Fresher's Week

Fresher's Week! In the UK, they have an entire week for Freshmen orientation. Although we aren't freshmen, we are new to this school so we have been attending some of the events. They also have some kind of social event in the bar every night (yes, there is a bar on campus!). The fact that their drinking age is 18 makes campus events very different from back home! Their student union has a lot of freedom to plan night out in Birmingham or nights in at the bar on campus.

In general, it's a lot cheaper to stay on campus because of taxi fare, entrance fees, and everything else. Owning a car is expensive, but so is public transportation or taxis! The school is just far enough out of town to be too far to walk, but just close enough that it is only a 20 minute bus ride in to town.

I said I would feature a different place each day... here are some pictures from the bar! Unfortunately I took them at night so they are not great quality.

 

Students hang out on the couches. Some nights are pretty low key, others have themes and higher attendance. In general, students who live on campus will come down in the evenings to study with other students or just relax for awhile before bed.

 

 

By day, the area is used as an extension of the cafeteria. By night, they turn on music and open up the bar for pints of lager and cider (only served by the pint, not a "glass"... my mistake).

 

They're pool tables are about half the size of ours! I think they are actually called something different, but it's fun to watch. The balls are different too, they're small and sorted only by colors, no numbers or lines.

It's small but it is 200 yards from our dorms and a great, safe (and free if you don't want any drinks) place to hang out with other people around on campus.