Label introduce you to life at Loughborough!
Firstly, congratulations on receiving an offer from Loughborough University. One of your biggest decisions to make before arriving in Loughborough will be choosing your hall. Yes, this is the place where you will spend the first year of your University life, and you want to make the right decision. Although we can’t guarantee what kinds of people you’ll have living next door, we can help you picture exactly what each hall is like and the atmosphere created whilst your there…
Atmosphere:
This is something that is barely changed by new students, as those before you have created the basis for what this hall is like. Your committee and fresher helpers will all be there to introduce you to the hall, show you your room and probably give you a hand with bags on move- in day. Chances are, the first few hours will be a bit of a blur- and that is totally normal. My parents had barely left Loughborough when they called me to check I was ok- and, fear not, I was fine. The atmosphere throughout freshers will be more lively than normal, but what Label have shown in the profiles should give a pretty accurate representation of what you can expect from your chosen hall (obviously everyone will have a different experience, but we hope the tone and content of each article gives you an idea!)
Catered or self- catered?
Coming from a catered hall and now living in town, I can see the benefits of both sides. Label’s Features Editor, Alice Priestley gives you a little more insight into this here.
How significant is location?
Have a look at where your lectures are most likely to be situated. If you’re an early riser and the walk doesn’t bother you, your location on campus won’t matter too much- unless of course you want a short walk home from the union after a night out.
The village is where the majority of halls are situated, but don’t discard other halls on the East or West sides because they seem far away. All halls have their perks, whether it’s Towers’ view, DC and Elvyn’s short walk to Engineering and the Library or Harry French’s location near the union and town, wherever you live for your first (or second and third…) year, you’ll find there are benefits. Being organised and finding your way around campus in the first few days (before lectures begin) is important, so that you don’t have to be the one running into your induction all red- faced and panicked. Lecturers expect this to happen, but it doesn’t have to be to you. You’ll feel much more relaxed and at ease if you and your new flat mates have had a wander around in the first couple of days and are confident in knowing what time you need to arrive on your first day.
“What’s a BNOC?!”
Don’t panic, you’ll soon know. When you hear this for the first time, you may be baffled slightly, it’s nothing to dwell on, it simply stands for “Big Name On Campus”, meaning everyone (or nearly everyone) in Loughborough will know who they are or that they have some position of responsibility. Your LSU Exec, for example, are BNOC’s, but various committee positions in union sections or on your course can result in those people gaining the infamous BNOC status, even if they didn’t intend to.
What about IMS?
IMS is Inter- Hall Sport. There are many sports on offer for those of you who want to have a bit of fun with sport, and perhaps not take it on as a full- time hobby. IMS is a great way to start out in sport, get to know more members of your hall, or build on something you did back in school before A- Levels took their toll! Don’t be fooled though, you will need and will most probably automatically gain a competitive edge.
What’s the relevance of “Hall of the Year“?
If you’re of a competitive nature you may be interested in this. Hall involvement amounts to points, these are all calculated throughout the year and the winner is announced in June. If you’re looking for a hall that does well, plump for one of the top few. Or maybe you’re the kind of person to turn up and get really involved, aiming to drag your hall up the rankings and in a specific section- your choice!
…Hall rivalry?
This is something that you’ll soon become familiar with. Really, as an ex- Faraday resident, I probably shouldn’t have written a profile for rivals Royce, so for that I apologise. Hall rivalry is a bit of fun, and brings a competitive spirit to halls like at no other uni. We compete in Action hours, RAG totals, Media points, Welfare points, IMS matches in various sports, FREEC and AAIR points, all adding up to Hall of the Year totals and section totals. To be crowned the winners in any section, or prestigiously as the “Best Hall” in Loughborough, is a great feat for hall residents and especially committees. Your first experience of hall rivalry will become apparent in your first couple of days. With the “Sing- Off” around the corner, be ready to chant things you’d have never said in front of parents, adore your hall with all the passion you have in you and most importantly BE LOUD! 
The Sing- Off is hard to explain to anyone who hasn’t already experienced it, but perhaps imagine the chants at a football game, make that an FA Cup Final and you probably get the gist. Top tip for the Sing- Off: just enjoy it, throw yourself into it and worry about the sore throat in the morning. You will most likely only get to experience it once or twice in your time at Loughborough, and it’s one of the biggest nights of freshers.
Any more tips?
In making your choice it is a good idea to narrow your options down to three halls, not simply choosing one hall with the various room options. That way, you’re more likely to get into one of those halls than being put somewhere totally random! Even if you are given a hall you didn’t expect or want, don’t be disheartened. Hall life is one year, and the people you meet there are likely to be great friends, but there is plenty to get involved with outside of halls too, and you’ll make friends all over campus on all sorts of courses! Before you even consider rejecting a room you didn’t really want, consider what you might be given instead. The main thing is to meet the deadlines set for applying for halls. If there is one thing you should do when choosing, don’t rush, but make sure you know your dates, and who knows, you may end up living in halls for the rest of your uni life!
Katie Wilson- Label Editor
