The Typical Day Of A UWE Student

Are you a prospective student considering which university to attend? Are you confused by the enormous variety and bombardment of information? Or maybe just intrigued to know what life is like at the Bristol situated university called UWE (or UE for short if you are part of the proper Bristol Folk and saying U…W…E is too long for some reason.) Well ponder no more! As maybe reading about a day at the university from the point of view of a current UWE marketing student will give you some insight.

A sunny day at UWE. Image source: language study centres website

So let’s start at the beginning of the day.

If you have or are currently attending university, then you will understand why I say, UNFORTUNATELY, before I tell you during my first year I lived in a private house of 8 students in total. UNFORTUNATELY,THIS IS A LOT IF THE HOUSE IS OF AVERAGE ‘FAMILY OF 4’ SIZE. Due to the high number of housemates it is likely 3 out of the 5 weekday mornings, someone will have a 9 am. But don’t get me wrong, because I don’t say this in annoyance as it actually causes little disturbance because most continue to snore instead. Around 10/11 am is when it all starts happening. This seems to be the natural arising time of the average adolescent or student.

Until the new business and law building is finished, the current B block is where I spend much of my time. All my lectures take place at the largest lecture hall. The hall is capable of holding 300 students which feels more like a cinema room than a place of learning. I am happy to say the majority of lecturers I encountered in my first year were NOT power point readers. But before this first morning lecture, if you left with enough time like a sensible student. You may be able to pop to one of the delightful cafe’s that are dotted around each block for a morning coffee or cinnamon bun.

Situated adjacent to the library and a couple of minutes walk away from the morning lecture hall sits a modernly furnished Starbucks where the caramel Frapuccino with extra cream is a popular. On the other hand a small coffee or tea may be a more likely choice for you if you are watching the calories. And forget the cinnamon bun. Although you could convince yourself that the walk back to the lecture hall is ‘moderate exercise;’ before sitting down and enjoying the next 2 hours of either finance and learning about income statements and cash-flow forecast. Or possibly ethical working in the business place.

New business and law building. Image source: Building 4 education website.

Long que at frenchay starbucks. Image source: Western Eye UWE bulletin.

After a long day of lectures and tutorials, different people like to wind down in different ways.

When returning back to your abode, of course comes the added reading, typing up notes, coursework or revision. However, the huge bustling city of Bristol, a good deal larger than my home town of Cambridge, offers a vast variety of student friendly activities! The most popular names I hear of clubs in the area include PRYZM, Walkabout, SWX and Thekla.

Continuing with the theme of night life, if you are living near campus and don’t fancy getting the 10 minute bus into city centre; The Lock In is always an option, held every Tuesday night at the student union. I can sense your face creasing in fear at the name of this event… but don’t worry. You don’t actually get locked in. Maybe if I went to this event more than once in my lifetime I could tell you what it’s about but…. I haven’t. This may be alien for someone of my ripe age of 19 to say, but the idea of spending my evening in a hot, dark club pressed against strangers has never appealed to me much.

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UWE student union Lock In night. Image source: UWE student union website.

So what else is there to do in Bristol after you have completed your compulsory, and of course, first priority note typing up and extra reading?

You may be a foodie like me, in which case I will share with you a restaurant that has recently been recommended to me by a housemate. This glorious establishment is called Urban Tandoor. I hear the food has astonishing quality and taste. Its a must try. (You’re welcome Urban Tandoor for the free Marketing here.) It’s really more of a evening or weekend dinner location due to it’s opening times being 17:30-22:45 everyday, except Sundays when they close an hour earlier at 21:45.

Front of Urban Tandoor restaurant. Image source: Trip Advisor

And what about weekends in Bristol how do I like to spend those?

And what is there unique in Bristol, and around it? Personally, I love travelling. So one very exciting weekend was spent travelling to Bath. If you are one of those lucky student to have a car with you at university, it’s around a 30-40 minute drive from Bristol to Bath city centre. If you are taking the train it’s around a 15 minute trip for less than £10 with a return! While Bath city centre is quite small, it is very modernized. Seeing the Roman Baths is a definite MUST if you are there. You learn so much on this tour. It’s amazing how much of the original Baths still remains from when they were first built.

Roman Bath in Bath city. Image source: Free-City-Guides.com

In conclusion, I chose my university not only on the reputation of the school, but also where it was located. Bristol is a busy, beautiful, and bustling city, and when studying here this should be taken advantage of.