UEA Campus Life

Coming from a small college UEA felt like a whole new world

Whilst abroad I was adjusting not only to the differences of being in a different country but also living on a campus that felt so vastly different from my own. I fell in love with both Norwich and UEA immediately and the differences were a large part of the reason why. There was an adjustment period after first arriving but very quickly I was dreading leaving. From my perspective UEA's campus was enormous and they have a significantly larger student body than the college I was coming from, Hobart and William Smith. This would've been really intimidating to me as a first year or sophomore, but as a junior I was ready to welcome this change with open arms. I was ready for new faces, spaces, and places.

The Hive

The Hive is one of my favorite places on campus because it was always buzzing (no pun intended) and alive with people. The Hive is the student union but everyone calls it the hive because there is always so much going on inside. There is a cafe inside, cafe unio (unio because its in the student union), where I often would grab a hot tea or latte before going to class. The building also contains the Bar SU, the LCR, a nap room, a graduate student study lounge, and more. During the weekdays the hive was electric, you could feel the energy upon walking through the doors. I never felt like the student union on my own college campus was particularly electric or buzzing in any way but its also exceptionally smaller than UEA. Each day a handful of different food vendors selling things like Jamaican jerk chicken, Italian pasta, Indian food, and more to students who would enjoy their food with friends at tables inside the hive. There was also a long table where a bakery would set up shop every day to sell fresh baked breads, pastries, and sweets to students. It was always a surprise as to what food vendors would be there on a given weekday, but the bakery was always there. There was not a meal plan or traditional dining hall like I'm used to in the States, but I would trade a meal plan for surprise pasta with my friends in the hive any day.

Nights out at the LCR

The LCR is the club on campus located inside the large student union building. The LCR was open on Tuesday and Saturday nights and you had to buy a 6 pound ticket ahead of time to get in. Tuesday was "Damn Good" night so each Tuesday had a different theme like Shrek, Abba, pajama party, and James Bond and people would try to dress for the each theme. The hosts of Damn Good would also throw t-shirts off the stage and everyone wanted to catch one, so if you were lucky you had to make sure you held on tight or put it right on so that it wouldn't get taken by someone. I only have one because my friend caught one and gave it to me but I cherish it. Inside the LCR on Tuesdays there is the main room which consists of the stage with the DJ and all the decor for the Damn Good themes, the large pit in front of the stage for dancing, the bar to get drinks, and then the coat check and bathrooms. Downstairs the blue bar is open with a DJ playing different music from upstairs, a smaller dance floor, the bar, bathrooms, and the entrance to the fenced smoking area. On Saturdays there is not a theme it is just the A-List club nights and the inside of the LCR is the same except there is an extra room open with another DJ and dancing. During the day this extra room is the main area of the hive where the surprise vendors set up shop. Both nights at the LCR are wildly fun and the tickets are usually sold out by that day because of how popular the club nights are. Its so convenient as well to go to the LCR for a club night and then easily walk back to your flat without having to navigate your way home from the city by bus or cab. And of course an LCR club night wouldn't be complete without post-clubbing munchies! Every club night a mini truck selling chips (fries) with cheese and hotdogs is parked outside the exit for students in need of a snack. Some of my best memories are of dancing with my friends and singing my heart out surrounded by people on the dance floor as the beat thumps and the strobe lights cast colorful shadows as they cut through the fog from the fog machine.

Living in the Ziggs

The Ziggs (officially known as the Norfolk and Suffolk Terrace) are the most sought after accommodations on campus. First of all you can't look up UEA without seeing a picture of the Ziggs almost instantly. As grade 2* listed buildings they are historically significant works created by famous architect Denys Lasdun, meaning that very little can be done to alter the appearance of them in any way. They have become an icon of UEA itself. I find that kernel of information to be super interesting but the main reason the Ziggs are such a popular place to live is not because they are historically significant, it is because they have the reputation of being the most social dorms on campus and an easy place to make friends. They are also the least expensive accommodation on campus and very conveniently located near the hive, library, classes, and the square. The Ziggs consist of blocks A-E and each block has a certain number of floors. Each floor is one flat and only the people who live in a certain flat can get into it with their key. My flat consisted of 12 people. The flat shares a communal kitchen with our own shelf in the fridge and cubbies to store our food. I'm a terrible cook so I didn't use the kitchen often although sometimes I would hang out with my flatmates in there. Every room is a single except for one double but most rooms on campus were singles so thats not super unique to the Ziggs. We shared two bathrooms with showers and one toilet but each was its own private locking room unlike the bathrooms here where students are coming in and out at the same time. Having my own bathroom is not something I've ever had in college so sharing one in the flat felt very normal to me just with that added privacy of the single person room. My room was a perfect size, not huge but much bigger than some of the more expensive, modern buildings where each room had its own ensuite bathroom. I got lucky because my room faced the broads on campus so every morning I would wake up greeted by a beautiful view outside my gigantic window. It contained a large table desk, the bed which was on the smaller side, shelves for storage and trinket displaying, a bulletin board, and strangely a sink. I thought it was so quirky to have a random sink in the room but it was very convenient for brushing my teeth and washing my face if the showers or bathrooms were occupied. Of course the vibe of each flat depends on the people who live in it and I know of plenty flats in other accommodations that were exceptionally social and friends with everyone in the flat. My flat was made up of some of the most genuinely sweet people I have ever met and I even made friends with another American studying abroad who had been there since the fall through them. Not everyone in the flat was friends with each other, some flats are some flats are not, but I enjoyed hanging out with them, chatting with them, and going to the LCR and clubs in the city with them. I won't miss dorm life after graduating but I'm grateful I had the experience of living in the Ziggs even if it was just a few months.

Concrete jungle and home of the wonderful

Featured in the picture above is known at UEA as "the square", a place centrally located where people can sit on the steps for lunch or have a chat with friends or drink a cup of coffee before heading to class. The square is in the middle of it all, the Hive, the Bar SU, the cafeteria, multiple cafes, the campus grocery store, the launderette, the library, the book store, and many buildings where classes take place. The campus is a concrete jungle full of an energetic student body and so many places to explore. It may not have been professionally landscaped like my own college but to me that didn't matter because I found so much love and joy on UEA's campus. I forged life-long friendships with the most outstanding people from all around the globe that I never would have met if it weren't for UEA and I learned so many new things in and out of the classroom that continue to influence my life today. UEA is without a doubt home of the wonderful! #HomeOfTheWonderful