A city’s nightlife is, in my opinion, one of its most important and most interesting features. Even though I’m not a huge clubbing/drinking fan, as a student I inevitably get dragged out for birthdays or society socials. Besides, let’s face it, nightlife culture is so big in Britain that if you want to meet a lot of people, and make a lot of friends, you’ll have to venture ‘out’ at some point or other. I’m here to give you the low-down on what’s going on in Nottingham’s city centre at night, from a University of Nottingham perspective (which can be completely different from that of a Nottingham Trent student!).

Gatecrasher Nottingham

Keane live at the Bournemouth International Centre

It just goes to show that you don’t have to trek all the way to London if you want to see big bands live. Because last week, my friends and I hopped on the train to Bournemouth, just 40 minutes away from Southampton, to catch Keane’s final show of their tour this year. Since their debut album Hopes and Fears, which won the Brit Award for Best British Album in 2005, the English alternative/rock group Keane seem to have gone from strength to strength.

As promised, it was a spectacular evening. The Bournemouth International Centre where they were playing was full almost to the brim. Keane might not be known for dance beats but, nevertheless, the crowd was lively and, if not dancing, then certainly belting out the lyrics to Keane’s old classics like Everybody’s Changing as much as to their newer hits such as Sovereign Light Café.

A typical Friday night at Sugar!

Now that I’ve given an insight into what you can do at Lancaster in the day, the night also has much to offer. With numerous bars and nightclubs to choose from you won’t get bored of partying in Lancaster, despite the fact it is a small historic city.

So it’s Thursday, it’s finally stopped raining, we’re almost at the end of our first Uni week, and I know it sounds ridiculous given I only have one to three hours of lectures or seminars daily, but I’m already looking forward to the weekend. And why shouldn’t I?

We’re all aware, given the constant reminders of parents, news articles and professors, that we’ll soon be entering an increasingly hard and competitive post – University ‘real world’ of working life. That we’ll need to prove that we really made the most out of our University experience. And I don’t disagree.  Yes, we should work hard, get involved as much as possible and boost up our CV, but isn’t making the most out of our University experience also about letting our hair down, having fun and remembering we’re still pretty young? After all, University is the first opportunity for many to live away from home and for international students possibly the first time you’ve lived in a new country. So, with no parents to nag or ask what time you’ll be getting home, why not embrace the nightlife of Leeds?

For British students, the big nights are usually on the weekdays (Monday to Friday), when many of the best deals are on offer at nights that areoften run by students themselves. However, now that I’m a serious(-ish) fourth year student I’m trying to keep to a new resolution of not turning up to lectures or seminars with a hangover. With that in mind, I’ve been saving for this weekend, and there are a good few fun events on….

Receiving our degrees!

Every year the Guardian newspaper publishes a University guide which ranks Universities in the UK based on a number of factors. I am very proud to say that this year just like many years previous, the University of Southampton has rarely featured outside of the top 10 for any subject. Engineering is a very popular course (the number of my friends alone who study these courses must be close to 30) and the proof comes in it’s success: Engineering- electronic and electrical places 1^st, above other prestigious Universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. My course of Modern Languages placed in the top 5 behind Oxford and Cambridge, and it ranked 3^rd for student satisfaction. The league table takes into account a number of factors including: number of students satisfied with course, number of students satisfied with teaching, percentage of students satisfied with feedback, student to staff ratio, spend per student, average entry requirement, and employment after 6 months.

Camden Market

Camden Market was established in 1975, and has been a popular spot every since. It is definitely one of my favorite places to go to in London, both night and day. This is a place where you can find all sorts of stalls and shops that will cater to anyone. You can find stalls selling authentic food, music, books, jewelry, clothes, hand-crafted items, and more. The first time I went, I instantly went to the clothing stalls. Remember, if they know you’re foreign, they push the prices up high but you can always bargain with them. I purchased a dress for 15 pounds, which started out as 30! They are also vintage and hand-made clothing shops that are created by local artists or imported from other countries. There are over a 100 traders in the Market hall, so you’re to find a wide range of styles. There are even tattoo parlours and piercing boutiques all around town.

One thing you will no doubt come into contact with whist studying in the UK is themed nights out. Students have become obsessed with fancy dress nights, where everyone has to dress up in some kind of way to fit in with a decided theme. Looking back over my 4 years as a student, I have acquired quite a large fancy dress box containing various bits and bobs from fancy dress nights over the year. Quite often Sports teams will have fancy dress socials, and wakeboarding was no exception; over the years I’ve been a smurf, an army officer, where’s wally, comic book characters, tv shows, a ‘geek’, completely covered in blue paint, a zebra, a granny… the list is endless. For birthday parties people also love fancy dress and Circus theme has seemed to be very popular this year!

Now, in order to make your fancy dress successful, there are a few things you need to consider:

Plan ahead!! You will be warned about fancy dress nights in advance, whether it is one planned by a friend, or part of a social night organised by a club you are a member of. Take my advice: don’t leave it until the last minute (as I have often done) as you will end up putting something together which looks nothing like what it is supposed too!

Source: SUSU

It’s that time of year. Finally, after 4 years of waiting, I will be graduating this summer and although I am excited for graduation day, I am possibly more excited for graduation ball- a huge party where all graduates can dress up formally and let their hair down as students, one last time. As with nightlife in Southampton in general, Grad ball has a reputation for being one of the best nights of the year, and this year looks set to not disappoint. It will take place next Tuesday, at Oceana- a club venue in the centre of town with 3 different rooms which each play different types of music. On grad ball night they will be used to host different acts, from comedians to ‘famous’ (depending on your definition of the word) musicians… and this year will see performances from ‘popular’ British acts Pixie Lott and Chesney Hawks. It’s not my usual scene, but i’m willing to make an exception this once…

Formal photographs will be taken throughout the night, and a special area will be set up to capture the final moments from those who manage to party all the way through to closing at 4am- I’m not so sure those would be photos I would want to see! Apart from the special acts, famous radio DJ’s will be playing throughout the night. There will also be a fairground rumoured to feature all kinds of fairground attractions from dodgems to carousels, and smaller rides- what more could you want?! Drinks are promised to be cheap, and everyone has been given vouchers for discounted meals before the event starts.

So what is the catch? Well ticket prices are very high at £49. I can assure you that I would never dream of paying £49 usually to attend an event at Oceana, especially when this is added to the price of a new dress, heels, and jewellery. However, it is a special night, and one that will only come along once in a lifetime, so it was upon this basis that I gave in (after a day of moaning about the price in true British style) and brought my ticket. I couldn’t be happier now that I did, and I am excited to spend a night enjoying myself with friends, many of whom I may not be seeing for some time.

King’s College London is set at the heart of London and was founded in 1829, responding to the founding of University College London. There are nine schools and they are spread out throughout London, starting from the river Thames to the middle of the Strand. So why did I choose KCL and what made me fall in love with it?

KCL is in the middle of London, with already a plethora of people and culture in front of you. My lectures were filled with people from France, America, Japan, Spain, Belgium, etc. Which was greatly unexpected, as I come from a University that is filled with mostly American students. Even the professors that taught the lectures each week were from different continents, as I remember it was extremely strenuous for me to comprehend one of the French professor’s accents. It was a completely foreign world to me, yet after the first week, I befriended people from an amalgam of cultures. It’s exciting to talk to people with diverse ethnic backgrounds, political beliefs, and attitudes towards life.

If you believe variety is the spice of life, then a night out in Southampton is where you need to be! There are 3 main areas students usually head to: Portswood road, Bedford Place and City Centre.

Portswood road is home to 2 clubs which are close to any Southampton student’s heart: Jesters (also nicknamed the Palace of Dreams!) and Sobar. Set in the heart of the student housing area, it’s often a favourite area with students as it is the cheapest place around, and so easy to get to. It’s not just the price that makes Jesters and Sobar unique, they have a true student feel and being small places you are always guaranteed to bump into people you know. Most sports teams and societies hold their fundraising events here. Although I do love Jesters, I should warn you it’s not exactly a classy establishment, so if dresses and high heels are your kind of thing, jesters probably won’t be. It is a very casual place, and emphasis is definitely on having a good time over being in a pretty setting (decor and maintainance isnt exactly high, but the atmosphere makes up for this).