"HIYA...you alright?"
“Right, you?”
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.
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!