A comprehensive guide to the lesser-known parts of London student life
It’s that time of year again: UCAS offers are in, A Levels are almost over, and students across the country are anxiously waiting to see if they’ve got the grades they need for their firm choice. If you’re hoping to head to uni in London this September, first of all, congratulations on securing an offer!
You’ve undoubtedly heard vague bits of advice about how London student life is completely different to student life in the rest of the country. It’s true – it’s an experience like no other, and it could be the best time of your life if you can learn to adapt to it.
To help with that, here’s everything you need to know about what makes studying in London so unique.
Most of us have a certain image of student life: Getting plastered with your friends and having a crazy, spontaneous night out before trekking back to your halls in the early hours of the morning, then rolling out of bed and dragging yourself to lectures in yesterday’s makeup and whatever old hoodie you could find on the floor.
Although this is definitely the way of life for many London students, it’s nowhere near as common as it seems to be at other unis. Spontaneity is almost impossible – go out without pre-booked tickets and you’ll get charged £20 or more on the door at most clubs.
There’s wild nights out and shameful hangovers, but there’s also weekend brunches, theatre visits and pottery classes. It’s all part of the big city appeal, but it can sometimes feel like you’ve skipped forward to your thirties.
No one will judge you if you prefer to live your life a bit more on the messy side, but you might have to overcome a bit of internal conflict. Don’t let the Instagram Stories of truffle pasta and fancy cocktails shame you out of your Pot Noodles and vodka-squash. It’s all about balance.
If you’re used to being surrounded by nature, you will almost definitely be thrown off by London’s lack of it. Before the Christmas lights go up, London’s autumn and winter scenery is depressingly grey, with constant noise pollution and a distinct lack of fresh air.
Try to avoid running home for your nature fix – making a habit of leaving London can make it difficult to sustain uni friendships – and instead head for one of London’s massive parks.
If you walk to the middle of Regent’s Park or Hampstead Heath, it can be easy to forget that you’re in the city at all. The sound of traffic is far enough away to be ignored, and there’s more wildlife than just pigeons and rats, making for a welcome escape from the hustle-and-bustle of the capital.
Another favoured spot to get a fix of greenery is Primrose Hill. As soon as the sun comes out, London students flock there to take in its iconic skyline while having picnics and day-drinking.
You might have heard of the stereotype of the gilet-wearing LSE finance bro, or the antisocial Imperial nerd, but London’s other universities all have their own stereotypes too.
UCL students are known for being globetrotting LinkedIn addicts who can’t stop bragging about being ranked ninth best in the world.
King’s has a reputation for having one-sided rivalries with pretty much every other uni in London.
UAL students are known for their you-can’t-sit-with-us demeanour, which to be fair, is well earned. They’re definitely cooler than the rest of us.
Of course, these stereotypes are all sweeping generalisations, but there’s no denying that some of them are a little bit true. An Imperial student in a club is a rare find, and UCL students’ Instagram Stories are constantly filled with mysteriously-funded holidays abroad.
If you’re heading to a London uni this September, why not try to break your stereotype? We’d all be grateful for an influx of LSE students who don’t try to explain the stock market at the club, or UAL students who smile when they talk to you.
If you’re not from the capital, your typical night out probably has three stages: A brief pre-drinks, a few hours in the pub or a bar-crawl, and a night-ending boogie at a local club. If stage two is your favourite part of the night, prepare to be disappointed- it barely exists in London.
Since drink prices at London pubs and bars are through the roof – we’re talking £7 pints and £10 shots – spending hours drinking at a pub just isn’t financially viable for most students.
Prices tend to be more reasonable at students’ union bars, but good luck getting your drink in less than half an hour once the clock hits 9pm. Even the otherwise trusty Spoons menu is inflated: Their famous two pitchers deal is as low as £12.50 elsewhere, against a whopping £20 at most London locals.
Losing the pubs and bars stage of the night means that almost all drinking is done at pres. It can be strange at first, but it’s something you get used to. The pres become big events of their own, and it helps that the clubs are probably miles better than whatever small town Popworld or Revs you’re used to.
If you can adapt to the lack of pub culture, one of the biggest perks of moving to the world’s best student city is that, unlike other unis, you won’t be limited to Wednesday sports nights for a decent night out.
Going out on weekdays can be a great way to save some money, especially if you have a couple of days in your timetable when lectures start a bit later.
On Mondays, head to Heaven for £1 entry and £3.50 drinks deals. Tuesdays are for Ministry of Sound’s Milkshake nights, and UCL’s Scala sports night is the place to be on a Wednesday. From Thursday onwards, pretty much every major club in the city will be packed.
Make the most of those student nights in your first year. While plenty of people still go to them in second and third year, many ditch their freshers’ favourites for cooler spots like Corsica Studios, Dalston Superstore and KOKO. They have their perks, but you don’t want to miss out on the cheesy fun of Ministry Tuesdays and sports nights – it’s an essential part of the London student experience.
Nightlife in London isn’t one-size-fits-all. You’ll have a very different experience depending on which area of the city you choose to go out in.
Camden is known as the centre of London’s alternative scene, while Dalston and Stoke Newington take the edgy, hipster cool-kid crown. Soho is the place to be for LGBT+ spots, and Shoreditch is known for its trendy rooftops and wine bars.
Then there’s the beast known as Mayfair clubbing. At celeb-frequented clubs like Cirque le Soir, Maddox and The London Reign, girls can drink for free all night – as long as you can find a promoter, wear a dress and heels, and ignore the gawking, blazer-clad businessmen paying upwards of £50 to get in. It’s not for everyone, but it can be fun to drink for free there before heading into the more laid-back clubs in neighbouring Soho.
For whatever reason, more students at London universities get firsts than anywhere else in the country, by a significant margin.
The national average is around 30 per cent, but at Imperial, UCL and LSE, 54.4 per cent, 49.8 per cent and 44 per cent of students are awarded a first – the first, second and fifth highest percentages in the country.
This might seem like a benefit, but the high rate of top grades isn’t because the marking is more generous – it’s because London students go insane over exam season. Everyone turns into a hermit for two months. Social plans become a distant memory. Marks of 70+ seem to be viewed as the standard, rather than as something exceptional.
It does get a bit less intense as you get further into your degree and everyone starts to get humbled by second – and final year content, but it can be very intimidating in first year.
Just remember that it’s not the national standard, and if you don’t graduate with a first, you’ll still be in the majority. Cs get degrees, and London students get some of the best career opportunities in the country.
Students at any of the University of London’s 17 member institutions can benefit from shared UoL resources on top of the resources provided by their own uni.
If your campus library is full, head over to Senate House. All UoL students can access the massive library there, complete with sofas and a café.
There’s also a centralised UoL careers service, a range of societies open to UoL students from any university, and a very useful housing service for when the time comes to find your second year accommodation (which, by the way, will be much later in the year than your friends at other unis).
Did you think internships were just an American thing? Turns out they’re not. We have them here too, and for many London students, securing one is more important than getting top grades or having a social life.
Internships are basically just a few months of paid work experience. They’re great to have on your CV, but they can be very difficult to get into. Unless you want to be an investment banker or a consultant, don’t panic if you don’t manage to get one.
Internship culture is much more prominent at London universities than others, probably because most major companies’ internships are based in London.
Applications for competitive, well-paid internships in sectors like finance and consulting tend to open first, while internships in fields like marketing, government and creative industries open later on. Bright Network is a great tool for keeping track of openings and deadlines.
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