Adapting to student life after restrictions
Second-year Media and Communications' student Corinne writes of life post-COVID at Surrey.
Being a second-year student who started uni during lockdowns and tough restrictions, it has been a breath of fresh air being able to live the proper uni experience in first term.
Moving off campus
Moving out of student accommodation and into a student house with four of my flatmates has been a great experience to bond even more and have that extra freedom and responsibility of managing a house.
There were a few minor issues with the house when we first moved in, but they were sorted so efficiently and easily with the landlord, who we have been very lucky to have. Our favourite thing to do in the evenings was to play Monopoly Deal, which is a card version take on of the classic board game. We all love this game as anything can change at any minute and we all get very competitive!
In-person teaching
"It's nice to finally be able to meet my course mates in- person and participate in face-to-face discussions"
Adapting from online Zoom lectures to in-person lessons has been a dramatic change that everyone has had to get used to. It's nice to finally be able to meet my course mates in- person and participate in face-to-face discussions.
In Media and Communications, we have been introduced to new and exciting modules where we can look deeper into audiences and the digital communication in the media. We had a great opportunity to visit the Design Museum London and explore the ‘Waste Age’ exhibition where we had the opportunity to reflect on the role of media and communication in sustainable designing. It was a super-interesting trip to participate in and I would encourage all students, not just media students, to pop by and have a look at the inspiring art and projects on display.
Exploring beyond the campus-bounds
"...my housemates and I took the opportunity to explore Surrey beyond the town centre"
As we were not able to go out much in our first year, my housemates and I took the opportunity to explore Surrey beyond the town centre. Getting the train is so easy and you can get to anywhere in Surrey, like Woking, Farnborough, Godalming, with a quick direct train ride.
One of our favourite cocktail bars is Slug and Lettuce which provide a wide range of yummy drinks and food to try. It was a nice experience for us to get dressed up and go somewhere new for an evening out when Guildford is typically very busy.
Exploring Surrey further, my housemates and I wanted to find something fun to do before Christmas and we ended up going to Team Sport Go Karting in Farnborough which was extremely easy to get to via the train. It was such a fun experience for all of us to try and something that we haven’t done before! It was on the pricier side but they offered us a deal for half price on our next go! It is definitely an opportunity you don’t want to miss if you want something new and exciting to do with your flatmates!