Wessex Scene Uni Life Magazine

INTERVIEW WITH NEW SUSU PRESIDENT EMILY DAWES 06-07

A FRESHER’S GUIDE TO SOUTHAMPTON 30-31

THE DARK BEAUTY OF UNIVERSITY SPORT 34-35

EDITO R Ivan Morris Poxton editor@wessexscene.ac.uk DEPUTY EDITO R Zach Sharif deputy-editor@wessexscene.co.uk H EA D O F PRI NT D E S I G N Rachel Winter design@wessexscene.co.uk H EA D O F I MAGERY Avila D iana Chidum e image@wessexscene.co.uk H EA D O F MARKETI N G Joe Brio dy publicity@wessexscene.co.uk FE ATURES EDITO R Linnea Lagerstedt features@wessexscene.co.uk OPINI O N EDI TO R Rachel Mather opinion@wessexscene.co.uk POLITICS EDITO R Charlotte Colombo politics@wessexscene.co.uk SCIENCE & TECH ED I TO R Laur a Nelso n science@wessexscene.co.uk LIFESTYLE EDI TO R Mega n Har t lifestyle@wessexscene.co.uk IN T ERNA TIO NAL E D I TO R Tabassum Rahman international@wessexscene.co.uk T RAVEL EDI TO R TBA; Caretaker: Amy Picknell travel@wessexscene.co.uk SPO RTS EDITO R Aarya ma n Baner ji sport@wessexscene.co.uk NEWS EDITOR Hermione Cook news@wessexscene.co.uk NEWS EDITOR Stefania Zeniou news@wessexscene.co.uk SUB- EDI TO R Am y Picknell SUB- EDI TO R Ann a bel Ga dd SUB- EDI TO R Emily Fry SUB- EDI TO R Hazel Jonckers VP D CI Evie Reilly vpcomms@soton.ac.uk

WELCOME EVERYONE! THE ADVENTURES OF UNIVERSITY Welcome all, to Wessex Scene’s first issue of the 2018/19 academic year: Uni Life.

As Charles Dickens didn’t quite say: ‘University. It can be the best of times, it can be the worst of times’. Undoubtedly, if you’re starting one of your life’s greatest adventures and leaving home, sometimes for the first time, it’s tough, and at some point homesickness affects all. Equally, when working late in the library on two essays due at more or less the same time, you may question whether referencing systems were invented more as an instrument for torture than to cite sources.

However, university life is most of all a place of excitement and opportunity. The chance to specialise in what interests you, to branch out and try new things, and to make so many new, amazing friends.

To get the most out of uni, I urge you to embrace the chances that come your way to both spread your wings and test yourself.

This magazine, as always put together by our incredibly talented team of student editors, writers and illustrators, provides a flavour of various aspects of the great university adventure as a University of Southampton student. Highlights include introducing your student union President for the year, Emily Dawes, your handy guide to Unilink bus routes, and finally, our Sports editor, Aaryaman Banerji, advocating for university sports clubs, and explaining your place at the ‘centre of life’s own mini-Olympics’.

Don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for the latest student news. If you’d like to contribute to Wessex Scene, please join our Facebook main group, ‘Wessex Scene Writers and Illustrators Main Group 2018/19’, and the imagery or relevant section groups you’d be interested in, or email editor@wessexscene.co.uk.

Your editor,

IVAN MORRIS POXTON

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within the magazine belong to our diverse range of talented writers, and don’t represent the views of Wessex Scene as a whole.

FRONT COVER IMAGE BY AVILA DIANA CHIDUME UNIVERSITY LIFE

WESSEX SCENE | WELCOME

FEATURES INTERVIEW WITH NEW SUSU 06 PRESIDENT: EMILY DAWES SEXUAL CONSENT AWARENESS 08

OPINION 12 THE TRUTH ABOUT FRESHERS: WE AREN’T ALL PARTY ANIMALS!

LEAVING RELIGION? YOU ARE NOT 10 ALONE

14 YOU GOT THIS: LONG TERM MENTAL HEALTH AND FRESHERS TIPS

POLITICS A GUIDE TO SOUTHAMPTON 16 POLITICS

SCIENCE & TECH

DOES UNIVERSITY RADICALISE 18 STUDENTS?

22 SOUTHAMPTON INVENTIONS AND DISCOVERIES TO IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS

LIFESTYLE A FASHION GUIDE TO CLUBBING IN 24 SOUTHAMPTON

INTERNATIONAL 28 PREPARING FOR YOUR YEAR ABROAD 29

THINGS I WISH I’D KNOWN BEFORE 25 UNI MY FIRST WEEK AS A FRESHER 26

THE INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE: SETTLING INTO THE UK

TRAVEL A FRESHER’S GUIDE TO 30 SOUTHAMPTON A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO 32 SOUTHAMPTON

SPORT 34 THE DARK BEAUTY OF UNIVERSITY SPORT

W ESSEX SCENE. CO . UK @ W ES S E XS CE NE UNIVERSITY LIFE

F B . C OM / W S C E N E @OF F IC IAL W E S S E X S C E N E 3

A YEAR IN REVIEW 2017-18

WORDS BY HERMIONE COOK GRAPHIC BY RACHEL WINTER

10 SEPTEMBER

9 OCTOBER

The Stile closed

They banned laptops from the Bridge

Home of the wondrous Thursday pub quiz, the pub on the edge of Hartley Campus shut after Greene King decided not to renew its lease. The building has remained empty ever since, as a memorial to the start of many drunken nights and encounters with real life locals.

The most upmarket of the Union catering outlets, The Bridge, banned students from using laptops as they were preventing others from using tables at busy times. An uproar ensued and the ban was reduced to lunchtimes, before being further relaxed during the summer exam season.

26 OCTOBER

20 NOVEMBER

A lecturer tried to be flexible. It went badly.

The University advertised for a chauffeur- it wasn’t popular

A sign-up sheet for group projects on a first year Computer Science module went badly wrong when it was defaced with racist language. The University passed the matter onto the police for investigation.

An advert was placed for a driver for university executives. The news, sandwiched between significant proposed University restructuring involving job losses and the subsequent national attention to the Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Christopher Snowden’s salary, attracted significant criticism.

JANUARY-APRIL

February

UCU Strikes

A petition to make Jesters a Unesco World Heritage Site

From the weather to our lecturers, it was even harder than normal to get an education. UCU, the national union of college and university lecturers, decided to strike to protest pay and conditions. The strikes affected a period of four weeks, severely impacting on students’ education and resulting in lost pay for staff. The one highlight was the Dinosaur of Solidarity, a wonderful reptile who joined the picket lines and even met the Vice Chancellor.

Commonly regarded as one of the worst nightclubs in Britain, the Palace of Dreams and spiritual home of the quad vod, Jesters, was faced with possible closure as the property was put up for sale. Its future is still uncertain, but that didn’t stop a petition trying to make it a world heritage site going viral-ish.

No academic year can ever be called dull, but 2017-18 really kept us here at Wessex Scene on our toes.

Here’s a round up of some of the stories that got students talking, from national issues to events right at the heart of campus.

11 OCTOBER

16 OCTOBER

We lost SUSU the Cat

The apocalypse nearly happened

Beloved Susu, the stray cat who made her home on the bottom floor of the Union building, passed away. Porters took pity on her and began feeding her, and soon she had her own bed and basket. Before long, she became honorary Union President. Truly blessed were those who received a purr from her.

A strange dust storm turned the sky yellow, and it was genuinely terrifying. Around the same time* that Jesters’ potential closure was announced - coincidence? I think not**. (*Four months earlier) (** Okay, maybe it was)

22 NOVEMBER

13 DECEMBER

Water is free!

VP Engagement resigned

Never can it be said that students feel overly entitled after a gruelling 10p increase for the price of a cup of hot water at the start of the year, SUSU successfully campaigned for hot water to be provided free of charge at catering outlets across the University. What a wonderful time to be alive.

Following prior allegations of drunken misconduct, Dan Varley resigned from his position as a SUSU sabb for ‘personal reasons’. The role was then filled by two other sabbs for the year.

1 MARCH

2 MARCH

It snowed!

Union Elections

Not to be confounded by weather, but some precipitation happened, campus ground to a halt, and it was glorious. Lovers’ Lane became a snowy paradise and we all pretended we lived in Narnia.

A new set of sabbatical officers were elected, current or former students who lead SUSU, the students’ union. Even though the official Union Elections Night was snowed off, student media societies banded together to host a hugely successful event at Wild Lime.

UNIVERSITY LIFE

INTERVIEW WITH NEW SUSU PRESIDENT:

EMILY DAWES INTERVIEW BY IVAN MORRIS POXTON AND TABASSUM RAHMAN IMAGE BY EMILY KILMARTIN In mid-July, Wessex Scene sat down to chat with Emily Dawes, the new SUSU President.

SUSU exists to represent the voice of students here at Southampton and provides a variety of facilities and support services, ranging from the Student Advice Centre to the Thursday night karaoke at Stags.

Emily will lead in 2018/19 a team of 7 full-time sabbatical officers, elected every Spring from and by students at the university. Working alongside Emily, the other full-time officers are: Evie Reilly (Vice-President Democracy and Creative Industries); Steve Gore (VP Sports Development); Fleur Elizabeth Walsh (VP Engagement); Isabella Camilleri (VP Welfare); Emily Harrison (VP Student Communities); Sam Dedman (VP Education).

While an extended version of this interview will be available on our website on Thursday 27th September, a quickfire version to get to know Emily and her initial experiences as SUSU President is available here.

6

UNIVERSITY LIFE

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

What was your degree?

What’s your favourite memory of being a Fresher?

BSc Physics.

I really liked my Freshers’ Ball. Actually, I really remember having a really good time at Freshers’ Ball. I think just the Where are you from originally? atmosphere and I went out with my housemates so we got to know each other a little bit better, and also, my first big So, my family live out in Northern Virginia, in the States, event so, really good. but I grew up in London.

Brexit or Trump?

What can Freshers look forward to from you and the Union this year?

They can look forward to, and this is a weird thing to promise, Hahaha, oh my goodness! Ok, right… I’m going to say but, a braver Union - more brave and bold. I think that’s what officially neither, but for the sake of this question which I they can look forward to, a Union that is going to speak up promise I’m gonna answer, I’m gonna have to say Brexit. when it needs to, speak for the students if they need us to, and then also just make decisions and if we make decisions, Love Island or Strictly Come Dancing? stick by them. And if people aren’t happy with that, then we find out why and probably the answer will be more student Oh my goodness, again, haven’t ever watched either… consultation, but if we can make a decision, the chances are I’m gonna have to say Strictly because some parts of Love a lot of thought has gone into it and I think we just need to Island just seem a bit whack to me. back ourselves a little more I think.

Varsity or Union Elections?

To the untrained Fresher, what is your role?

Varsity. Union Elections are tough and only rewarding I think historically the role of Union President has been the right at the end, if you win, aha! sort of direct liaison between the Union and the University.

And so they’ve been able to champion the student voice to Freshers’ Week or Graduation Week? the university and union.

Ooh, I’m yet to graduate, so I’m not too sure, but I think it’s I think this year I would like to turn the role a little bit more going to have to be Freshers’ Week. into a focus on student wellbeing as a whole... I think the President should be at the forefront of any changes regarding Favourite colour: student wellbeing, and I think the President’s main goal should always be the welfare of its students.

Pink. Big pink fan, always have been, always will be.

Favourite movie:

What are you most looking forward in the year ahead in the role?

So, I’m very, very excited to start a bit of an investigation into Oh my goodness! Of all time, is probably 500 Days of the sexual consent and assault here, specifically on campus.

Summer, but favourite Disney movie, which I have to It’s something that has never really been done on the topic include, is Tangled. and so I think it’s almost brand new... I’m not excited per se, because I think it’s gonna be a difficult thing to have to If I wasn’t SUSU President, I’d be: deal with, but it’ll be exciting to actually know the statistics and how big the problem actually is. So I’m very excited to In third year. I’d be studying a lot harder for my retakes start that. right now, hahaha.

I’m also really excited to have my team [fellow student Favourite thing about the University? union sabbatical officers] this year. We’ve got 5 really strong women which is cool, but then Steve [Gore, VP Sports Well, my favourite thing for me personally has been, being Development] and Sam [Dedman, VP Education] absolutely part of the Feminist Society. I was President of that for 2 know what they’re doing and we’ve all so far really backed years, so it’s definitely been involvement in other societies, each other and championed each other’s ideas which holds but specifically FemSoc. It’s been just amazing these last us in good standing. few years.

Favourite thing about Southampton?

Lots of vegan food in Southampton! In lots of our restaurants and cafés, there’s usually an option, so pretty dope.

Do you have a favourite vegan place?

Yeah, Café Thrive – it’s in town, it’s a little pricey, it’s as a treat, but it’s so good.

UNIVERSITY LIFE

‘They can look forward to a braver Union - more brave and bold’ 7

WORDS BY THE SCA SOCIETY IMAGE BY AVILA DIANA CHIDUME

8

UNIVERSITY LIFE

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

Sexual Consent is the agreement to participate in a sexual Consent applies to everybody, regardless of gender identity, activity outside of force, emotional manipulation, and using a sexuality, fashion choice, religion, or ethnicity. Consent applies clear and sound mind. to groping, pressuring, sexual activity and lewd comments. Be aware of your choices and actions towards other people.

This article details what sexual consent is, what it isn’t, and where you can find support and guidance about sexual assault. If you’re unsure about your actions, or someone else’s, please The number one thing, which is unfailing and true, is that reach out! sexual assault and rape is never the victim’s fault.

Here are some of the support services and resources available: Consent can only occur when someone is happily willing and able to participate and agree to a sexual activity. Sexual assault YELLOW DOOR HELPLINE: WEDNESDAYS, 4-7PM and rape are not always penetration alone; it can come in forms Yellow Door offer a variety of services, ranging from of groping, being pressured into sexual activities, emotional counselling to legal guidance. Their helpline is from 4-7pm and manipulation and the exploitation of vulnerability. Sex should can be called on 023 8063 6313. Please note, Yellow Door is not be enjoyable and safe, and consent is required for this to be a crisis service. true. Consent should never be assumed, and it can be retracted at any point during sexual activity.

CRISIS SERVICES Should you need a crisis service, Treetops can be contacted Consent is verbal, behavioural, physical and obvious. If you are at 0300 123 6616. Other crisis services include: the Samaritans unsure whether somebody is consenting, stop and ask. If you who can be reached by 116 123 for mental health; StopHate are unsure that you want to participate in a sexual activity, wait UK campaign for LGBTQ+ specific support on 0808 801 0661; until you are 100% certain that you want to. There is absolutely and for male specific support, Survivors UK at 020 3598 3898. no pressure to do anything you don’t want to do.

Please remember that if you are at immediate risk, always call 999.

NIGHTS OUT

When most people think of a typical student night out they’re likely to imagine a somewhat messy evening, with students stumbling home drunk and asking themselves why they have a pub coaster stuck to their cheek. While this may be the experience that excites every Fresher, it doesn’t always go to plan. Being in a new environment and a new culture can be scary, and to be clear, it is never the victim’s fault, but there are some things you may want to be mindful of on nights out:

• • • • • • • •

Never accept a drink from a stranger.

Always look after your drink and watch out for spiking.

Don’t walk home alone and don’t let your friends go off alone or with people they don’t know.

If something feels wrong, trust your gut.

Make sure when using taxis and Ubers, that they are a trusted service or it is actually the Uber you ordered.

Use security and people around you for help.

If you feel unsafe, go to the bar or staff and use the phrase, ‘Ask for Angela’. This will alert bar/staff that you are feeling at risk, so they can help you.

Even if someone doesn’t do these things, under no circumstances does it mean they ‘asked’, ‘deserved’ or ‘put themselves in the position’ to be assaulted. It is never the victim’s fault.

You also need to be aware of your own actions. You may not have ill-intention towards somebody, but you need to be aware of other people’s boundaries and how to respect them. If you meet someone you click with, that’s fine. But if they don’t want to grind or dance with you, that’s their choice and should be fully respected. If they don’t want to go home with you, don’t buy them another drink to ‘convince’ them. No means no.

Moreover, a large majority of sexual assault is committed by someone the victim knows, and having had sex with somebody in the past does not mean consent is automatically assumed again.

People in severely drunken states cannot consent to sexual activity. If they pass out, black out, are stumbling or can’t even speak, they’re not in any position to understand what they are consenting to.

UNIVERSITY LIFE

LETSTALKABOUTIT.ORG

This NHS funded clinic offers free STD tests to anyone in Hampshire. They can be delivered by post, free and discreetly packaged, with results back in 5-10 days.

THE HARASSMENT TOOL

The Harassment Tool is there for students to anonymously report hate crime and other incidents in a safe way, accessed via https://www.susu.org/support/report-harassment.html

ENABLING SERVICES AND ADVICE CENTRE

The Enabling Services drop in from 1-3pm (Mon-Fri) is an initial port of call for students, who can then be signposted to relevant and appropriate services. Meanwhile, SUSU Advice Centre offers free, independent and confidential support to students, and is open 9-5pm, Monday-Friday.

FIRST SUPPORT AND STUDENT LIFE

First Support and Student Life are a dedicated team that is available 24/7 in halls. The First Support number can be found on the back of your ID card.

THE SAFETY BUS

The Safety Bus will take you back to your door from £1.50. If you’re based in Winchester they’ll drive you back to your door for £4.50 after the WSA Shuttle Bus has finished at 23:00.

More information can be found at: www.susu.org/support/ safety-bus.html

YOUR GP

Your GP is there to give you impartial medical advice, and to make you feel safe. You are able to request a GP of a specific gender if that feels better, simply ask when making an appointment.

YOUR PAT /SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM

You can speak to your relevant Senior Leadership Team or the Special Considerations Team to make sure that there are provisions in place to ensure your education is looked after as well. PATs will be trained on these topics.

9

UNIVERSITY LIFE

LEAVING RELIGION? WORDS BY DAVID STANLEY AND TABASSUM RAHMAN IMAGE BY LYDIA CLINE Humanist Students Southampton is a university society for atheists, humanists, and agnostics. They hold events that range from speakers, socials, debates, workshops and, as of this year, support group meetings for apostates or those considering leaving religion. President of the society, Tabassum Rahman, and Vice President David Stanley, explain more:

What are the meetings?

Our Leaving Religion Meetups are a support group for those who have left or are leaving religion, and those who are having doubts. The meetups provide a private and safe space in which people can listen to and talk with others who have gone through the same, or similar things, as themselves.

Why would someone need such a support group?

Leaving a religion can be a difficult process. If you’ve lived your life thus far through the lens of religion, with religious ideas and concepts guiding or dictating your decisions, then no longer believing in those ideas and concepts can leave you disoriented and frightened. How are you now meant to go about living your life, navigating moral decisions you should encounter? Additionally, if your family and friends still hold those beliefs, if your former religion does not take kindly to those who would leave it, then to leave the religion can cause problems on a social level.

Unsurprisingly, some who leave religion are ‘closeted’. They have not told their family or all of their friends, and they may feel obliged to maintain appearances, such as worshipping,

fasting and celebrating, so as to ward off suspicion. In some unfortunate cases, people are ostracised by their families or communities for having left their religion.

What happens at these meetings?

The meetings take the form of a traditional support group, with chairs in a circle, hearing from others about their stories or problems, and having the opportunity to share your own.

The meetings take place in a private location on campus - those wishing to attend must contact the society for the location - and are an hour in length. Afterwards, we head to Scoops to have conversations in a more open and relaxed setting. You don’t have to attend both halves of the meetings, you can choose to only attend one or the other depending on your preference.

The university’s volunteer Humanist Pastoral Carer, Dave Pilgrim, will also be on hand in the first half of the meetings and can be contacted and met with outside of the meetings.

What is the ultimate aim with these meetings?

The society exists to provide a community for non-religious students on campus. Some non-religious students are not in a comfortable place, and these meetings can help them meet like-minded people who may have gone through the same struggles that they are currently going through. They can get access to any help and support that they need, and just generally help them gain more confidence as non-religious persons or humanists. Being non-religious should not be a strenuous aspect of a person’s identity. A majority of people in the UK are non-religious and the same can be said for the vast majority of young people in the country. What we want for all non-religious students, is for their irreligion to not impact their daily lives. These meetings will hopefully make that dream one step closer to reality.

When are the meetings?

We held a pilot meeting at the end of last year - which was very well received - and we’ll be restarting the meetings during Freshers’ this year.

They’ll be held roughly once a month on Saturday lunchtimes, with the first on Saturday 6th October. Please contact us on Facebook or by email (soton@humaniststudents.uk) for more details!

10

UNIVERSITY LIFE

THE TRUTH ABOUT FRESHERS:

WE AREN’T ALL PARTY ANIMALS!

WORDS BY CHARLOTTE COLOMBO IMAGE BY SIMI MATHARU

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

Take it from someone who’s been a Fresher twice: you don’t have to be doing the backstroke in your own vomit to have a ‘good’ experience.

Conventionally, going out every night of the week will be good for social interaction - you will be seen as somebody who’s fun and you won’t be short of people to go with. However, you need to ensure that you’re doing this for yourself rather than using it as a mechanism to make friends. And most importantly you need to remember that it’s far from the only mechanism, and if that’s the case then you aren’t any ‘less’ of a Fresher.

This image of Freshers that we have, after all, is based on a stereotype. Is there some truth to it? Of course. Young people are living alone for the first time and are able to do all the things they want with no restrictions. However, as with most stereotypes, this has blown hugely out of proportion. Some students may go wild following freedom from their parents, and others might just want a beer or two in Spoons. Others might (gasp!) not even drink at all.

For example, when I started sixth-form, I was convinced that my lifestyle would replicate that of Effy from Skins. I would get into all the clubs underage without question, experience recreational drug use and get up to a variety of drunken youngadult shenanigans. Instead, the most rebellious thing I did was go home during my free periods. That was the expectation for a lot of my friends too because we live in the real world. And real life doesn’t always make for good stories, so the small majority is made to appear to be the norm.

You don’t need me to tell you that making friends starts from having some common ground. As with

UNIVERSITY LIFE

anywhere in life, you will come across different ‘circles’ of friends at university that share interests and characteristics. You might find a common ground that involves going out to the different Freshers events every night, with the daytime activities becoming secondary to that.

I, however, found common ground with people like me: they just wanted to take in this new environment and see what it had to offer. They wanted to take it slowly, sign up to too many societies and get a bunch of free pens. It might sound mundane to some but for me, looking back at my scrabbling in a Double Decker van with someone I now call a best friend is something I’ll always treasure. Fundamentally, I enjoyed Freshers because I surrounded myself with people who weren’t huge partiers, meaning that our friendship grew due to experiences that made sense to us. Pretending to enjoy something you don’t will get you nowhere.

However, I want to emphasise that there isn’t one option that is better than the other - so don’t look down on people for going out drinking or consider those who don’t as ‘boring’. Whether you do one, the other, or a mixture of both it’s your decision and frankly, it’s nobody’s place to judge you on it.

At the end of the day, university is a personal journey. It’s all about your intellectual and personal development, nobody else. It’s your life, and if going out drinking isn’t part of your narrative then so what? The most important thing to remember is that you’re not at school anymore, and you shouldn’t feel as if you need to change who you are as a person so you can ‘fit in’. So sit down, have a cup of tea and own it!

13

UNIVERSITY LIFE

YOU GOT THIS Long-Term Mental Health and Freshers Tips The university experience was sold to me through a glossy, and somewhat misleading, prospectus: abundant smiles, sunshine and (probably stock images of ) people having fun. Crazy stories and clichés of how much my older friends loved university affirmed the message: uni was the fresh, exciting start I craved. There were no footnotes in the prospectus about loneliness, stress or frustration, despite increasing rates of students reporting mental health issues during university.

Uni undoubtedly has amazing opportunities: a new course, social life, friends, and travel, amongst other things. However, if like me, you’re not only dragging way too much stuff when you move to Southampton, you’re also bringing a long-term mental health illness, here are a few tips to make the transition easier during Freshers’ Week.

DRINKING: Freshers’ Week has a reputation for being a boozy week, although there are plenty of alcoholfree events to attend! Drinking can be fun but is also the actual devil and can make your symptoms worse.

This is particularly important to consider if you’re taking medication. You don’t have to stay sober, but be mindful. If you’re drinking: make sure you catch up on sleep and drink lots of water. Maybe take some vitamins (if you’re feeling really fancy).

14

GP: Get registered! There are two NHS practices on Highfield Campus. Alternatively, find a local GP close to your accommodation. Like at home, they will be your first point of contact for any issues. You’ll have plenty of time to procrastinate about uni work, don’t procrastinate about this.

MEDICATION: Another reason to register with your GP – prescriptions. Don’t repeat my first-year (and second year) mistakes and forget to get a prescription and end up with no meds. Also, if you’re coming to uni straight from college at eighteen and you previously had free prescriptions, consider applying for The NHS Low Income Scheme. You can apply for an HC2 certificate to cover the prescription costs.

UNIVERSITY LIFE

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

DISABILITY STUDENT ALLOWANCE: Likewise, it’s worth considering DSA to support you at university. It may take the pressure off financially and potentially mean you don’t need to work part-time. Enabling Services, the university support for mental health, has more information on their website.

MOVE MORE AND EAT WELL: The advice I’ve ignored for years: exercise and a healthy diet. Uni is a good time to shift from exercise as something you ‘have to do’ to something you love. There are so many different sports clubs, a gym and a pool. Don’t forget laughing is basically an ab workout. For food - frozen veg is cheap, look for reduced prices and plan your meals.

FRESHERS’ FLU: Stock up on some tissues. Trust me when I say you will need them.

YOUR TUTORS: Another tip I did not take. This amassed to an embarrassing, and snotty, breakdown to my tutor a year in. I recommend finding a tutor you are comfortable with: a trusted lecturer or Personal Academic Tutor can guide you with any academic support, including any Special Considerations if you’re struggling with the assessments.

SUPPORT: Adult mental health services are stretched.

Take advantage of the resources you have as a student.

Enabling Services offer First Contact for a crisis situation, drop-in sessions, a range of therapies and academic support. Check out their website. If you’d prefer support outside of uni, Steps 2 Wellbeing offers different therapies and there are charities offering support, like Solent Mind and No Limits. There are a lot of options and this is not an exhaustive list. Your wellbeing is important, so find the support that suits you.

MANAGING TRIGGERS: As you likely know, it’s not plausible to completely avoid triggers. Re-address any existing triggers and ensure you have helpful coping strategies in place. Adapting is hard, but you can do it if you address triggers in the new context. Relax, self-care, meditation and whatever works for you should come with you to uni.

IT’S OKAY IF IT’S HARD: If you are finding that any aspect of university is triggering (accommodation, flatmates or course) you can change. Even if you’re halfway through the year, you can move accommodation or change course. Uni may not live up to your expectations and that’s okay. Don’t do something that makes you unwell.

PEERS: Often, people only talk about how Freshers is an incredible experience. This isn’t the case for everyone, and rarely the case all the time. Starting uni is challenging and that’s fine. Talking to your peers can have a huge part in your wellbeing.

ONLINE: There are apps and support online that I am so grateful for (mindfulness apps, supportive forums, all dog memes), but don’t get hung up on social media and how other people’s experiences look. Find a balance and know what’s good for you.

CELEBRATE SMALL ACHIEVEMENTS: Celebrate what you did do.

Bad days happen; but celebrate small achievements.

Showering, making a good cup of tea, finishing a series on Netflix (it’s a commitment).

THE GOOD DAYS: For the better days, make a routine. With a routine, your to-do list will be easier. But mostly, enjoy the good days.

BE PROUD AND HAVE FUN: Be proud of yourself and enjoy the process. You’re here, and you’re doing it.

WORDS BY BETH KIMBER-BRADSHAW IMAGES BY SEAN KEAR

UNIVERSITY LIFE

15

UNIVERSITY LIFE

A GUIDE TO SOUTHAMPTON POLITICS The universal adult franchise only sprung into existence in this country in the twentieth century.

This democratic revolution was the product of protest, torture and the deaths of countless activists, who fought tirelessly for a right that is now taken for granted. Electoral turnouts in the UK are shamefully low, which is made clear by a general disinterest in local elections and the infamous indifference of younger generations. I find it frustrating whenever I come across anyone who has failed to register to vote - especially when they happen to be studying a politics degree like me. I hope that this guide persuades you to vote, and that you will finish reading with a better understanding of who represents you in Southampton.

As a student living at home, and away at university during term-time, you can register to vote for local elections at both locations. Nonetheless, it should be noted that you can only vote in one of these places for General Elections. However, you may choose to vote in whichever constituency is more marginal, perhaps granting you the option to provoke a greater impact on the national result. In university cities such as Plymouth, Portsmouth, and Canterbury, the student population was credited as being a major factor in the result of the 2017 General Election. I recommend that if you have not already, please stop reading and register to vote right now. Completing this process online is simple and only takes five minutes: www.gov. uk/register-to-vote.

Elections to Southampton City Council are held three years out of every four, since each ward has three Councillors with four-year terms. The next local elections will be taking place in May 2019. The City is divided into many segments for elections to the Council, with each of the University halls falling under different electoral wards.

16

The Bassett ward, for example, runs along most of the length of Burgess Road, just north of the Common, and contains Glen Eyre Halls. The Swaythling ward, on the other hand, covers the top end of Portswood Road, bordering the motorway junction, containing City Gateway and Wessex Lane Halls. Highfield Campus, Highfield Halls, Avenue Campus and Portswood shops are all within the boundaries of Portswood ward. Liberty Point is in Bevois, a ward which spans from Gordon Avenue to St Mary’s Stadium, containing Bedford Place and Liberty Point Halls. Interestingly, Archers Road is divided into two – with Gateley Hall in Freemantle, whilst Romero Hall is in Bargate. Also covered in Bargate is the City Centre and Mayflower Halls. If you are still unsure where your polling booth is, or which candidates will be standing, these details will be updated on the ‘Who Can I Vote For’ website.

Lisa Mitchell, a Labour Councillor for Portswood, has explained why she believes that engaging in Southampton’s local politics is important, and how students can benefit from doing so: ‘Registering to vote and voting in local elections is your chance to have a say on who represents you in the place you’ll spend most of your time over the coming years. Recently I’ve been working with students on issues such as mental health and how where they live can impact on that.’

Mitchell further asserted the impact of the Labourrun council on Southampton: ‘More generally since Labour took control of Southampton City Council in 2012 we have made sure that Southampton is a great place for students to live. I’m particularly proud of the work we’ve done to bring events such as Common People to the city and our role in bringing new cultural venues to Southampton’.

UNIVERSITY LIFE

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

Southampton is divided into three constituencies for representation in the House of Commons. City Gateway, Wessex Lane and Glen Eyre Halls in Romsey and Southampton North are represented by Conservative MP Caroline Nokes. Highfield, Gateley and Liberty Point halls in Southampton Test are represented by Labour MP Alan Whitehead. Romero and Mayflower Halls are in the Southampton Itchen constituency. Conservative MP Royston Smith has a majority of just thirty-one votes – the closest result in the UK in the 2017 General Election.

WORDS BY PATRICK LOWE IMAGE BY HERMIONE COOK

UNIVERSITY LIFE

The last general election was called early, surprising political commentators; subsequently, this resulted in the government losing its majority and being forced to enter into a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party.

The Conservatives lack an overall majority which has led to a vulnerable government, with dissatisfaction concerning the Prime Minister’s Brexit stance. During these rather turbulent times, it may be that another General Election is just around the corner.

However, as students, you do not need to venture outside the University campus to get involved with

politics. There are a vast number of elected positions, including society committees and roles within the SUSU, that allow you to vote for or stand to represent your halls, or your course. All students can get involved with elections at the University, regardless of your citizenship - which may be an obstacle to voting at UK local and national elections. Whether you are looking to join a ‘strong and stable’ society or one ‘for the many, not the few’, there are plenty of societies where you can discuss, debate, write and learn about the topical issues of the day.

17

TODAY W E W ILL LEARN HOW TO HAVE EXCESSIVE ARGUMENTS IN THE FACEBOOK COMMENTS SECTION

Building a Spectacular STEM CV WORDS BY COURTNEY ROWAN IMAGE BY HERMIONE COOK

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

Does University Radicalise Students?

WORDS BY STEVEN DIBBEN IMAGE BY LYDIA CLINE Those of the so-called ‘Intellectual Dark Web’ like Dr. Jordan Peterson will argue (like the Nazi ‘Cultural Bolshevism’ narrative, rebranded to the more general and generally alt-right ‘Cultural Marxism’ narrative), that ‘dangerous people [the ‘postmodern neo-Marxists’ - principally academics] are teaching your kids’. In Peterson’s words ‘they are indoctrinating young minds with their resentment-ridden ideology [Marxism]’, and it’s ‘their life’s mission to undermine western civilization itself ’. If only this were true.

Apart from the ironic ‘resentment-ridden ideology’ remark that engenders his incorrect likening of Marxism, concerned with class-struggle, to the identity-politics characteristic of (heterogeneous) Postmodernist thought, (ignoring that Communists like Slavoj Žižek and Alain Badiou continuously criticise Postmodernism and liberal bourgeois-reformism for denying the systemic origin of the conflicts they highlight), Peterson assumes that university radicalises students. I will explain why this assumption is false.

It is an untenable generalisation that universities necessarily radicalise students. Nevertheless, freshers may wonder what the political scene at their university is like: is it Conservative? Liberal? A full-blown war between Anarchists and Communists? Or are the student body predominantly apolitical? There are multiple societies and it likely seems daunting. My advice: be open and explore the options and different groups, most have regulars who are especially welcoming.

The reality is that most students are disinterested, only engaging when events affect them. For example, last year at Southampton students from multiple politics societies came together to support their striking lecturers in the USS pension scheme dispute. Many journalists, including myself, published articles in Wessex Scene and national papers, detailing the crisis and its possible solutions. Yet the student body outside the political scene turned their rage elsewhere, seeming to look beyond the austerity and capital accumulation that had led to staff pensions becoming insecure and underfunded, fuelling the need to strike.

UNIVERSITY LIFE

Instead, students focused on the fact they were missing lectures that their tuition fees - code for unnecessary, digital, fictitious debt - were paying for, and therefore demanded reimbursment. Avoiding the reasons for the conflict and developing their political consciousness, the mass of students instead replicated the competitive logic of capitalism that alienated them from their wellintentioned lecturer’s struggle; students even sought to take legal action against the university.

Rather than seeking to overturn the commodification of education that treats them as customers and consumers, as opposed to human beings with the immutable want for self-development, students confined themselves to the capitalist framework, only caring when it affected them. This is why developing your political consciousness is so important. University does not necessitate the radicalisation of students but provides the tools for political development and thus radicalisation.

Hence, universities undergo constant austerity as the hub of this development. Educational institutions must adhere to ‘Prevent’ or ‘the Prevent duty’ as a counter-measure to supposedly ‘extremist’ views and ‘terrorism’. Rather than resolving the conditions that create such views, our ruling institutions actively try to discourage radical thought so as to safeguard their own interests, using the vague, subjective terms ‘extremist’ and ‘radical’. All the while, Prevent looms over academia in a kind of panoptic essay assessment, alongside an increasingly authoritarian and panoptic society under the guise of security (see the 2017 Investigatory Powers Act and UK surveillance capability).

Thus, becoming politically aware will help you navigate these constraints alongside the reasons and remedies for the world’s dilemmas.

In short, don’t be afraid of being divisive, it’s character building. Utilise the services - the library, scholarly databases, and subscriptions - that university provides.

Without political development, you’ll be restricted to asking, ‘why did this happen?!’, when the politically astute already know and you could be joining them in changing it.

19

UNIVERSITY LIFE

SOUTHAMPTON DISCOVERIES AND INVENTIONS TO IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS Going to university is a very exciting time and, once you come home from your night-time escapades and sleepy 9am’s in the next holiday, (or when you next need your washing done), you’ll need some fast facts to impress your friends and family. Southampton has been a hub for innovation and invention for many years, excelling in all areas of science and technology and, as you embark on your own journeys of academia and discovery, let me walk you through a few that have come before you.

WORDS BY GEORGIA HARPER IMAGE BY SIMI MATHARU

22

UNIVERSITY LIFE

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

Engineering

Evolution

You may or may not know that the Spitfire, arguably the most iconic World War Two aircraft, was designed in Southampton by R. J. Mitchell. Its maiden flight was from what is now Southampton Airport on the 5th of March 1936, where there is now a life-size sculpture, and it was introduced to the Royal Air Force in 1938. Unfortunately, Mitchell died in 1937 in a prominent student area, Portswood, and was never able to see his design in use.

He was unusual for an engineer as he trained to become a pilot, gaining his license in 1934, and apparently disliked the name ‘Spitfire’ that was chosen for his invention. If you’d like to know more about Southampton’s military history, visit the Solent Sky Museum in Ocean Village.

There’s also a blue plaque on the house where he used to live in Portswood - that’ll make a nice walk, won’t it?

The Archaeology department recently discovered the oldest known cave paintings in three caves in Spain. They were created 64,000 years ago, 20,000 years prior to modern humans’ arrival in Europe, by Homo neanderthalensis, a ‘sister’ species to Homo sapiens. This adds evidence to our understanding of Neanderthals as a sophisticated species, as, thus far, they have created the oldest cave art in the world!

Medicine This April, a student published a paper in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, after having discovered the earliest known description of a condition known as Exploding Head Syndrome in René Descartes. No, your head doesn’t actually explode; instead it is characterised by a bright flash and loud bang which disturbs your sleep. Although EHS did not enter medical classification until 2005, the student noted that Descartes’ influential night of dreams on the 10th November 1619 were similar to how the condition presents and therefore diagnosed the first recorded case of it in the father of modern philosophy.

We are pioneers in the fight against cancer. Earlier this year, Southampton opened the world’s first dedicated Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy, where researchers study using the body’s existing immune system to target and fight from inside. Cancer Immunotherapy was voted the number one scientific breakthrough in January 2014 by Science, and we are leaders in the field. Some of our biggest projects include DNA cancer vaccines, which are thought to be made available in the next 15 years, a treatment for asbestos-induced mesothelioma, and antibody treatments to fight child and adult leukaemia.

UNIVERSITY LIFE

Disclaimer: I am slightly biased because I’m a masters student that studies (and loves) Neanderthals.

Physics and Climate Science As an evolutionary biologist, physics is something that excites and scares me, and I’m used to working with distant time - up to the origin of single-celled life, approximately 3.8 billion years ago. However, this next fact is slightly out of my date range. A team of international researchers headed by Dr Mat Smith in Physics recently detected the most distant supernova ever studied, DES16C2nm, which rolls right off the tongue. The universe is thought to have been in existence for 13.8 billion years, and this star explosion was dated to have occurred 10.5 billion years ago! And I thought I was old.

Much closer to our time-frame, in May this year, research

by Professors Tim Leighton, Paul White and Meric Srokosz, and PhD student David Coles, demonstrated that bubbles produced by storms and in choppy seas can capture and add to the dissolution of atmospheric CO2 into the oceans. This suggests that there is a larger imbalance of influx and efflux than previously suggested and what we currently know, which has implications for our understanding of CO2 levels in the ocean, hinting towards higher rates of ocean acidification. Plus the name ‘bubble-induced asymmetry’ to describe this effect sounds pretty cool if you ask me.

So there you have it, some great facts to treat your family to at the dinner table when Aunt Sue is round, or your friends at the local Wetherspoons.

23

A Fashion Guide to Clubbing in Southampton

WORDS BY SOPHIE OLVER IMAGE BY AVILA DIANA CHIDUME You finally arrive at university; you’re in a new city with new people, and you want to impress. But then comes the tricky bit: the dreaded first night out and the panic as you start to question what you’re expected to wear. Just imagine the scene: you’re ready in your heels and dress, only to find out you’re headed to an overcrowded cave of booze and bodily fluid.

Southampton is the proud home to a vast selection of clubs, so here’s how to dress for every one of them.

JESTERS Simultaneously the Palace of Dreams and Europe’s worst nightclub, Jesters is the home to countless messy nights. First thing’s first: wearing something comfortable is a solid choice. It’s best to wear an outfit you don’t mind having covered in cocktails, sweat, sick, or whatever substance has inevitably flooded the floors. My second piece of advice would be to invest in a pair of ‘Jesters’ shoes’ which you buy solely with the intention of getting a little dirtied up – you certainly won’t regret it.

After a couple of jesticles, no one will care what you’re wearing anyway.

SOBAR As informal as Jesters, yet slightly more respectable, Sobar is one you’re bound to run into during your time at Southampton. Sobar needs a chilled attire – jeans, skirts or shorts and trainers. The main room gets VERY hot, so short sleeves are advised.

A note on heels: ditch them - you’ll be grateful you decided against them after enduring the deadly flight of stairs to the outside area.

CAFÉ PARFAIT The first club you’ll come across as you venture into the city centre, Café Parfait attire lies somewhere between Sobar and Oceana – not too casual, but not overly smart. With student night on a Thursday, smart trainers are acceptable.

BEDFORD PLACE Home to clubs that include the likes of Buddha Lounge, Orange Rooms, and Popworld, Bedford Place is a bustling area where smart casual wear is acceptable on all regular nights. There is no need to go all out. Likely outfit choices feature a t-shirt for boys, and a nice top with jeans or a skirt for girls.

Saturday night witnesses a different story. Then, the clubs are swarmed with high-heeled wannabe models. Here, you shouldn’t take the motto ‘dress to impress’ lightly.

SWITCH The host of unmissable events every Saturday, as well as Southampton’s beloved Retrojam, ‘wavy garms’ are a must for a Switch night out. If it’s Switch’s Friday ‘Juiced’ event that you’re going for however, the dress code becomes far more relaxed. ‘Juiced’ is a typical student night; boys realise their shirts are no longer necessary, and while heels are welcomed, these are in the minority. Even those who have blagged their way into VIP are often wearing denim skirts and Adidas jackets.

OCEANA The largest club in Southampton - and a popular night out for society socials on Wednesdays, and post-ball celebrations - Oceana is known for hosting events featuring renowned DJs. If a trip to Oceana is on the cards, then this is your time to shine. On a Friday and Saturday night don’t wear trainers: girls, glam up and put on your best heels; guys, shirts and smart shoes! Any other week night, smart trainers are acceptable (Vans and Converse are allowed), and you can tone down the glam.

Warning: if you turn up in sportswear, including Nike and Adidas, you’ll be turned away at the door.

THE EDGE Southampton’s award-winning LGBT+ nightclub hosts a rather chilled affair. Smart, casual attire is your best bet for the weekend. However, on weeknights, the dress code is pretty laid-back.

Happy clubbing xoxo

UNIVERSITY LIFE

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

THINGS I WISH I’D KNOWN BEFORE UNI WORDS BY DAMIAN MEADEN

It’s move-in weekend. The car is packed, the paperwork is ready and Mum’s on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

That first journey to University is the beginning of far more than another note under the section of your CV that reads ‘Education’. It’s about growing, and discovering who you are as a person.

Three months down the line you’ll be wondering where it all went - 98% responded ‘Jesters’ - whilst you desperately try to keep up the standard of living you’ve become accustomed to, and dread the ‘surprise bill’. Will it be water? Will it be the housing deposit for 2nd year? Spin the wheel!

In that context, it all sounds pretty scary (and it can be but that’s okay). Yet, as somebody who’s been around the block where Southampton is concerned, there are a few life lessons I wish I’d learnt pre-Freshers which I gift to you now, and that will hopefully make your life that little bit easier!

I’m a firm advocate of ‘treat yo’self ’, but sometimes it’s better to keep that wallet feeling heavy and reign in it on the whole spending thing.

#1: “Not everything has to be ‘your thing’” At University, particularly during Freshers’ fortnight, you’re going to be confronted with 101 different opportunities that all promise a chance to re-invent yourself - but that’s not to say you have to.

It’s quite easy to contract the dreaded FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) when the entire flat are all heading to sign up for gym passes that you’re not fussed on, or obsessing over the incredible-looking night out that you’re just not feeling because you’d rather have a quiet one. It can be all too easy to neglect the things you actually want to do, in order to do what everybody else is doing. Don’t. The main thing is to ‘have a good time’ - and if that means breaking from the crowd every now and again, then roll with it.

NB: Obviously, Wessex Scene is exempt from this advice and you should all write for it. Often, and plentifully.

#2: “Money really doesn’t grow on trees” We’re all thinking it - though none of us are telling our parents. That student loan is just screaming for a trip to Westquay, and could probably buy you an entire new wardrobe for every season from now until final essay deadlines. Even the most pointless, frivolous spending solutions seem like a superb investment. Don’t do it.

UNIVERSITY LIFE

#3: “Sadly, first year does count...”

Okay, I’ll start this one with an acknowledgement it doesn’t actually count. Not towards the £27,000 piece of paper we’re all chasing at the end of those three years - but the routines you form in first year can make or break how you approach the rest of your degree.

Sure, we’re all entitled to skip the occasional 9am after staying up for one more (fine, eight more) episodes of that Netflix Original, or singing our tragic hearts out to ‘Mr. Brightside’ at Stag’s Karaoke, but try and keep up with the reading, deadlines and general quality of life needed to function where you can. It proves a lot harder to get the routine back than it is to keep it running from my experience.

#4: “Second year houses are aplenty” Disclaimer: I signed a contract for my second-year house with my existing Halls flatmates just after Christmas in first year - which by the standards of what I’m about to preach is a bad idea - but arguably it was the best decision of my life.

The point is don’t feel pressured. You’ll be led to believe all the best houses are going, going, gone - but they aren’t.

Take your time, make sure the group dynamic is still ‘on point’ and don’t settle for a house that’ll cause you more grief than happiness.

25

UNIVERSITY LIFE

MY FIRST WEEK AT UNIVERSITY It’s the 22nd of September 2016 and moving day has finally arrived. As the journey to my new home – the Mayflower Halls of Residence – began, I was suddenly hit by a tidal of wave of emotions. My parents were asking me if I was ok, to which I mumbled back an unconvincing yes. I knew that, deep down, even though I wasn’t sure that I was ok, this was it. I knew that this week was my first big obstacle to overcome.

Yet, as scared as I was, there was something strangely exciting about the trial-run of adulting I was about to be thrust into.

My first week at the University of Southampton is one that I look back on fondly. I won’t even begin to pretend that I didn’t arrive absolutely terrified. A selfdeclared introvert, I was still reeling from my awkward adolescent years. Each time I thought of the three years ahead of me I was struck by a pang of anxiety that had settled firmly in my stomach, which got fiercer each day as moving day approached. In all honesty, the painful truth was that I had no clue what kind of person I was. I certainly didn’t feel secure in myself – let alone amongst a group of total strangers. I was going

26

into university feeling totally exposed, and completely vulnerable. Deep down, though, I knew I really needed to try during the first proper week, and I just hoped that there was some part of me that was brave enough to push my nerves aside momentarily so I could step up to the challenge.

I always thought that my memories of Fresher’s Week would almost exclusively consist of blurry flashbacks of dancing away in a crowded club. Of course, there is absolutely no better group-bonding activity than hitting a club, showing off your worst moves, and “rapping” along a verse to Dizzee Rascal’s Bonkers. However, the memories that I treasure most from that first week are the more mundane ones: that first cup of tea as we all sat around the kitchen table, exchanging introductions; our flat trip to Westquay and IKEA for small homely touches; the highly anticipated first weekly food shop at ASDA. When it came to the nights out, none of us actually made it to every single night out in that first week.

Maybe we just weren’t the hard-core bunch of partying

UNIVERSITY LIFE

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

millennials that everyone assumes Freshers to be, but having battled through the Welcome Party at The Cube on the Saturday and the following two evenings of events, we needed a break by the time it got to Tuesday.

It didn’t help that the dreaded Fresher’s Flu had started to creep in either. So, on the Tuesday evening we opted for a movie night instead, with a cup of tea in hand and surrounded by an abundance of pillows and four packets of biscuits. It certainly did us the world of good to take it easy for a bit - at least for the livers of some of my flatmates. We all chatted away, not paying much attention to whatever film we eventually decided on, getting to know one another that little bit more.

Obviously, it’s during the first week that all the ‘mega fun’ events like the welcome talks take place, but despite being a rather dull way to spend thirty minutes, these talks made me begin to feel more settled at Southampton. Being on campus and wandering around the library in a rather feeble attempt to get my bearings felt surreal, but in a good way. For full disclosure, it actually took another two weeks before I started to remember roughly where the English books were located for one of my modules. From one student to another, I’d recommend braving Hartley as soon as you can – it makes life a hell of a lot easier in the long run.

Then there was Bunfight – I still find myself shocked at the sheer amount of student societies we have here at Southampton. As my flatmates and I wandered around trying to take in all the groups and activities, the sense of community at Southampton and the overall student atmosphere appealed to me more than ever. Suddenly, while being inundated by the faces of smiley students handing me various flyers and leaflets, I felt at home.

There was so much on offer, and so many exciting

UNIVERSITY LIFE

opportunities ahead. Over the last two years, I’m proud to say that I’ve embraced a lot of the opportunities that attracted me that first week into term – aside from the tennis trials that is, the leaflet for which went in the top drawer of my bedside cabinet, never to be looked at again…

I think my main concern had always been that as soon as my parents dropped me off, I would retreat to my room where I’d probably end up hiding for the rest of the week. I thought the first week would be a lonely one, but day by day, I came more and more out of my shell. Gradually, I began to adjust to the idea of living with this new bunch of people in a city that was big and scary compared to the place I’d called home all my life. The first week was overwhelming, but it was the beginning of something much bigger and something incredibly exciting.

WORDS BY EMILY FRY IMAGE BY EMILY BEASLEY

27

UNIVERSITY LIFE

PREPARING FOR YOUR YEAR ABROAD “So you’re going on a year abroad? Wow, I bet you can’t 2) Talk about it with whoever will listen wait!”

When you sign up for a languages degree, you know right from the start that you’ll be spending your third year abroad.

For some, it’s the unrivalled highlight and whole point of the course. For others, it’s a necessary but terrifying step.

You tell people that you’re excited, that you can’t wait to go, how much it’ll improve your language skills and how you can’t wait to throw yourself into a new life. After a while, you might even start to believe it yourself, even if secretly you’re wondering how you’re meant to be able to figure this all out in your second or third language when you struggle enough as it is in English.

Even though the year abroad seems to always come up in conversation, it’s okay to talk honestly about your fears with your friends, family, and lecturers. You don’t need to pretend that you’re excited if you’re worried: talk those fears out with people who will be able to help you overcome them. Talk with returning fourth years as much as possible about their experiences, read all the blogs you can find and make sure that you’re as informed as you can be.

No matter how much you rationalise it, talk to others who have gone before you, look at how well international students fit into your friendship group, or how much you plan everything to the most minute detail - you can’t help but feel like you’re 3) Figure out your free time activities before you get there walking into a void.

Depending on whether you’re working, studying or teaching, you’ll have varying amounts of free time to spend. Pretty much everything is organised via Facebook these days, so you can look at exactly what kind of clubs, volunteering opportunities and trips you My preparation for my year abroad could be termed more can do before you’ve even booked your plane ticket. as ‘safety planning’ than making a uni application. Here are You’ll arrive armed with contact details and timings of some things that got me through and stopped me losing it things that you can do to make sure that you get out your room and start meeting new people. completely.

The date draws closer, feeling more like a prison sentence than a holiday, and you feel guilty because you’re not looking forward to it. Then, at long last, you start to realise that perhaps you are looking forward to it.

1) Start applying early and keep an eye on deadlines

4) Be kind to yourself

If you know that the process will cause you a lot of stress, try not to procrastinate your way through denial. Get a handle on what the options are, do your research and fill in the forms.

It’s a lot easier for you to prepare yourself emotionally when you know exactly where you’ll be going.

Don’t give yourself any extra stress by cutting deadlines fine.

Spending a whole year speaking another language is a pretty incredible thing, and you need to make sure that you’re choosing the best option for you. Yes, improving your language skills and employability is a part of it, but you also need to be somewhere you’ll be supported and happy. If you know that a certain activity will worsen your stress, see what you might be able to do to sidestep it, like going into halls again instead of looking for a shared house. Above all, remember that the most important thing is looking after you.

WORDS BY HERMIONE COOK IMAGE BY RACHEL WINTER 28

UNIVERSITY LIFE

TH EX E PE IN RI TE E N RN CE A : T

IO N A

L

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

WORDS BY LINNEA LAGERSTEDT IMAGE BY EMILY KILMARTIN Arriving in Southampton and settling into university is a daunting experience for any fresher, but when moving to a university also involves moving countries, the experience can be even scarier.

Despite previously visiting the UK, I spent the entirety of last summer excited but terrified of my upcoming move from Sweden to England for my first year of university. This move has without a doubt been the best choice of my life so far, but it did not come without difficulties, and there are certainly a number of things I wish I’d known before the big move.

First of all, there are the big things I knew were going to come up, like navigating the madness of left-side driving, setting up British phone numbers, bank accounts and basically moving my entire life across the pond. However, these things are surprisingly easy and in my experience, the university and the British in general are more than happy to help. What surprised me the most, is the small things you don’t even consider would be different.

Food-wise, I am still unable to understand why you are limited to toast bread in standard supermarkets, and the lack of soybeans broke my vegetarian heart. Contrastingly, I have also been introduced to Percy Pigs (literally the best thing about the UK, if you haven’t tried them, head to M&S ASAP!) and dirt cheap vodka... so you win some, you lose some.

The main thing you must remember is that many of the traditions and everyday practices of your culture that you take for granted, may not be a thing in England. I was UNIVERSITY LIFE

SETTLING INTO THE UK

SHOCKED to find that advent is rarely celebrated and finding out that you can get french fries with your meatballs in IKEA was blasphemous. Luckily, this is a great way to bond with your new university friends who are usually curious about where you come from but do expect some ignorant questions. If somebody asks me ‘soooooo... are you from Stockholm?’ one more time, I’ll assume every Brit was born and raised in London. Some ideas, like my cheese slicer and Glögg, will be rejected by your peers as weird.

But others, like my introduction of the Swedish chocolate Marabou and the swearword ‘helvete’, will be extremely appreciated. I’ve also been informed that the best way to explore IKEA is with a homesick Swedish person.

Then, if you are a non-native speaker like me, there is the inevitable issue of the English language. I personally speak the language fluently and cannot, therefore, speak for those who struggle worse with English, but I will state that regardless of fluency, you will get criticised for it. My accent is a weird blend that leaves everyone besides Americans thinking I’m from America and the Americans confusedly asking where I’m really from. With this, however, comes American vocabulary; leaving my flatmates sarcastically asking what I’m talking about when I ask them to throw something in the trash can, and pants/trousers debates are inevitable. One thing you may encounter, that I detest, is the idea that because you are not native, your English is less than those born here. I don’t sound like I’m fluent, I am fluent, and my native tongue is irrespective.

Everything considered, Southampton is an amazing place for all students and I hope that like me, you’ll love it here.

Settling in isn’t as difficult as you would expect, and making friends is easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy at our university, but surprises are bound to arrive as you set foot on Limeyland as a first-time permanent resident.

29

UNIVERSITY LIFE

A FRESHER’s GUIDE Undoubtedly, one of the most daunting aspects of moving to university is adjusting to a brand new city. Don’t worry about swapping stories of fantastic social spots with your fellow Freshers - Wessex Scene has compiled a brief roundup of the best spots in Southampton.

WestQuay Shopping Centre The undisputed jewel in the crown of Southampton’s shopping scene, packed with 130 shops comprising some of the nation’s best-loved brands - John Lewis, Apple, New Look, Waterstone’s, SuperDry - as well as several quirky, understated, independent outlets to cater for everyone’s needs. The adjacent Above Bar high street provides the perfect sidekick, with everything from a cheap Primark shopping spree to the latest, obscenely over-priced video game releases from GAME. Rumour has it that, through student loans, the UK government has spent more money in Westquay than on public services in recent years...

Highfield Campus It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that Highfield Campus has most of everything you could wish for as a student. SUSU - the Students’ Union - alone comprises a pub, cafe, American-themed coffee and milkshake bar, cinema, bar and fitness facilities as well as housing SUSUtv, Surge Radio, The Edge and yours truly, the Wessex Scene.

The weekly highlights are undoubtedly Karaoke Night on Thursday’s at The Stags, Highfield Campus’ reasonablypriced pub (will you be the next to murder Mr. Brightside in a checked shirt?), or the weekly Quiz & Curry evening in The Bridge on the top floor of SUSU - hilarious team names are compulsory.

It’s not all about being social though - sometimes there’s work to be done. Hartley Library is one of the bestequipped university libraries on the continent, with over 1 million books, a quarter of which have been digitised and are available for you to access online. If working in nearsilence without the provision of ordering in takeaway isn’t really your thing, you can book out one of hundreds of well-equipped rooms across campus. The projectors also connect to games consoles, but I didn’t tell you that.

It’s not all about shopping til’ you drop, though! Westquay is also home to a wide range of chain restaurants and fast food outlets, not to mention the new-for-2017 Showcase Cinema de Luxe and bowling alley, making it an absolute must if you’re one of those ‘treat yo’self ’ types.

The ensemble is rounded off nicely with Jubilee Sports Centre, a purpose-built, multi-million pound facility designed to cater for everybody, from the absolute novice to the keen athlete, with memberships competitively priced against other providers in the city.

30

UNIVERSITY LIFE

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

TO SOUTHAMPTON Jesters

And slightly further afield...

It’s difficult to explain the relationship between University of Southampton students and their city’s most renowned nightclub, but it’s not called ‘The Palace of Dreams’ for nothing. Enter sober at your own risk. Trying the signature drink, the ‘Jesticle’ is an absolute must. For those keen to ignore the fact that Monday signals the start of another week of lectures, responsibilities and just generally not being able to live in your lazy clothes doing nothing, make the trek to Bevois Valley where a hangover, as well as a sense of never truly being clean and hygienic again, are guaranteed.

And I haven’t even started on Chic’o’land next door yet....

Despite being the largest port on the South Coast, the one thing Southampton does unfortunately lack is a beach. Luckily, with the golden sands of Bournemouth and charming seaside town of Weymouth only a direct train ride away, you almost don’t notice the difference. Or why not head along Swanage’s heritage steam railway and enjoy fish and chips by the seaside?

Southampton Common

Why not take a journey to the New Forest, switch off from social media and feel at one with nature for an afternoon? Or satisfy your inner architect and take a trip to Winchester Cathedral, which hosts one of the UK’s bestloved Christmas Markets every winter.

Whatever the weather, and whatever your interests, Under-appreciated in the winter and packed to the rafters there’s something for everybody in Southampton. during the warmer months, Southampton Common is just north of the city centre next to Avenue Campus and bordered by Portswood, Highfield, Shirley and Bassett.

Spanning some 365 acres, a walk around this idyllic mix of woodland, ponds, open grassy spaces and parkland can be the difference between living your best life and having that long-awaited breakdown over that assignment you’ve WORDS BY DAMIAN MEADEN been putting off.

The undoubted highlight of the Common for most students is ‘Common People’, with the area transformed every May Bank Holiday to accommodate a bumper lineup of acts and a myriad of off-stage entertainment. It also hosts a weekly 5km ‘Parkrun’, for those looking to get into the habit of exercising but need a little bit of structure to push themselves in the right direction.

UNIVERSITY LIFE

IMAGE BY RACHEL WINTER

31

UNIVERSITY LIFE

a practical guide to

SOUTHAMPTON

Moving to a big, unknown city can be daunting – how do I get around? Where is everything? But fear not, the Unilink bus company is right on hand to take you all over Southampton.

All students going into university halls will receive a Unilink bus pass, allowing them free bus travel for the academic year.

Here’s our practical guide to Southampton buses.

U1C

The U1C runs from the Airport, through the University and City Centre, to the National Oceanography Centre Southampton (NOCS), where ocean and earth science lectures are held. From Highfield Campus, important stops on this route include Portswood, home to Sainsbury’s, Trago Lounge, Jesters and Sobar, as well as London Road and Above Bar Street with numerous bars and restaurants.

This route also includes Bedford Place, Café Parfait and Switch, Southampton Central Train Station, and Westquay Shopping Centre.

U1A

The U1A runs the opposite way to the U1C from the NOCS to the Airport. From Highfield Campus, the U1A will take you to Wessex Lane Halls and Airport Parkway Station, from here you can access both the train station and Southampton Airport. Airport Parkway is also the stop for Wide Lane, home of University of Southampton sports. From here, simply walk through the train station and cross the road – Wide Lane will be on your left. The U1W (Monday to Friday only) and the U1E can also be used on this route.

U2B

If you live in Mayflower or Archers Road Halls, the U2B is the bus you need to get to Avenue Campus and Highfield Campus. You can also use it to get to Jesters and Sobar if you get off at Stag Gates and walk down Lodge Road. If you’re feeling lazy, Glen Eyre and Chamberlain students can use this bus to get up the hill to halls from Highfield Campus.

The U2 and U2X also run the same route as the U2B on weekdays.

U2C

The U2C runs the opposite way to the U2B. From Highfield Campus, Mayflower and Archers Road students can use this bus to get back to halls. For those in Glen Eyre and Chamberlain, hop on the U2C at the bus stop right outside halls for the best way to get to Jesters and Sobar, once again, get off at Stag Gates and walk down Lodge Road. You can also use this bus to get to Bedford Place, The Giddy Bridge – JD Wetherspoons, Café Parfait and Switch.

U6H/U6C

The U6H is the bus you’ll need if you have lectures at the General Hospital (or genuinely need medical attention!) The U6H also stops at Boldrewood Innovation Campus, where Engineering students will have lectures. The U6C goes the other way from the General Hospital to the NOCS. From Highfield Campus, the U6C can take you an alternative route to Westquay through Portswood, and past Royal South Hants Hospital and Liberty Point Halls.

U9

If you need to get to the General Hospital from Portswood or Highfield Campus before 8:30am, the U9 runs Monday to Friday in the early morning rush hour. It also runs from the General Hospital to Highfield Campus and Portswood just after 4pm.

U1N

If you’re heading home from Leisure World, most probably after a wild night at Oceana on a Friday or Saturday, hop on this bus at either 1am, 2am or 3am, to get back to Portswood, Highfield Campus, or Wessex Lane Halls.

Hopefully this practical guide explaining the bus routes of Southampton will make getting around this new and exciting city a whole lot easier!

WORDS BY SOPHIE OLVER IMAGE BY RACHEL WINTER

32

UNIVERSITY LIFE

UNIVERSITY LIFE

the

Dark Beauty of

‘Serious sport’ quipped George Orwell with customary nonchalance, just as the Luftwaffe began to ease its aerial assault on Britain, ‘is war minus the shooting’. ‘It is bound up with hatred and jealousy, boastfulness, disregard for all the rules and sadistic pleasure in unnecessary violence.’

out of its ‘Great Disappearing Act’. Equally, devilishly early mornings spent perfecting the stoically noble pursuit of a new fastest 800 metre time, or a round that will involve no bogeying of dog legs, or ensuring that no sliced backhand will ever find the net again.

The indomitable Orwell however, typically qualmless and indiscriminate in his criticism, would not live to witness quite how true his words would eventually ring.

Sport, for all its hardships and Orwellian flaws, remains the only drug whose side effects continue to turn those who take it into unwitting houseflies: perpetually, and unknowingly, pulled towards the light. An entirely new and oddly rewarding form of ecstasy. No comedowns here, just muscle ache and tiredness.

Rarely in life has so much hatred been seen in a single expression as in that of Zinedine Zidane, swinging round to look at Marco Materazzi, moments before planting his head firmly into the Italian’s chest, late on during the 2006 FIFA World Cup final. Scarcely as much jealousy witnessed as during Goran Ivanisevic’s politely distraught applause, watching on as an ecstatic Pete Sampras collected his fifth Wimbledon title - the third final unlucky for the Croatian as he sought desperately to win his first. The boastfulness of whichever continent emerges triumphant after a hardfought Ryder Cup might be enough to even have Donald Trump wincing in embarrassment. Lance Armstrong or Steven Smith may well be able to say a few words of their own on the regulations in their respective disciplines, or lack of regard thereof, while a single behind-the-sofa YouTube search of ‘Joe Frazier vs. Muhammad Ali 1971’ evidences humanity’s sadist streak.

And yet, beyond the perennial heartbreak, amidst the chronically raw agony the sporting world so often serves up, inexplicably, there remains something that keeps drawing us back. Bitterly cold nights spent baying on terraces, fingernails dug firmly into palms, in the faint hope that this time around, victory might finally emerge

34

And it’s perhaps only once the anarchical discord and pandemonium of Freshers’ Week has begun to die, when the naked reality of morning lectures on the far side of campus can no longer be washed down with black coffee or your first anaemic attempt at a cooked breakfast, that the craving begins. When seminars become little more than a breeding ground for daydreams about 25-yard volleys which nestle snugly into top corners, or outrageous paddle sweeps that fly effortlessly over fine leg, and evenings revolve around trawling Google in an effort to find that one Brian O’Driscoll interview you haven’t watched yet.

Whimsically, and inevitably, the addiction has kicked in.

Suddenly, the crumpled A5 leaflet you had accepted while hungover from Pchoukball out of politeness at Bunfight gets moved to the centre of the drawing board, and trips to Stags become less about beer and more about how many games of pool you can fit in before the evening crowds start arriving.

Then in one sweeping, astonishing moment, you realise that you are, in fact, at the centre of life’s own mini-

UNIVERSITY LIFE

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

University Sport Olympics. Except with more sports, played all year round, on your doorstep. University, it transpires, has its own sporting buffet, all-inclusive, ‘All you can eat’.

It is not unusual therefore, in the first month of each academic year, for plates to become stacked high with as much as is palatable. The eyes having swollen firmly to twice the size of the belly, pizza sat happily next to chao mian just as readily as a boxing taster session can so easily be followed by a first attempt at quidditch.

Only after the fervent excitement of your ‘nine-course, seven-differentcuisines, week-long’ bonanza has concluded, does the digestion process of deciding which of the plethora of options readily available you fancy the most, begin in earnest.

While some sports may become cast by the personal wayside (my own foray into the world of fencing lasted less than a fortnight and 3 sessions before realising that sword fighting will perhaps never be for me), discovering new sports at university, or simply continuing a love for tried-and-tested ones, remains among the very highlights of the entire higher educational experience. University life without sport risks becoming a kiss without tongues: passable without being memorable, fine yet hardly overwhelming.

Sport, as Orwell so bullishly insisted nearly 75 years ago, is so often run by life’s most delightful pessimisms. Yet, behind the hatred and the rage and the jealousy, there remains a twisted, unparalleled beauty to the sporting world that continues to draw people back time and again.

In the university experience’s illustrious, outlandish museum, the rich tapestry of sport remains one of the most compelling exhibits. One can’t help but think that if Orwell were to witness the dynamism of sporting life on the south coast in the 21st century, that he might be quietly fascinated.

And he would probably ask you how to sign up for a taster session, or two.

WORDS BY AARYAMAN BANERJI IMAGE BY RACHEL WINTER

UNIVERSITY LIFE

35