By Crystal Calo, Second Year, Politics and International Relations
According to The Sun, students spend an average of thirteen days in noisy pubs or clubs in their first year. I don’t demonise this lifestyle. Personally, I went out four days a week in line with this vigorous routine in the first month of university, from Mr Wolf's Tuesday to a Saturday night at Strange Brew. But I do think that fulfilment can be found through other means, and that many students feign ignorance to the fact that university can be more than a squadka and trip to the Triangle. If you don’t feel compelled to stick to regular clubbing, I think you should take initiative with your personal life.
Honestly, coming to Bristol all I could fantasise about was the nightlife. I remember flicking through TikTok the summer beforehand, envisioning the clubs, imagining the conversations in my future and debating with myself about what accommodation I would end up in, what friends I would make and what music I’d listen to.
However, by the end of first year I was in a spot of internal conflict. Although very confident that I reaped the social benefits of going to a ‘party university’, I felt dissatisfied . Life became a repeat of the same accommodations, the same drinks, the same clubs, and the same walk up Park Street in the rain to the U1. I vowed to myself that the next year, my work needed to be developed: not just in a mid 2:1 and social skills, but to make a real impact on the people around me.
When reaching second year, I confirmed to myself again that I had a level of contempt for the club after going Sixty-Six Sober. I then changed my approach and got into writing. I started off with my social media job, which meant a small portion of my week was dedicated to chucking condoms and analysing anonymous texts. I felt creatively unfulfilled because of the restrictions involved. Hence, I still felt like there was a hole in my university experience.
After quitting my job, angry at my boss, I co-wrote a play. It was mostly out of yearning for a strong sense of escape. I liked not having to confront the essays due, or the unmade housing arrangements, or the contents of my bin. It was also out of, as I said earlier, the need to have something on my belt that said ‘Look, wow, I did something with my life at 19 that wasn’t just a shot.’ Not everyone presents such a quality. Many of my peers love going out three times a week, and there’s a glint in their eye when they discuss their imminent plans. This is not the demographic I target through this article, and they are allowed to carry on with their lives because they’re enjoying their time.
However, my point is that University is not a permanent haven. I know that by the summer of next year I will not have to take the monthly Flixbus from Victoria to Bristol Coach Station, and I will probably be commuting to wherever in the north west the grad job takes me. In the three months about which I have written, I have made many social media posts, written four articles and co-written and directed a 40 minute play.
This was not my transition to being a bitter prude. I’m more than happy to enjoy a messy night out with my friends where we Uber ourselves to different corners of Easton. I am still a worshiper of my pints. I still wander my way into the 'sesh house' where most of my friend group resides from time to time. However, the difference is that I gain satisfaction from the way I organise my own life outside of the arena of binge drinking. I have been able to build up personal achievements about which I can sit and talk in depth. People know that my wit extends further than a smoking area. We all know the strength of our own minds, but many are yet to accept that university is one of the only opportunities where you can channel that.
I am not going to sit here and flaunt the very fat ego I’ve recently forged. However, what I will happily do is remind readers that there is a great element of free will to which many people our age have a blind spot. Yes, conversations and time with friends are fun, but unlike six months ago I do not sit up at night, book on my chest, wondering when I’ll do something with my brain. You can start in an hour, you can start tomorrow, but I hope more of you can feel that you are doing something with your life that isn’t just scraping pres upon pres.
Featured image: Epigram / Crystal Calo
Do you feel that your university experience is fulfilling?
