Opinion | SPOTTED, a ‘rah’ girl in her natural habitat: exploring the Bristol stereotype

I know what I am. I know I am the typical Bristol girl (kinda). Now although you will never catch me searching for my ‘baccy’ or wearing a tweed blazer to the Invades race days, a wild number of other stereotypes remain to be true. I ask you, my fellow Bristolians, to put down your blunts, pause your aggressive Depop scavenges and look within to find that you too may be the typical Bristol student.

Bristol University was never on my radar; in fact, I only applied because my boyfriend at the time did. As luck would have it, I was accepted, and he was not so who's laughing now? Actually, he probably is because he then proceeded to attend Cambridge which brings me promptly to my first stereotype; Bristol students are Oxbridge rejects. This particular stereotype is not applicable in my case, but I do know a fair number of individuals to which this is relevant. This point is perhaps best summarised by a poster handed out during my freshers year which read ‘Forget Oxbridge, you’re at Bristol now’. It wouldn’t take a genius to conclude that the third member of the holy trinity linking Oxbridge rejection and now Bristol students is Private education.  This second stereotype is perhaps the most well-known, and most definitely for good reason. Afterall, it is true that more than 30% of students attending this university are privately educated.

So, are you a privately educated Oxbridge reject? If so, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think you might just be a typical Bristol student.

Maybe the above doesn’t apply to you, so let’s look at lifestyle and see if you can find any similarities there. Are you a Rugby, Lacrosse or Hockey player? If the answer is yes, no need to continue, you are indeed a personification of the Bristol Stereotype.  Do you enjoy DJ’ing for poor unsuspecting Hinge dates in your spare time, impressing them with your ‘Dutty DnB’? Again, if the answer is yes, then you are a true Bristol student.  Are you a horse girl from the south of England who owns a Labrador or a London girl with a crusty white dog? Congratulations you are one of us!  

Finally, let’s talk about style. The classic Bristol style is unmissable, starting with the exceptionally baggy jeans and ending with a vast collection of chunky jewellery.  The only thing a Bristol girl loves more than a slick back is copious amounts of accessories. Typically, these accessories do include a vape or cigarette. As for the men, the style is pretty similar. An honourable mention to tote bags and helix piercings, both of which have made a resurgence amongst the young men of Bristol University. Perhaps the best way to describe the style here is ‘anything goes’, from thrifted Adidas trackies to skirts over jeans. Nothing is too bold for Bristol. Does any of this sound like you? If so, you must accept that you are just like the stereotype.

 Having read the past 500 words are you now more self-aware, do you see the Bristol stereotype staring back at you in the mirror? Of course, you do, you’re a Bristol student, after all. On a more serious note, these examples should all be taken with a pinch of salt, they make vast generalisations and have the potential to exclude a large number of people. Whilst it is important to joke about oneself and see the humour in these stereotypes, this satirical reflection of the University of Bristol should also prompt greater thought on questions of diversity, inclusion and social standards. Although a large number of students will relate to at least one of the points made here, we should still question the origins and nature of these stereotypes. It is important to recognise and question the exclusionary nature of these examples. Naturally, the first step to answering these wider questions is being honest with yourself, so my fellow Bristolians, are you a typical Bristol student?