Returning to uni after months of being home was at first a panic inducing thought, but as soon as I stepped onto campus the familiarity of uni and Guildford came rushing back. Surrey in the warmer months is unbelievably beautiful and even the nervousness around Covi-19 doesn’t change that.
The “New Normal” that everyone keeps talking and emailing about has been surprisingly easy to adjust to! While students have been away the university worked at making spaces safe and accessible for our return. Floor markings and signs across campus are a guide to the social distancing measures we need to keep in mind- and a very good reminder to keep your mask on you all the time! The library now requires you to book a space in advance to make sure the building doesn’t get overcrowded. If you have any questions about new distancing measures or even something like checking out a book, the library staff will be more than happy to help you out! With sanitizer stations all over the place and spaced out desks I felt a lot more assured about going into the library or The Nest.
Speaking of The Nest, on my walk around campus I ventured in and was so taken in with how they managed to create a learning space that was relaxing to be in as well as encouraged work! Wearing a mask inside is of course non-negotiable.
Moving around uni and Guildford has been amazing with all the open space and pretty walks the town has to offer, but to get to that stage I had to complete a 2 week home isolation after I landed. I passed most of this time by baking ridiculous amounts of bread and binge-watching Disney films, but after a week it naturally got frustrating. My advice would be to encourage yourself to keep talking to people over the phone! As tempting as it is to keep to yourself some days it can be so uplifting to have a chat with family and have a laugh- especially if you’re living by yourself. Additionally, make sure you do an online order for all your groceries well in advance because there are fewer delivery slots than there used to be and having no groceries for two whole days is far from fun (can you tell I’m speaking from experience?).
As soon a you’re out of your two week isolation take advantage of September weather!! Go for a walk by the river with a friend, have a wander around the town center and take your uni work/reading outdoors (a one person picnic is a lot more fun than it sounds- I promise). Here’s some picture motivation for having a little solo explore!
Overall, being back and seeing familiar face and getting back into a routine has been a necessary change from quarantine in a city with no outdoor space. As more students re slowly trickling in it’s been good to see that everyone is taking safety measures seriously and are doing their best to make this year at uni enjoyable.
Finally, I’ll leave you by saying that while there’s a lot you can find to worry about right now, there’s twice the number of things to look forward to and smile about😊 If something is beyond your control all you can do is your best! Stay safe and head back to our blog next week to hear about how final year can be the best time at uni, but may also have you staring at a mountain of work you’ve procrastinated for weeks 😂
