Why I love being on campus: from a first year

Firstly, apologies for the untimely blog, the end of term exams hit me like a bus, but I am finally back with another piece for you all! Living on campus this year was one of the few reasons I survived the seemingly unending lockdowns and still enjoyed my first year of university, even while online. Before I even applied to university, I knew a campus was what I wanted. The idea of everything in one place made me so excited, and Warwick is exactly that. So here are a few reasons I love living on campus at Warwick, especially for first year.

Community

The sense of community on campus between first years, truly, is unmatched. You feel such a sense of security and belongingness knowing that most of the people you meet are all in the same boat as you. You can share experiences and grow together as you live away from home in this new family. I made so many friends just walking to Tesco, or standing in the queue for Pret, bonding over the common fact we were all new to this and fudging our way through it together. It’s so easy to find communities of people on campus with common interests or ideas to get involved with, whether it is a formal society or a random group of students you met playing basketball at 2am

Convenience

My personal favourite thing about campus has to be the pure convenience. Everything you need is simply a few minutes walk away. Food, shops, friends, your bed, sports centre, outdoor spaces, bus stops, study halls, lecture theatres… I am really going to miss being able to go out to piazza for food then running back to my accommodation for an afternoon nap, there is truly nothing like it. Campus has all the facilities of a small village/town making it such a nice place to live even if its your first time away from home! There are also so many hidden gem places scattered around campus that are so much fun to explore, like the lakes, daisy fields, best sunset spots etc.

Friends

One thing campus has no shortage of is people to make friends with. By the end of year you won’t be able to walk anywhere without bumping into someone you know. Piazza has become one of the best places to catch up with people especially when the sun came out for a few weeks. Despite COVID, there were plenty of first years on campus through the terms, meaning making friends wasn’t too tricky. Whether through societies, events, or random invitations it is so easy to make friends with people your age and even find your course mates. Warwick has such a diverse campus with people from all over making it such an interesting place to meet new people.

Time means nothing

Every visitor my flat has had (since restrictions allowed them) described campus as a little bubble, a world of its own, and it fits Warwick perfectly. Time truly has no effect on the life of campus, especially in first year. Warwick is so active at night, it has made 3 am the new 12pm, and I personally loved every minute. While you’re here take advantage of the weird lapse of time, and the seemingly unending days because its unlike anything else. Campus functions as its own world, with its own rules, and getting to live in the centre of it means you never miss out on the craziness it brings. 

Essentially, the campus experience is unlike anything else, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It definitely saved my first year experience and I will miss living here so much next year. I will hopefully discuss some accommodations in future pieces, but that is all from me for today!

Love always,

Aims x