I never thought I would move to London. In my head it was too big, too busy and too crowded. Coming from a small Welsh village, I love community, peace and quiet and nature, none of which I thought I would be able to find in a big city. I was so wrong.Ā That I have discovered is the ultimate beauty of London – it literally has a placeĀ for everyone. Yes, it’s big, busy and crowded – as are all capital cities around the globe, but it’s also full of glorious hideouts, parks, gardens, arts spaces, commons, quirky cafe’s with board games andĀ positive vibes,Ā smaller more manageable boutique shopping centres, and as long as you’re proactive about getting out there, community is everywhere…yes, before you ask, I even know my neighbours š Having lived here now for over three years I can very honestly say that London is a once in a lifetime, not-to-be-missed, definitely to be experienced opportunity, and for those of you who willĀ be studying here in September, here’s some inspiration for you:
Getting back to nature
Nature, believe it or not, is everywhere in London, and one of the joys of this cityĀ is that there are just so many different spaces for you to engage with. Anyone in any city will feel the need toĀ get away from it all sometimes, and the great thing about London is that that spot is never too far away. Whether you would prefer toĀ head to your local common for a spot of jogging,Ā game of tennis or a picnic, visit Kew Gardens,Ā or head to one of the Royal Parks, here are a few of my favourites for you:
London’s Very Awesome Music Scene
Having originally trained as a violinist, being able to get involved in the arts is very importantĀ for me. It’s a great stress reliever and an inspiring way to spend your time, and if you look in the right places and are clever with your student discount, you canĀ enjoy a whole range of fantastic experiences. Take my most recent trip to the BBC Proms for example. Not only did I get to watch the BBC Philharmonic give one of their most brilliant performances, I also got to do it for only Ā£11! I also love Ukulele HootenannyĀ (Queen of Hoxton in Shoreditch – free minus the refundable deposit for your ukulele), Ronnie Scotts for jazz, the Wigmore Hall for chamber music (look out forĀ Ā£5 student tickets) & of course, the Royal Opera House, who have a whole range of student initiatives. There’s also a whole host of choirs (including the USWU Choral Society), bands, orchestras, ensembles etc that you can get involved in should you want, and if you’re into something else entirely – rock, folk, heavy metal, funk, pop etc – a simple Google search will bring up a number of things you could try.
Inspired by food
It doesn’t seem to matter which part of London you visit, you’ll find cuisines from all over the world. For those of you who are travelling from afar, it’s nice to know that you’re bound to be able to get food that you’re accustomed to; for those of you like me who were brought up in slightly less cosmopolitan environment, one of the best things about this is that you get to try everything and again, it doesn’t have to be super expensive. The below suggestions are tried, tested and seriously delicious – and I highly recommendĀ checking them out online!
Building your London community
One of the things that I was most surprised at in coming to London was the feeling of community that I experience both in work at Westminster, and at home. Starting with the Business School, I can very honestly and happily say it’s one of the best places I have ever worked. I love the diversity, I love walking out onto the Learning Platform every day and seeing people from all walks of life from all over the world. I love my colleagues who welcomed me from the word go and are not only incredibly supportive, but also full of fun. And I love the physical environment – the campus in it’s awesome location and the buzz that you get when term starts. As new students I recommend taking part in as many Fresher’s events and Orientation activities as you can – it’s a great way to meet people from your cohort but also across the university. There’s also over 100 Societies and Sports clubs you can join, and aside from the stress relief these activities offer it’s again a great way to start building your social network here. Socially, I’ve joined variousĀ groups from a local choir to a quiz team and again it’s surprising how little time it takes to make yourself feel at home. My best advice here would be to go for it – get involved and do it sooner rather than later.
Loving London, Loving Life
I think one of the biggest obstacles with regards to enjoying London is that idea of well I live here now, I can do that tomorrow…In my first couple of years I frequently put things off but I’ve learnt now to live a bit more in the moment & make the most of my time here. London’s a great city – in my own experience it’s open, friendly, diverse, tolerant, there’s always something to do and everybody seems to be able to just be themselves; but in order to get the most out of it, you do have to put something in. You have to be open to trying new things, to experiencing new experiences, to meeting new people. So, with that in mind I’m going to leave you with a few of my favourite moments, encourage you to get out and explore our fabulous city and hope that your London experiences are as wonderful as mine have been:
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