A difficult period of much alcohol consumption, probably contracting some sort of STD and trying your best to come out of 2014 with a slither of dignity.

Tuesday 9 July 2013

University Road trips: Leeds and Newcastle

On the quest for a university; something the most of you will be undergoing at this point. Not usually the most enthralling thing on a whole, but an adventure to somewhere new none-the-less.

As I've grown up in Manchester, around the drunken homeless people screaming about cats and drugs and attending many a classy, and also many a truly scummy, venue for a night out, my question is do I search for a bigger city with a more thriving atmosphere or do I opt for a smaller, more cosy place to spend my 3 years studying?

Leeds Met
The first university I went to look at was Leeds Met. Being completely honest it was more for the idea of a day off college than truly invested time into my future (sorry Mum). The city itself was buzzing with charisma and I liked the fact that although it was a big city, everything felt intimate enough not to be intimidating. Plus it seemed like there was enough bars to crawl out of at any time of the day.

The actual university I was pleasantly surprised with, the building was new and clean; cleanliness being something I clearly took for granted at this point, as some of the other universities I've looked at actually looked better placed on an episode of 'Skint'. The lecturer was well informed and shot out a fiery hour of structured journalism chatter which impressed me greatly.


Sadly, after I'd attended my lecture in the prim, preen and highly equipped classroom, we escaped to a little bar opposite the Uni called Dry Dock, situated inside a ship, how exciting.. I know I was equally impressed with the university as I was with the boat shaped bar - which definitely tickled the students inside of us with the £5.50 burger and a beer deal.

After the burger, and the beer, and the sunshine. We didn't quite make it back to the university.. On the upper hand, we did make it to the closest area with shops. The fact that Leeds is only an hour away from Manchester makes it appealing, and also unappealing at the same time. Appealing due to the fact if I end up in hospital because I've drunkenly slipped on someones takeaway and broken my ankle, my relatives can come shower me in gifts and naked women. Unappealing due to the fact I wanna go far far away so my Mum can't come over and nag at me about washing up and not wearing the same socks 4 days in a row.

I shall be making a more productive (in the eyes of parental control) visit back to the university later in the year, without the distraction of cheap meat and friends who are most definitely bad influences but the little I did see, I liked and I shall be back with much more fruitful information when I return from my second visit.




Newcastle and Northumbria
A charming 3 and a half hour drive in the sunshine, my overly organised Mother and my equally as noisy best friend. I was excited for our little overnight stay in Newcastle and had been for a while, when we arrived at our Quayside Travelodge with mysterious stains on the curtains and beds similar to that of Auschwitz's; I can't say I was overly impressed.....

......then I remembered I'm not a hotel inspector and I wasn't here to decide whether the hotel was up to standards as I'm sure my student accommodation will be plastered in much more disgusting oddities than that of the Travelodge's.



 After anti-bacterialing the room, ourselves and all our belongings, we headed out into Newcastle for a cheeky look around. Settling for a hearty meal at Wagamama's in a square which held qualities similar to that of the a smaller Spinningfields if we're in comparison with Manchester.

My first impressions on Newcastle were positive ones, Quayside and wherever the Wagamama's was situated were funky and urban. But as me and Jay went out for the evening, the people weren't as friendly as I'd expected. We didn't go 'out out' due to the fact that we had to be up at stupid o'clock because my  regimented Mother had a schedule to attend to but we went to a few terribly scummy bars. Although we have a tendency to pick the more ruckus atmospheres so it could've just been a few bad decisions on our behalves.

Trying to get up at half 6 the next morning, after Jay had fallen next to her bed as we arrived back to the hotel after being heckled by 30 year old men on stag do's, was so much harder than expected. I felt like swinging my Mother around by her toenails as she kept insisting it was time to wake up. I fancied just asking her if she knew what desperado's was and if she did, why was she being so fucking inconsiderate...

Luckily, she did actually manage to draw us from the quilts due to the fact we did have open days to attend. As me and Jay nursed each other in the car on the way to Newcastle University, I wasn't overly sure what to expect. The course I was looking at for Newcastle wasn't quite what I'd thought, and although the buildings from the outside held stunning qualities, inside seemed a little shabby and run down. I can't say the course stood out to me, therefore I lost interest soon after that. Plus I had some hash browns at the S.U cafe and they tasted like cardboard, they were offensive. Students deserve good nosh, especially at posh uni's.

I have no words to even describe Northumbria University. The lecturer making the talk on the three Journalism courses offered, clearly had slim to no idea what she was even talking about. And the poor boy starting in September had questions for her she couldn't even begin to bullshit her way through without referring to a tatty piece of paper on her desk.

Prior to this we had to drop Jay off at 'Coach Lane Campus' which is situated just a hefty 10 minute drive from the town centre. Using the wonderfulness that is the iPhone 4 sat nav, we were taken through a council estate to a cut through to this delightful campus. I left Jay here feeling like it was the last time on earth I was ever going to see her little hungover face again; there was overgrown weeds surrounding a derelict playground, surrounded by derelict houses. I felt like I was going to contract some kind of disease asking the fat half naked lady where we were supposed to be going..

I've still not been to a university which has completely captured me just yet, I shall be waitttttting and bringing more updates as I go!





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Aspiring baby journalist, starting with a low key blog, mostly blogging for fun and because my social life depends on funds I do not have.
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