Lara Sammé
The period after the Easter holidays is always an odd time of the year, with students completing coursework, others writing exams, and some completely finished with the academic year. Lara Sammé has taken this period to reminisce on the amazing memories she has created in first-year, from the laughs to the scares.
15th February 2023. That was the day I visited Nottingham for my English Course offer-holder day. Unlike the other universities I had visited, UoN evoked a feeling that persuaded me that this university was the right one for me. Yet, I didn’t realise how happy my experience here at UoN would be. As I am drawn to a close on my first-year, a feeling of nostalgia creeps through the hallways.
the experience my flatmates and I went through definitely created a stronger bond
Life in Halls
I’ve spent my first-year in Florence Boot Hall. My friends and I didn’t actually move into Florence Boot until the 23rd of October as we remained temporarily on Jubilee Campus in Southwell Hall. I couldn’t be happier for this temporary delay; the experience my flatmates and I went through definitely created a stronger bond, and if we had moved straight into Florence Boot in September, I don’t know whether we would have experienced all the Southwell memories, or even met each other. From cartwheeling down the hallway after a drunken night out, to rescuing wasps from my friends room (or rescuing my friend from the wasp), Southwell was filled to the brim with grins and giggles.
Fast forward to October and our second move into halls. We explored the elaborate maze of Florence Boot and figured out how close our rooms were to one another. We’d strategically meet in the dining room to enjoy catered dinners or gather in each other’s rooms to binge-watch different series.
My housemates and I all share one collective memory. For Valentine’s Day, I received an Amazon parcel that I wasn’t expecting. A gold-tasselled ball bag and a pair of wireless earbuds! My friends and I were crying with laughter. What made the whole situation even more hilarious was the fact that my friend Hannah emailed every Lara S on campus to decipher whether this Amazon parcel was sent to the wrong Lara. However, we soon discovered that the whole joke was part of a rugby initiation – pretty funny!
Trips out in Nottingham and beyond
UoN offers such a unique experience, with the beauty of a green campus, yet also the city being only a 30-minute tram ride away. My friends and I have enjoyed the natural environment of University Park Campus, by hiring a boat and rowing around the lake. We also venture out to Wollaton Hall to go on group runs (or actually be chased by deer), and enjoy picnics in the Attenborough Reserve near Beeston, which reminds us of the novel Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.
The nostalgic nature of bumping into friends from home in Crisis, having a quick gossip, then dancing the night away
Nottingham is also so close to the Peak District, which my housemates and I have visited twice, to detach from the hustle and bustle of university life. I can gladly say that I have never laughed more than I have in the Peaks; the isolation and separation from technology, as well as being surrounded by close friends, produces a sense of freedom.
Freedom from the bad and the ugly memories, a time to truly appreciate the beauty of nature and the beauty of friendships. Hiking in extreme wind and rain, yet laughing through the pain, especially whilst watching our friend slide down a hill. Irish dancing in the sunshine and playing the theme tune to Pride and Prejudice (2005) at the summit.
More to the point – the real university lifestyle. From pub golf and trying Baby Guinness for the first time, to protecting my friend’s Captain’s hat from prying guys in Ocean. The nostalgic nature of bumping into friends from home in Crisis, having a quick gossip, then dancing the night away. Birthday brunches and dinners are one of my favourite things about university; being able to escape from catered meals, and enter the forbidden world of true Italian cuisine, to sharing cocktails in bars like Coco Tang and Pepper Rocks, and mulled wine at Winter Wonderland.
I couldn’t have asked for a better first year, and look forward to what second year brings
Closing memories
Throughout university, it is inevitable that drama will erupt. House troubles. That was where our drama started (a pre-warning to future uni students – the house market is a dangerous game!). Yet now our 8-person house will be filled with merriment, and we’ve decided that a ‘Friends Themed’ photoshoot in white t-shirts and blue jeans will be our first family portrait in the hallway of our house.
First year has provided a spectacular performance, with memories ranging from the good, the bad and the ugly. Yet I couldn’t have asked for a better first year, and look forward to what second year brings.
Lara Sammé
Featured image courtesy of Levi Guzman via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
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