#HeloAber Aberystwyth is a very unique place- the town will offer you many experiences you wouldn’t necessarily get in your regular city university. Many of you might not have visited Aberystwyth or just spent a few days here only. So, we have put together a list of some of the things we wish someone had told us before moving to aber.
Aberystwyth is a very unique place- the town will offer you many experiences you wouldn’t necessarily get in your regular city university. Many of you might not have visited Aberystwyth or just spent a few days here only.
So, we have put together a list of some of the things we wish someone had told us before moving to aber.
- Aberystwyth is both very small and very big- Aberystwyth at first can fool you by thinking there are hundreds of thousands of people in the town you might never meet or come across and everyday you’ll be passing strangers. When in actual fact you will run into so many people every single day that you might know through a mutual friends or you’ll see the same familiar faces pop up around you. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself and put yourself out there- the majority of people here are very friendly, and you’re likely to bump into them again so don’t be afraid to say hi.
- The seagulls here are ferocious- make sure you cling onto your chips on sea front and take extra care when walking between the SU and arts centre with food in hand! on so many occasions we have seen unknowing students be robbed of their lunch, so don’t be one of them.
- Everyone knows everyone- the second part to the town being so small and that everyone will know you through someone is the fact that everyone will know what you did in Downies that night during freshers.. don’t do things in freshers week that you might be embarrassed by in third year- or embrace all the quirky thing you did at freshers and be proud of them when they’re brought up years later.
- The starlings are beautiful- when the winter evenings start drawing in sooner one thing you can look forwards to are earlier sunsets and the starlings. They nest underneath the pier and put on spectacular shows every evening whilst the sun sets. It’s definitely an Aber must see, so make sure it’s on your list of things to do whilst you’re here and don’t miss it.
- There’s so much to do! – another deceiving thing about Aberystwyth is the wealth of stuff to do no matter your budget. from having fun at the arcade, bowling on the top of consti or even going on relaxing nature walks there’s plenty to do alone or as a group. It’s worth also exploring outside Aberystwyth to neighbouring towns like Aberaeron, Borth and even Tregaron especially if you’ve moved to Wales and would like to experience more of Welsh culture.
- THE PARKING- One downside to Aberystwyth is the parking, especially if you live in town. You might find yourself not wanting to move your car at all unless it's absolutely necessary for the fear of loosing your parking space- so it’s worth considering whether leaving your car at home and opting for public transport would be a better option. Both the train station and the bus station is central to the town and everything in town is withing walking distance regardless. Another plus side is possibly saving yourself money and even reducing your carbon footprint.
- The beach is so near so make sure you take advantage of it!- if you’re a fan of water sports or enjoy the occasional dip in the sea make sure you bring along your sea gear. Paddleboarding is a very popular pass time in Aberystwyth- if you already have one bring it along with you, you'll definitely get your use out of it here!
- Buy local! - Aberystwyth is very lucky to have so many independent thriving businesses, all of these businesses rely on regular, returning customers. Instead of going to the big names you can get back home take the opportunity to try independent businesses, they’re often cheaper and the money you give will go to a local family who will keep the money local instead of going to a multi-million-pound company who might never invest in Aberystwyth other than paying the rent and tax on their lot. This small act plays a huge part in social sustainability and will help maintain Aberystwyth as the unique town it is.
Make sure you join our freshers facebook group here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/heloaber2022
and follow all our social media channels @umabersu
Check out our freshers events here: https://www.abersu.co.uk/ents/