning? Yes.

11. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative with decorations!

Whether it’s cardboard cut outs of Danny DeVito, (clearly drunk) flat drawings, or the post-it note signs in South Hill spelling out “POOR” to avoid confusion with Chamberlain, everyone loves a well-decorated window. Get those pens out!

Taylor Swift?

12. And no, there is no Glen Bar.

A rumour everyone wishes were true but sadly your Snap Maps is wrong.

And that’s it: A series of confusing bus routes, fire alarms, awkward encounters and laundry room scares – all a part of the true Glen experience! Not quite the luxuries of Chamberlain or Mayflower yet still the best choice, especially when you’re a five-minute walk from the campus Costa. Glen has its quirks, good and bad, and you’ll soon come to love them.