Bursting the Bubble

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]e call this campus of ours many names, and not all of them are curse words. Amongst the labels of ‘home’ and ‘the university’, we call it, perhaps most importantly, ‘the bubble’. The safety-net that keeps up captive, if not captivated, in first year, whilst we find our feet and learn to boil pasta properly.

However, the name is more symbolic than explaining the oddly serene difference between campus and the outside world – it is because, like any bubble, at some point it has to be burst. Travel-hungry freshers will find campus quickly stops scratching their itchy feet and, like a low-budget Indiana Jones will be off to find the treasures of cities various: the crystal shot glasses of Kasbah, the green guardian, Eliminator, of Kelsey’s, the student discount stores and more.

To these intrepid explorers, I have but two bits of advice. The first is to work out what you want to know – Indiana Jones never went chasing twisted metaphors. The second is to ask people who are likely to know the answer: the heartache you can save is incredible. You may think that you’ll be able to work it out for yourself, and you probably can, but take it from me that there are a lot of easy mistakes to be made.

You’ll find out more from each other than you will from a map and your gut feeling

These mistakes include: catching the 11, rather than the U1, despite the fact that they go to completely different places; being confident that you’ll spot when you’re about to get to the Coventry train station, then missing the thing completely; deciding you’re going to head to Westwood (the top right corner of the campus map) and ‘following your gut’ all the way to Heronbank (the top left corner of the campus map).

All of these things are easily achievable and, as someone who’s done all three, I’d like to think, understandable. Both bus names end in 1 – that means they must be going to the same place. I said hi to the bus driver as I got on, he must know where I want to get off and will shout when we get to the train station. There’s a sign to car park with a high number, that sounds like a thing that Westwood would have.

More importantly, however, all of these things are avoidable. The bus drivers in particular are a precious goldmine of friendly hints and tips about the nearby city: ask them if they’re going to be stopping anywhere near Kelsey’s, ask them which bus you need to get to go to Primark, ask them to holler when you’re near the station – they’re more than happy to help. Other students on campus, too, are usually happy to help: we’ve been there ourselves – maybe not to Heronbank and back, but we’ve been lost on campus. You’ll find more out from each other than you will from a map and your gut feeling, I can promise you that.

photo: Nicholas Smale/flickr