Is there a place for gaming at university?

Before I started my first year of university, there were many questions that I found myself contemplating; what will it be like? Will I have a good time? What should I bring? Would it be okay to bring a games console and/or a gaming laptop?

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When speaking to my friends about it they all came to the same conclusion really. Why would I want to stay in and game when I’m supposed to be enjoying the best and most social years of my life? I actually listened in my first year to people who said this, people who seemed to believe that gamers are a strange breed of social recluse. Actually, if you have the appropriate insurance, bringing a console to university is a really good idea for a multitude of reasons.

I actually listened in my first year to people who seemed to believe that gamers are a strange breed of social recluse

Personally I do dislike socialising a lot of the time and even though some people do go out non-stop I found it comforting to be able to lock myself in my room and play the games I could at home. Some games are cathartic really. Even though everyone encourages Freshers to take part in as much as they can, the pressure to do so sometimes can be overwhelming and having a good lot of games with you means that even when nothing is going on or you’re too tired to join in the fresher’s week forced-fun you can settle down in the privacy of your room and work out your stresses on something you won’t get a prison sentence for.

But on a less cynical note, bringing a games console or gaming laptop will not only give you a break from your social life but it can also give you an alternative one. For a start there are thriving communities of gamers at university, the largest unofficial society being Bulbasoc founded by Jack Bliss. If you are a fan of Pokemon games make sure to bring your DS for meet-ups and trading opportunities on the Facebook page. People who don’t have a DS but do have a laptop are bound to find people to LAN with.

It is also a good idea to bring a console for more casual social gaming because despite the initial investment this is a cheaper alternative to having a night out and can even be a pre-drinks option a little more interesting than a game of “never have I ever”.

Some people may find having their precious console at university a little stressful as there often isn’t as much security as there is at home, so if you are to bring a console it is a good idea to insure it. Even though some people argue that gaming could hold you back at university, if gaming is how you have fun, then why not include it in your university experience?If you don’t want to share your console with your new friends at university you can use online

 gaming to keep in touch with friends and long distance partners, putting your thumbs to better use than twiddling them on Skype all evening when the conversation runs dry. Free-to-play games like Star Wars: The Old Republic and Secret World are a brilliant option here because playing them also saves money and means you can keep in contact by using Skype or TeamSpeak in the background.

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