Essentials for Essex

"HIYA...you alright?"

“Right, you?”

Get used to saying or hearing that over and over again. Perhaps it makes no sense but welcome to England!

From mushy peas, to Guy Fawkes, to many modes of transportation, the U.K. can be a confusing place! But this blog will tell you everything you must know to confidently navigate an exchange year at the University of Essex. 

Arriving

If you arrive at London Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick, or London Luton, you will need transport that gets you to Colchester or Colchester Town Station. The best ways to do this is by train (also called tube, rail, or underground), or the national express bus. Book ahead of time and prepare yourself for any transfers that may occur. Rail strikes are common, so have a backup plan for this too.

Transportation in General

I just want to say, make friends with cars if possible. Public transportation is unreliable because there are rail strikes so often and the busses sometimes are too crowded or just don’t show! Even the taxis are easily booked up at peak times. And there are no ubers or lyfts or anything like that. I’ve been in emergency situations where I needed a ride and the only option was asking a friend. If I didn’t have that as an option there was no alternative! Make friends that drive!!

The Campus

At first sight, the University of Essex campus looks like a huge city, even from far away, but after a few days you’ll get to know the place well. If you feel lost or confused and noone is around to help, look up your destination on the FindYourWay website. Along with this, you can be using ‘city mapper’, ‘apple maps’, ‘google maps’. 

Main takeaways:

-Head to Colchester Station or Colchester Train Station via bus or train

-Take bus or Taxi from the train station to the University of Essex

-Panther Cabs number (as of ‘23) is: +44 1206 525525

-DON’T rely on Uber. THERE IS NO UBER IN RURAL ENGLAND

-Look at the campus layout with “Find my Way” 

-Apps to Download: City Mapper, Apple Maps, Google Maps, Bus, 411 Taxi, Panther Cabs, My Essex

-The town is an hour walk from the University

Housing

North Towers - up to 15 roommates good for parties, close to classes and library, shared bathrooms

South Courts - up to about 25 roommates, good kitchen, good for parties, next to gym, different bus, shared bathrooms

Copse - Nice, above mailroom, own bathroom

Quays - across the bridge, next to Dominos, Bambu, a nice kitchen space, pronounced KEYS

Meadows - This is the only community that has a locked gate, this is where I lived and I think it was AWESOME

The Houses - chill, shared bathrooms, inexpensive

Socials

England has a strong drinking culture. For this reason, the University of Essex is home to two bars and a club. The legal drinking age is 18, and drinking even earlier is normalized. This is why you’ll see open alcohol all over the campus and young people drinking on the benches and public areas. 

Its normal to drink with your boss, coworkers, and even professors. Academics and working people drink a lot, and I do my homework in a pub as I would a cafe. There are many events to attend in the day or night. 

There is always a “pres” (preez), pregaming, event before going out. This gives you time to bond with friends or teammates, but you also have to do it because alcohol is too expensive at the bar or club, but so cheap from the grocery store.

If you choose the University subzero club, there will be a long queue (line) that closes at midnight. You also need to get a ticket even if it’s free. So get there around 11.45. Expect to be home by 5am. To avoid a horrible hangover every morning, I tried to drink very little, not mix drinks, or just have non-alcoholic beverages.

If you’d like to try new things, there are so many societies to choose from. I joined: 

Athletics (cross country and track)

Tennis

Jewish

Choir

Debate

Psychology

Southeast Asia

Book

Feminist

Kickboxing

University of Essex is home to over 120 societies, so compared to some people I know - I didn't even have much on my plate!

Accommodation

I lived in the Meadows with two roommates from France, one from China, and another from Georgia, U.S. My CA was English and our neighbors were from Mexico, India, Africa, and different parts of Europe. So its safe to say that the University of Essex is a highly International school, with ⅓ of its students from outside of the U.K. But not too many Americans! So if that’s what you’re interested in, you’re in for an incredible cultural experience. I ALSO highly recommend the Meadows accommodation for a close knit community and beautiful residency. You get your own bathroom, room, and a large shared kitchen space for $600/month. But that's on the pricier side.

Cost of Living

The University does a lot to help with the cost of living. There are many free events for entertainment and food.

Over 12 on campus restaurants have $2 meal deals, where you can get a hearty hot meal from the menu each day. So eating out with friends it not super difficult.

Most students get all of their groceries from the nearby Tesco, which is a glorified British Walmart. Tesco is the best. They also have “meal deals”, a snack, drink, and entree for $3.50.

Make your way into as many WhatsApp group chats as you can to score free furniture and good opportunities.

 shoots!

The lifeblood of London: The Tube

If you want to get around London, the fastest and most organized way is via the 'Tube': aka the London Underground. No matter how far your want to go within the city, there is always an Underground station within reach. From the Circle Line to the Jubilee Line, the tube ensures you can get to any direction within London city as quickly as possible.

Finding an Underground station is fairly easy. Look out for the iconic red and blue circular symbol that marks the entrance to a station. Signs along the streets also point out the nearest station and how far they are walking distance.
                                              

To pay your fare, you can choose one of three options: pay for a ticket at a machine, use an Oyster Card, or use your contactless credit card. During my months in London, I primarily used an Oyster card to get around the train system. For many students, the Oyster card is the best choice for London public transport. Not only can you pay for the Underground, but all of the London buses take Oysters as payment too. In addition, as a student, you can apply for a student Oyster card that can save you on travel fare, which may be beneficial to you if you plan on commuting to school or going to town daily via the Underground. It is also very easy and quick to top up your card if you are running low: just insert it into a marked add-value machine, choose how much you would like to add (minimum 5 GBP), and pay via card or cash.
                           
You might also want to download CityMapper: a free city-navigation map that is far more helpful than Google Maps off the shelf. With CityMapper, you have the entire London Underground system map stored on your phone. Furthermore you can even plan out your trip to work out how long will it take you to get to the destination, which carriage is best to get on to avoid getting into a jam, what lines you need to take (including transfers), and get an estimated time of arrival (based on my experiences, fully accurate). It is very useful due to the fact that it will notify you when you need to get off.  Do be aware though that in most Underground lines, there is no phone service or data available due to the lack of phone reception unlike some cities; therefore if you do need to rely on Citymapper: activate your phone carrier's Underground wi-fi service so you can continue using data-reliant apps while on the train.

Here are some more tips and advice when it comes to using the Tube:

• If a transfer between lines requires you to tap in or out your Oyster card/credit card, ensure you do it before you leave the line. Same goes for entering a paid area of a station: ensure the scanner reads the card. If you don't, you could be charged the full fare of 80 GBP as a penalty! 
• There are no trash cans along the platforms. Following the terrorist attacks on July 7, 2005, the Transport for London removed all trash cans to eliminate any possible threats from hidden devices. So ensure you take your trash, or throw it away before getting on the train. 
• Especially in the hotter periods of the year, it can get very stuffy and hot in the Tube. Ensure to bring plenty of water to hydrate yourself and wear loose clothing. 
• You can bring food or drink onto the train, but be considerate and don't make too much of a mess in the carriage. 
• While the risk of pickpockets is still present, currently the threat is minimal. But be vigilant of any unsavoury or suspicious passengers around you, especially if you are taking a late-night train or going to the outskirts of town. 
• Most lines run until 1 or 2 AM, though there are night lines operational on some, that will keep going until the early morning. 
• As the TfL reminds everyone: "If you see something, say something." Report any suspicious activities or possible dangers to a Transport police officer or Underground staff.