The Ultimate University of Birmingham Bucket List
Whilst University is primarily a place in which to better yourself intellectually and ultimately obtain a degree, the social aspect of university is undeniably very important and pivotal as to whether your experience has been good or bad. Listed below is a concise but loaded University of Birmingham Bucket List!
1. Take a midnight walk around campus.
This one may appear slightly strange but it is something I would definitely recommend. A brilliant way to bond with new friends, taking a cheeky walk around the campus and accommodation areas in the middle of the night (with or without alcoholic nourishment) is such a lovely thing to do in the first week or two of university.
A great way to get a real feel for the place, without the masses of students running to get to their next lecture. Especially when the weather is still quite mild in September, this is a brilliant thing to do to get your bearings.
2. Join your course societies, obviously.
This one is pretty much a given, but joining the societies for your specific course is definitely a must do. Not only will it give you a more in depth access to your course department, but can provide you with more information about topics that you may not necessarily be studying.
3. Go to as many Freshers events and nights out as possible.
Another obvious one but definitely attempt to go to as many freshers events and nights out as possible. Might seem pretty hard after a couple of nights of heavy drinking but it’s more than likely a once in a lifetime event so you may as well. Freshers week is also the first time that you meet your new university friends so making the most of this time before the actual work sets in should be top priority.
4. Go to Sports Night and Fab N Fresh.
For the more party going sort and those of you who are particularly sporty, there are two nights in the week designed especially for you. They are definitely the messiest and most popular nights of the week. The first one is on a Wednesday and suitably named ‘sports night’ as it’s an opportunity for all the members of the different sports societies to come together and royally misuse their student loans.
‘Fab N Fresh’ is the main student night on campus on pretty much every Saturday of the year. They put on different events such as Festive Fab, Fab N Halloween and the like. Going to both of these nights out at least once should definitely be on your University of Birmingham bucket list.
5. Stroll through the German Christmas Markets.
Every year in Birmingham, gorgeous market stalls laden with the most Christmassy ornaments, foods and decorations you’ve ever seen are paraded through the centre. This is definitely a must see, especially in the winter when the nights are darker and the Christmas mood starts to set in. Also a brilliant way to bond with new friends and spend a holiday with different people other than your family if you are to stay in halls over the holidays.
6. Participate in a bar crawl such as the Selly Oak Bar Crawl.
Either through societies or halls of residence events, you will probably end up going on a fair few bar crawls either through Selly Oak (the student hub just outside the campus) or through Birmingham centre; where there is an abundance of beautiful cocktail bars. If not through an official event, definitely try to go on one, so much fun and again a brilliant thing to do with new people and explore in and around campus.
7. Attend an annual Valefest.
An annual festival held in the student accommodation of the Vale, this is definitely one for your bucket list. Held at the end of the year, this festival encompasses all things students love; food, live music and lots and lots of drinking! This is also the perfect way to blow off a bit of steam after the stress of exams and the pressure of first year.
The performances are usually quite local but with so many genres of music all in one place, you’re bound to find a stage that suits you and your friends. This is also an all day and all night extravaganza, with an after party at the bar on the Vale, so prepare yourself for some serious partying and probably a deadly hangover the following day.
And there you have it, just a little sample of what many people would deem as the top things to do in your first year at the University of Birmingham. University is honestly one the best experiences you will have and should definitely be taken full advantage of. So suit up, down your drink and head off into Birmingham, fresher.
