Moving to a new city, yet alone one of the biggest and most famously isolating places on the planet, is challenging enough, but can be all the more stressful when you’re a fresher who’s just moved away from home for the first time
Luckily, all of your new mates will be in exactly the same boat as you, and will be keen to hang out, bond and, of course, explore this exciting city as much as possible before the deadlines start to loom.
London, which was ranked the number-one city in the world for students in 2018, has no shortage of quirky, unique and exciting things to do in your spare time, so here are five of the best ones for you to try out with your new uni mates…
Plot your escape
Escape games have exploded in popularity across the UK over the last five years, with every town and city having at least one variant of this nail-biting group activity. There are some in London that take it to the next level, and will force you and your new mates to collaborate and work closely together in order to win.
Try the critically acclaimed Secret Studio games, located in a spooky Victorian building in Whitechapel, for a group activity that will bring you together.
Pub crawl with a twist
It’s a well-known fact that London has one of the highest concentrations of bars and pubs per capita than any other city, and constructing a solid pub crawl is as easy as walking down the nearest street.
However, if you want to keep things interesting, there are plenty of themed pub crawls that allow you to delve into the city as well as wet your whistle. Try the Circle Line Pub Crawl, which takes you to a pub at each of the line’s 27 stops (so probably one you’d be looking to attempt over a number of days?!), or opt for the legendary Ye Olde Pub Crawl to drink your way through the ages.
Hit up the bingo hall
Believe it or not, sitting in a bingo hall with your friends, a few beers and some lucky numbers is one of the most memorable ways to bond. Bingo is competitive, simple to play, affordable (especially by London’s typically eye-watering standards) and mellow enough for you to have a conversation with your new roomies.
The Buzz Bingo hall in Enfield, for example, is a solid go-to – it’s big, cheap and has plenty of fun food on the menu like burritos and fully loaded burgers.
Night at the museum
Relive your childhood and invite your housemates to a sleepover they’ll never forget by booking onto the Dino Snores sleepover at the Natural History Museum. You can literally spend the whole night at one of central London’s most beautiful and iconic spaces, complete with a meal, gin tasting, a nature-themed pub quiz and a live animal workshop (whatever that means). If you would prefer to sleep somewhere with a more adequate heating system that your Zone 4 flat-share, this is the place to do it!
Moving to a new city might be intimidating, but a proactive approach with a few quirky events thrown in for good measure should help to ensure you have a solid gang of friends right from the start!
Image credits (from top): Eugenio Marongiu/123RF.com; Thomas Dutour/123rf.com