What I’m missing the most about Warwick
Hi everyone!
I hope you’re all doing well and taking care of yourselves. Term 3 has officially started and it’s a busy time for all of us. As a first year, I don’t have my end of year exams anymore, but I’ve still got some assignments to do alongside the online learning module. However, if not for the current situation, I would have been back at Warwick now, experiencing the craziness of first year exam season. As I’ve been told by second years, Term 3 on campus in first year is a different experience altogether and although I’m glad I don’t have exams during these stressful times, I’m really missing Warwick at the moment. So, I thought I’d write about what I miss about Warwick, for you guys to either reminisce with me or for you to know more about what Warwick is like.
Firstly, I miss the community at Warwick and by this, I mean all the amazing people I’ve met in my first year so far. Besides missing my own friends and my flatmates, I just miss walking around on campus amongst so many other students and meeting new people. What I love about Warwick is the fact that as a campus university, the student community is quite well-knit and that everyone lives around each other. I think there’s a perfect balance between knowing a lot of people on campus and always having the opportunity to meet new people. This is because you have such a big campus that you’re bound to always find new people either through societies or sports clubs or just being open and talking to people. This was basically how I met people during Freshers Week, as I was still 17 and couldn’t go to any of the SU events. But on the other hand, it’s so nice to find your group of people that you can count on and have the best of times with. If you’re coming to Warwick in September and are worried about making friends (as I was last year!), I just want to say this: I know it can be daunting, but I promise that you will fit in and find your people. Basically, in a nutshell, I really miss my friends and just the feeling of being with people on campus.
In terms of places that I’m really missing right now, it’s my room! I lived in Heronbank, which is in Lakeside Village. It’s slightly further away from central campus but I liked the serenity and nature and since it’s an ensuite accommodation, I obviously loved that aspect. It also helps that my best friend lived in Sherbourne, which is only five minutes away so it was perfect for us to hang out and spend nights together. Besides the general vicinity and the accommodation, I miss my own room because it’s just a different feeling living alone on campus and coming home to your room after a busy day. Here’s a picture of the view near Heronbank and a picture of my room at Warwick:
I also miss going to the library and always struggling to find a seat! It’s honestly very hard to find seats, especially as a group but this also depends on when you go and what day it is. I also miss the food from Café Library (some of the best on campus!) and always sneaking down to the coffee bar to stock up on coffee to power through the studying. I really liked going to the library to study because I found it hard to concentrate in my room. But for those days where I was especially lazy, it was nice to have the Lakeside Quiet Room literally five minutes away! This was also where the Residential Life Team held events for Lakeside and Heronbank, including a Winter Warmer and free pancakes for Pancake Day!
I also really miss all the different restaurants on campus, although I have my favourites. I think I just miss being at university, because it’s such a fun experience! While I am glad to be spending time with my family, I am kind of disheartened about my first year being cut short. Given the situation, I am very lucky to be home and safe so some might think I should be okay and not complain. But for a lot of us, these are hard times and it’s important to let ourselves feel our emotions openly and freely and especially ask for help if we need it. Mental health is taking a hit during these times and it’s okay to feel anxious or sad. My advice would be to talk to your friends or family and try to channel any anxious energy into something positive but do seek help if you are struggling with anxiety or any mental health issues. Also, don’t feel pressured to be productive or “make the most” of the extra time you have; it can be damaging to see people coming up with amazing ideas and seeming like they’re achieving a lot while you feel inadequate. These are unprecedented times and it’s okay to take things slow!
While I do wish I was back at campus right now, I will say I’m glad I don’t have exams and that I can spend some more time at home with my family! It’s also great to not have to do everything myself – especially cooking every day! I do miss cooking with my friends and feeling like a pro, but being the lazy person that I am, I definitely don’t mind being taken care of at home!
On that note, take care and stay positive!
