My favourite places to go in Southampton

Hi there! I’m Jen and I am a second-year BSc Biology student at Southampton and I thought I could share some of my favourite places to be in Southampton for any prospective students.

The stream on Highfield campus. I could talk forever and ever about how much I love Highfield, but I especially love the stream. Many a time when stressed, I have just gone and sat down on a bench, listening to the water and wind in the trees, and it’s often made me feel so much better. Also, the ducks are so cute.

The museum. I don’t see many people talking about the museum in Southampton, but I really enjoy being there! The different exhibitions are always fun and I love walking around and looking at the different collections. The retro arcade machines they have there with the different fortune-telling cards are so fun, especially when you’re there with someone else.

The centenary building on Highfield campus. This is a bit of a wild card, as this is specifically for studying. Hartley Library is great for studying in, especially when you need specific facilities, but I just love building 100 more. My favourite thing is to go up to floor 8 or 9 and study so that when you look out the window you have such an amazing view over Southampton. I just find it so inspiring.

Riverside park and the Itchen river. I find running water so calming and peaceful, so it’s no wonder this is on my list. This is great especially if your halls is Wessex Lane (like mine was) but you can still get there by going on the bus and walking quite easily. Getting a hot chocolate in the winter or an ice cream in the spring/summer is great, and you can just walk around by the river to get out into the fresh air. It’s also great to be able to see some dogs

Ocean Village/sitting by the estuary. I did this a few times this summer and it’s a nice place to go if you want somewhere less busy. You can find a few different places to sit where you won’t be disturbed and chat with friends, do some journalling or sketching, or even study if you want to.

Finally, I have to mention the common. Southampton Common is a massive green space with lots of different places to go, with the pond, the swimming pool, and the parkland. My friends and I went out late at night this year when you could see the aurora in the UK, and we went to the common and sat on the grass to look at it and get some good photos!

Let me know some of your favourite places to go in Southampton too!

Jen (UoS student rep)