UCL - What am I meant to do for entertainment

2nd year student here and last year was the first time I ever had trouble making friends and it was not because I was shy. I walk into the lecture and just kiss my teeth at what I'm seeing from these people.

On my course, out of 200 or something students there is only ONE other person my skin colour. Ignoring race cos I don't actually care like that, the people are unbearable. They have the personality of bricks and I've seen more energy from a carehome. I feel sad just looking around.

Majority of the people are international and while I have no problem at all with that ... my issue is that they don't understand English at all (I can't hold a conversation with them) and they literally refuse to integrate. They segregate themselves.

Me and the guys on my course have nothing in common, besides the fact we may have similar jobs in the future. I cannot relate with these private-schooled losers who haven't got a clue how the real world works. All they talk about is work and have no social life at all - it is heartbreaking how someone can be raised like that.

At our freshers party I'm the only person in a room of 200 who knows Usher and while I'm singing alone these lot are looking at me like I'm a madman. How can you not know Usher?

Additionally, my timetable was a joke ... I'd have 3hr breaks between lectures and because I live at home, I had to stay in uni with nothing to do while literally everyone else goes home to their accom which I have no interest in setting foot in.

So, my course aside I tried, with a longtime friend of mine who is also a ucl student, to find a society we could both join. Nope. Not a single society that interests me (suggestions?).

I went to some helpdesk in the building and asked the person wtf I'm meant to do to keep myself occupied and that woman said to me with her chest "You can grab a coffee and have a chat with friends". I kissed my teeth and walked away cos that is nonsense.

I don't care about alcohol and I have no interest in being extorted to join societies that I'm only joining for a semblance of entertainment.

So that leaves me scratching my head on what it is I'm meant to do at this God-forsaken place for entertainment.

I'm tired of walking around this hellhole screw-facing cos everyone and everything pisses me off and before I came here I was a happy guy before you call me a pessimist.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

2nd year student here and last year was the first time I ever had trouble making friends and it was not because I was shy. I walk into the lecture and just kiss my teeth at what I'm seeing from these people.

On my course, out of 200 or something students there is only ONE other person my skin colour. Ignoring race cos I don't actually care like that, the people are unbearable. They have the personality of bricks and I've seen more energy from a carehome. I feel sad just looking around.

Majority of the people are international and while I have no problem at all with that ... my issue is that they don't understand English at all (I can't hold a conversation with them) and they literally refuse to integrate. They segregate themselves.

Me and the guys on my course have nothing in common, besides the fact we may have similar jobs in the future. I cannot relate with these private-schooled losers who haven't got a clue how the real world works. All they talk about is work and have no social life at all - it is heartbreaking how someone can be raised like that.

At our freshers party I'm the only person in a room of 200 who knows Usher and while I'm singing alone these lot are looking at me like I'm a madman. How can you not know Usher?

Additionally, my timetable was a joke ... I'd have 3hr breaks between lectures and because I live at home, I had to stay in uni with nothing to do while literally everyone else goes home to their accom which I have no interest in setting foot in.

So, my course aside I tried, with a longtime friend of mine who is also a ucl student, to find a society we could both join. Nope. Not a single society that interests me (suggestions?).

I went to some helpdesk in the building and asked the person wtf I'm meant to do to keep myself occupied and that woman said to me with her chest "You can grab a coffee and have a chat with friends". I kissed my teeth and walked away cos that is nonsense.

I don't care about alcohol and I have no interest in being extorted to join societies that I'm only joining for a semblance of entertainment.

So that leaves me scratching my head on what it is I'm meant to do at this God-forsaken place for entertainment.

I'm tired of walking around this hellhole screw-facing cos everyone and everything pisses me off and before I came here I was a happy guy before you call me a pessimist.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

To everyone saying I'm the problem ... I've been told this many times by other people no surprises there. I need you guys to understand that I did honestly try but I've been setup to fail. I'm no quitter however so I did try to swallow my pride since the start of 2020 but covid happened and now I'm back to square 1. Anyways you live and you learn and I need help with this year now cos everything is online.

Academically, I'm fine (the course isn't perfect but you get on with it, right?). I didn't have any reading to catch up on cos I attended majority of the lectures (just so my very expensive monthly travelcard didn't go to waste) and did my work on that day. My small group of friends don't do fun stuff besides playing pc games I have no interest in or drink alcohol which I am not doing. None of them live anywhere near me and I don't live anywhere near the uni so going out was a big effort.

In hindsight, I don't care about having uni friends I'm perfectly fine with my outside group rn. I just don't want to look back at my time at uni socially in the future and have nothing to show for it.

2nd year student here and last year was the first time I ever had trouble making friends and it was not because I was shy. I walk into the lecture and just kiss my teeth at what I'm seeing from these people.

On my course, out of 200 or something students there is only ONE other person my skin colour. Ignoring race cos I don't actually care like that, the people are unbearable. They have the personality of bricks and I've seen more energy from a carehome. I feel sad just looking around.

Majority of the people are international and while I have no problem at all with that ... my issue is that they don't understand English at all (I can't hold a conversation with them) and they literally refuse to integrate. They segregate themselves.

Me and the guys on my course have nothing in common, besides the fact we may have similar jobs in the future. I cannot relate with these private-schooled losers who haven't got a clue how the real world works. All they talk about is work and have no social life at all - it is heartbreaking how someone can be raised like that.

At our freshers party I'm the only person in a room of 200 who knows Usher and while I'm singing alone these lot are looking at me like I'm a madman. How can you not know Usher?

Additionally, my timetable was a joke ... I'd have 3hr breaks between lectures and because I live at home, I had to stay in uni with nothing to do while literally everyone else goes home to their accom which I have no interest in setting foot in.

So, my course aside I tried, with a longtime friend of mine who is also a ucl student, to find a society we could both join. Nope. Not a single society that interests me (suggestions?).

I went to some helpdesk in the building and asked the person wtf I'm meant to do to keep myself occupied and that woman said to me with her chest "You can grab a coffee and have a chat with friends". I kissed my teeth and walked away cos that is nonsense.

I don't care about alcohol and I have no interest in being extorted to join societies that I'm only joining for a semblance of entertainment.

So that leaves me scratching my head on what it is I'm meant to do at this God-forsaken place for entertainment.

I'm tired of walking around this hellhole screw-facing cos everyone and everything pisses me off and before I came here I was a happy guy before you call me a pessimist.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

I don't disagree that your attitude isn't great but I understand a lot of the points you are making. There is a lot of segregation at uni and there is a huge emphasis on drinking.

As for there being no society you are interested in... Why not start a society then? You must have some interests and this could be a way of meeting others that share them.

Go to a museum, gallery, theatre, green space, research institution and momuments. Since the university is situated in Bloomsbury, there are so many places for you to travel to. Within that 3 hour break, plan on travelling to the places I just stated. Also, why not engage in a sport? You can cycle, either with your own bike or a Santander cycle. However, from personal experience, please buy a memory foam seat to place over the Santander cycle saddle, as the seats are so uncomfortable, especially for a male. You can go to a co-working space and write up your lecture notes and read ahead. You can go to a library and read. You can gather some free newspaper for origami; from being in Bloomsbury for over a year now, there is always a man giving out newspapers for free in a huge red basket outside Euston Square. There is so much to do. We live in such a vibrant and active world, and since we are in London, there is never a lack of resources; simply a lack of efficient planning and resourcefulness.

I live in London so those tourist attractions are not things that interest me that much. But I did go to that museum near the uni (forget what it's called).

I play lots of different sports with my friends outside uni its the people in the uni that aren't the sporty. There were sports leagues that they host but you have to create your own team to enter but I unfortunately do not have enough friends to fill the spots.

For getting ahead of work that's not an option as none of the lecturers put up the notes beforehand ... we're usually waiting a week for them to put up the notes for the lecture we just had instead.

Main issue is really that since I'm the only one who doesn't live in accommodation, during my three hr breaks everyone else goes home whereas I can only go to the library or something.

2nd year student here and last year was the first time I ever had trouble making friends and it was not because I was shy. I walk into the lecture and just kiss my teeth at what I'm seeing from these people.

On my course, out of 200 or something students there is only ONE other person my skin colour. Ignoring race cos I don't actually care like that, the people are unbearable. They have the personality of bricks and I've seen more energy from a carehome. I feel sad just looking around.

Majority of the people are international and while I have no problem at all with that ... my issue is that they don't understand English at all (I can't hold a conversation with them) and they literally refuse to integrate. They segregate themselves.

Me and the guys on my course have nothing in common, besides the fact we may have similar jobs in the future. I cannot relate with these private-schooled losers who haven't got a clue how the real world works. All they talk about is work and have no social life at all - it is heartbreaking how someone can be raised like that.

At our freshers party I'm the only person in a room of 200 who knows Usher and while I'm singing alone these lot are looking at me like I'm a madman. How can you not know Usher?

Additionally, my timetable was a joke ... I'd have 3hr breaks between lectures and because I live at home, I had to stay in uni with nothing to do while literally everyone else goes home to their accom which I have no interest in setting foot in.

So, my course aside I tried, with a longtime friend of mine who is also a ucl student, to find a society we could both join. Nope. Not a single society that interests me (suggestions?).

I went to some helpdesk in the building and asked the person wtf I'm meant to do to keep myself occupied and that woman said to me with her chest "You can grab a coffee and have a chat with friends". I kissed my teeth and walked away cos that is nonsense.

I don't care about alcohol and I have no interest in being extorted to join societies that I'm only joining for a semblance of entertainment.

So that leaves me scratching my head on what it is I'm meant to do at this God-forsaken place for entertainment.

I'm tired of walking around this hellhole screw-facing cos everyone and everything pisses me off and before I came here I was a happy guy before you call me a pessimist.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

Well then you should at least try and add some dimension to your character. Why not just go and visit these attractions? You will get to learn a lot about the history of these artefacts, and ultimately, it will broaden your interests. Tourist attractions are not exclusively built for tourists or foreigners; they are also there for the people already in the country, so that we can learn more about the history of Britain. With regards to the museums you went to, I assume you perhaps went to the Grant Museum of Zoology, or perhaps the British Museum. The fact that you cannot even remember the name of it, since it is so close to the university, says more about you than perhaps others in your class.

In terms of reading ahead, why not ask and engage with the lecturers, and say that you wish to read ahead, and so you want to receive the subject content. Have you even tried to ask? What was their response? As far as I am aware, there are tons of sports societies at UCL. Simply join one. It is easy. Also, if you believe the issue is accommodation, surely common sense would tell you...to perhaps stay in accommodation this academic year? Since you are second year, accommodation is not guaranteed, and so why not rent privately? There are small studio flats in and around Bloomsbury that are very economical. You need to be more independent and self-determining, and unless you have an overwhelming amount of credible and irrefutable evidence to suggest this, I do not believe the people at the university are non-sporty. Remember, everyone has different interests, hence why societies exist.

This sounds just like my experience at UCL last year (I'm in second year too). Although a lot of it was my fault as I'm a bit reserved, I just found everyone on my course so boring and they were almost all from Europe or China so I felt like I had nothing in common with them and it's difficult to even understand them.
It's changed my mindset from trying to have a good experience to just get on with the work and get a first.
I'm glad I don't have to go in now due to the coronavirus, at least now no one else has a social life and I don't have to spend hours travelling and waiting.

I appreciate you putting up with me but I don't see the point in going to museums and such by myself. The museum was actually the British Museum and I went with some ucl people outside my course. People on my course like to go out to eat at fancy restaurants and stuff but that lifestyle is not financially sustainable for me.

I've asked a few lecturers, people have made Unitu posts, complaints and nothing changes (still waiting on several first year coursework marks), some even refuse to record the lectures they give. But then again, course-wise I currently have some extra-curricular reading to keep myself occupied so it's not really an issue on that front.

Sports societies, I've been looking at them and they have training but it ends at like 9pm or later and its well over 2hrs away from where I live. Coming home safely at that time is a myth, if you know you know. Some have events on Sunday but I have religious commitments on weekends. Then again, hasn't the pandemic suspended all in-person sports activities?

As for accommodation, I am broke and there's no way around it unfortunately as I have other financial commitments.

Idk if the uni is non-sporty, I meant the majority of people on my course - I ask them what their interests are, they tell me about the course. I go to some extra lectures and events for the course where these guys go but ultimately I'm looking for something outside of the course.

Damn, I'm really making this difficult for you guys...

Right. Have you taken out a maintenance loan? The maintenance loan should cover your accommodation and food costs. I disagree with how Student Finance requires your parental income to determine how much you receive, but if your maintenance loan is not enough, your parents are required to make up for the shortfall. I am estranged, but then my maintenance loan covers my accommodation and food costs. I also plan to work part-time at a pharmacy to save up money for investments and travelling, as I plan on taking daytrips/one-night stays to as many countries in Europe as I can. Flights with Ryanair are very economical, and so this is financially feasible for me. I plan on going to every museum and place by myself or with 1 friend. On my own, I get to absorb the attractions and the history of the place fully. I believe the vast majority of museums, galleries and green spaces are free, but even if they are not, they only cost between £5-10, in which is a great investment, as you are paying to create memories. That is one of the reasons money exists in the first place. With regards to lecturers and notes, you should try and raise the issue with the Union, and if possible, speak to your head of department for your degree. With sports, table tennis is a two player game, most board games are 2-4 players, cycling is a single person sport if you choose it to be, running is a single person sport if you choose it to be, badminton is 2-x players. A lot of sports can be played outside.

You mention how people in your course talk about their course in terms of their interests. Urm, they picked that degree because they enjoy the topic at hand lol. I am going to do Philosophy, and so if someone asks me what I like, the first thing I would mention is Philosophy and topics about that. After that, I would then go into my personal interests further.

I take out the maintenance loan but I can't only use the money for uni. My parent (singular) cannot make up the shortfall which is why I take it in the first place. I had a part-time job but they laid me off because of the pandemic and I did another job on the side - both of these I couldn't do if I was at accommodation. One-night stays abroad are not economical for me, never been abroad for this reason. But I have asked some other friends if they'd go to a museum again and they're down so I might try that again.

Regarding the lecturers, we've been told that everything is adequate and we shouldn't be complaining. While I disagree, I just keep my head down and get on with it.

For sports I was aware there's a sports centre nearby but I'm still looking for people to go with outside my existing friendship circle.

I have no issue with talking about the course because I'm passionate about it myself but if I ask you for personal interests and you can't name a single thing that you can't do in the ucl library am I the one to blame? Or maybe they just don't like me and don't want to talk to me ... who knows.

What else do you need money for? What other financial committments do you have? You need to tally all of your expenses and income in a spreadsheet for each month so you how much is coming in and out. This is called financial responsibility. A one-way ticket with Ryanair to a country in Europe is around £7 or so, depending on the country. Let us say the one-way ticket and the return ticket total to £15. If you stay there for one night, the hotel might cost around £25 a night. Of course, it will not be luxurious, but it is only one night. Take all the food you will eat with you, as well as the required products you use. Total cost of the trip, including transport to and from the airport, would total up to around £50. £50 is very good for a trip abroad. In fact, I am going to go abroad once a month, or at least, I plan on doing this, so as long as my committments are not too heavy while at university. Try and look for a job near UCL, so that you can live in accommodation and still work.

Try and meet new people. Not everyone is like the people you described.

Financial commitments to my family that I'd rather not share unfortunately. I don't like the idea of flying abroad while my family at home hasn't had the opportunity yet. I do try and go out with them in this country though.

Right now, idk how I'm going to meet new people as everything is online now.