Five reasons to haul your gaming setup to university

Whenever someone comes into my room I get asked one of two questions: One. Why is there a pole in your room?  Answer, I used to live with some girls from Warwick pole society. And two, how the hell did you get that massive TV to uni? Answer, I begged my nice friends with cars… A LOT.

Enjoyment and Escapism

My gaming setup includes a 42inch TV, a PS4 and a PS3 plus all my games, so yeah it is a fair bit to lug to and from every house I move into.  I make the effort for a number of reasons, primarily (surprisingly) because I love gaming.  I like being able to go into my room and escape the boredom or stress of life by blowing the crap out of stuff or watching an interesting story unfold before me.

A few people have asked me if it’s worth the effort of bringing a huge TV and two delicate consoles and to them I say unequivocally, yes

Bonding With Friends

My setup is great for social situations as my room is always available for film and gaming nights, people can connect their laptops to watch Game of Thrones (totally legally obviously) and my TV works as a half decent speaker with Spotify at the ready for pre-drinking action.  And although size doesn’t really matter guys, a 42inch HDTV beats a 15inch, 4 year old vaio in any Netflix and chill scenario.

I know, totally crazy!, Flickr, Valentin Ottone

Course Convenience

The collection of videogames and consoles also massively helps me with my course. I’m a film and TV student so I watch anything my course requires in great quality whilst taking notes and looking things up on my laptop without having to constantly switch tabs between a film and a document, something that proved very helpful to me during my exams this year.

I’ve always been interested in the similarities between films and video games and this year has really helped to deepen my understanding of that link

Mental Well-Being

On the topic of exams, what truly makes the effort of bringing all this stuff to uni worth it is the impact it can have on my mental health. If I’ve had a terrible day I can watch a film without worrying about having forgotten my laptop on campus, I can play a game to escape my life for a little bit and when I can’t sleep I can leave a YouTube mix of traffic sounds on. Look, growing up above a pub next to train tracks creates the demand for some particularly specific sleeping conditions. The point is, my setup is something that is able to accommodate me and has helped me stay happy and healthy for my time at university.

Revision Inspiration

One of the biggest and most surprising impacts bringing everything to uni has had for me is genuinely helping me revise.  As I mentioned earlier I study film and TV so when I learn about structuralism or postmodernism in class and watch something on Netflix, when I get home I find myself applying the theories I learned to a wide variety of media, including the much over-looked videogame.  I’ve always been interested in the similarities between films and video games and this year has really helped to deepen my understanding of that link.

FLickr, UBC Learning Commons

A few people have asked me if it’s worth the effort of bringing a huge TV and two delicate consoles and to them I say unequivocally, yes.  It helps me socialise, it helps me study, it helps me relax and it helps my mental health.  Apart from the journeys where I nearly have a heart attack anytime we drive over a bump or when moving my TV and feeling my hand slip. Though it may seem daunting for a new student (or even current students) to haul their consoles, TVs, computers and videogames all the way to university; the benefits well outweigh the difficulties. And, yet again, you can be sure that I’ll be bringing my setup back to university come this October.