Label volunteer Meg Jocson Ong brings you another piece, this time on ways to stay entertained in our little area of Loughborough.
2 Words: Loughborough Bubble. My first few weeks in the bubble had me stuck in a rut – lectures, dining hall food, Netflix, sleep. After tiring myself out of that boring routine, I decided to step out of my shell and explore more of what Loughborough had to offer. I eventually ended up with a list I wanted to complete before finishing my first year:
Carry on a lost hobby
Before college, I had a handful of hobbies Iwould do from time to timeincluding: photography and watching old films. After completingmy A-Levels, I spent the whole summer preparing for my big move to university leaving no time for my lost hobbies. Thankfully, the Media stall (shameless plug) at the societies bazaar reminded me of mylove forphotography. Not only was I able to continue taking photos, but I was also able to try the other sectors like TV, Radio and Label. Aside from rediscovering my lost hobby of photography, I also foundtime to watch old films with twoof my now best friends by watching a ‘new’film every other night after dinner. Other than carrying on one of my favourite past times, I also gained tworeally good friends – leading to the second point on my list…
Make lifelong friends
The first thing my mom told me when we started talking about university was that your friends at university will be your friends for life. I can truly say that I have stronger friendshipswith those I’ve met here compared to the friends I made in secondary school.
Get active
I didn’t know Loughborough was known for sport until I actually stepped foot on campus. So, imagine my surprise when I found out that almost everyone I met did a sport. So, I decided to try a new sport to keep active during the week. Aside from joining the gym and trying out their classes (which I highly recommend), I stumbled across a post on the freshers’ page about AU Polo (and no, it’s not water polo). Fast forward to today, not only was I able to keep active, I also made new friends who share similar interests.
Give back
You’re probably bored of hall reps telling you to join Action and RAG projects but honestly, these includea fewof my favourite activities. Not only do I get to have fun with the friends that I dragged along but I also feel a sense of personal fulfillment bydoing something good for the community. One of my favourite memories during an Action trip was at a primary school. Just the giddy look on the children’s faces duringthe final project made my heart feel full.
Find new places to eat!
Last but not least, I know Loughborough is small and you may think that there aren’t a lot of choices for places to eat. You are wrong! There are so many restaurants and coffee shops you must try. To name a few: The Basin, Goodliffes, Sonny’s, Bom Bom Patisserie and for Sunday roast The Prairie. Whether you have something to celebrate or just want to treat yourself, there are a good number of places to eat with food from all around the world.
Something to take from this is that you should see Loughborough as more than just a bubble. So, pop that bubble you’ve made in your comfort zone and explore the many activities Loughborough has to offer.
Featured image by: Omeiza Haruna
