Everything you know if you are a student at The University of Greenwich

Not just a fancy boat


Greenwich is known for its beautiful park, centred around the royal observatory as well as the striking Cutty Sark. But to many people’s surprise: amongst the old buildings and busy roads lies a characterful university. Sandwiched between museums lays the Old Royal Naval Collage and its tributaries housing our fine place of study. Students of Greenwich are a cool bunch dotted around South London who seem to converge rarely, but there are some things we are all in agreement of.

Much to do a-boat nothing

Avery Hill is a hidden gem

You have probably been here once or twice and you did think it was a juvenile prison at first sight. The second thing you would admit is we know how to party. Whether it is a flat party into the early hours of the morning or an all out blast at the student bar, you will have woken up the next day hating life but loving your Snapchat story of the night before. Those who live on Avery Hill are the family you loved going to visit as a child, always with the booze at the ready for a right ol’ knees up. We really are a loving bunch.

0% sober

There is nothing worse than election time

We all struggle at the best of times to draw ourselves to the library, but a human barricade of candidates giving out literature makes it one step harder. If you happen to be mobile on campus at any point in the few weeks leading up to the SU election deadline, you will regret your decision massively.  You decide to vote to attain some personal relief from the bombardment of pressure to do so, all the while forgetting you do not advertise this fact to the still persistent mob outside the Stockwell library.

Sparrows Bar is loved by many and hated by all

You will know it all to well if you are a member of a sports team, and are likely to graced the SU’s typical sticky floors again, as the pull is just too strong to ignore on a Friday night. Hate the music or love it, we pay homage to the grime artists, JME and Skepta that once graced our university in the not so distant past. Some have taken to the place a little too fondly and are a permanent fixture in the stream of photos uploaded to Facebook by the always present SU photographer.

Usual Suspects

There are depths of the uni you have never ventured

Although not one of the largest universities, Greenwich has its share of very under-used and under-appreciated areas. From the top floor of the Stockwell Library, to the usually empty Café on Mansion site, the Dome at weekends on Southwood Site to the Queen Mary Undercroft on main campus. All Greenwich students know the university has a lot to offer in terms of architecture and as right of passage all freshers are encouraged to explore extensively. You will get lost.

Greenwich’s own underground

Where even is Medway?

We know it’s a part of our uni, but has anyone actually been there? Some where east of London (by the coast we think) is the dissociated brother campus Medway. We face them for our varsity but with the exception of the odd sports folk, it’s an uncharted territory. The students there don’t tend to proclaim affiliation with name Greenwich University and being just too far away to care about, they remain a disjointed family appendage.

Societies are rarer than a friendly bus driver on the 286

Greenwich university is not only a lot smaller than other universities in the UK but very fractional. Being situated in South London we have many commuters, this coupled with mainly divided areas of accommodation is not the environment to grow numerous thriving societies. Although most would argue this is a good price to pay for the location we live and learn. Who needs a cheese and wine society when you have the O2 arena just a short walk away?

Star-gazing 

No, not the observatory – have you seen how much that costs? Rarely a week passes where there isn’t filming on campus. The list of film royalty that have worked in and around our uni is always growing,  Johnny Depp, Chris Hemsworth and Channing Tatum to name but a delicious few. The chance to meet, or at the very least take a creepy photo without them looking with these movie stars, only just about makes up for the fact you have to walk the long way around campus when they film.

Common Culprits

Between the market, the park and the strip of bars and restaurants Greenwich Uni couldn’t be better situated and although we must be content at sharing it with endless tourists and film studios, we still claim it to be ours. Everyone knows we welcome anyone into our uni with open arms if not only to share its beauty, but to show off a little too.

The Home Fixture