Bangor University Arts and Humanities building
I’ve just attended day ‘minus one’ on my BA course in Welsh History and Archaeology at Bangor University which really starts on Monday with Freshers’ Week. This was an induction day for the students who live locally so will miss out on the shared community of living in Halls.
To backtrack a moment; I’ve never been to university, so at the age of 61 I’ve become a full-time undergraduate mature student. My friend David Lindsell encouraged me to keep a record of my time at Bangor in the form of a blog and this is episode one of my ‘Diary of a mad student with a bus pass’.
The first hurdle was the walk from the bus stop to the university (I used my wrinklies’ bus pass for the first time!). It’s a climb up about 250 feet mostly on steps. Talk about a cardio-vascular workout. I’ll take it slower next time.
The University is 125 years old this year and the buildings look every year as old. Internally, the walls are covered with hideous green ceramic tiles. Not just any green but a cross between avocado/snot/Victorian public loo/khaki/slurry/cheese mould green. They may be a bigger problem than the assignments I get!
We were welcomed by the Vice Chancellor with a wholly predictable speech but were entertained by three second-year locally-based students who gave a helpful insight into the pros and cons of living out. Basically you had to balance home cooked food, getting your washing done, having all your own clothes and stuff accessible against being woken up at 3am by drunks coming back to halls and putting loud music on. No contest!
I didn’t actually meet anyone on my course but I got enough flavour of what’s to come to be excited and apprehensive. Come Monday I’ll be officially part of the student body of Bangor. Bring it on!
Fantastic Paul – well done. I wish you well. I’ve just got a First in Literature, and have signed up for a Masters. It is utterly addictive. xx