Things to do in Huddersfield during your first term
My name is Mollie and I’m an undergraduate geography student in my final year. Although I’m in my final year, I vividly remember starting University and how daunting my first week was. Despite this, I was ready to explore the campus and Huddersfield properly. As I commute in, I had an advantage here as I got to walk through the town every day from the train station. I quickly became acquainted with the quickest scenic routes through the town, food spots and shops.
In your first week, you will have the opportunity to experience Freshers' Week which includes a range of events and activities. Freshers' Week is specifically aimed at new students so they can experience some of the University’s social life early on. The event provides lots of opportunities for students to meet and engage with new people.
There is also a Welcome Fair on campus where you can learn about all the different societies and get some freebies at the campus plaza! Previous years have offered free pizza, sweets, bags etc - so it's not to be missed.
Whilst all courses are different, my course had an intensive introduction week which involved two trips designed to increase interactions between the students on the course, as well as the course tutors. You won't be short of things to do in your starting week!
Once you've soaked up all the experiences from the first week or two, the next step is to start exploring Huddersfield itself. There are plenty of shops, cafés, and food places to explore around town and get used to. Additionally, you could familiarise yourself with the great travel connections such as the 20-minute train journey to Leeds City Centre. Doing this will immerse you in your new environment and help you to identify where your favourite places are around town.
Overall, my favourite part of Huddersfield is the University campus as once you're in it, you become submerged in the campus and forget that there is a busy town just outside. The campus has so many buildings and it must have taken me at least one term to get used to all of my buildings and find the best spots within them.
Huddersfield itself is also a good town to explore with lots of food spots including a McDonald's, Pizza Hut, dessert places, Subway, Greggs, two Wetherspoons, lots of cafés and more. In the town centre, there is also a shopping centre, a market area and a few nice park areas to visit.
Despite walking through the town most days to commute from the train station into University, I wish I would've familiarised myself with the different parts of Huddersfield earlier. I also wish I'd taken the time to visit some more of the hidden spots such as the parks, which I intend to do more of this year.
I also wish I'd engaged more in finding a society, as I initially felt out of place as a commuter. As someone who doesn’t enjoy stereotypical student activities such as nightlife, being a part of societies has meant I've found other people with the same interests as me.
Finally, whilst not directly a part of Huddersfield, I regret not going into the city of Leeds more often instead of just using the station as a connection point. Leeds has a major connection to Huddersfield and expands the opportunities available for students, so be sure to make the most of it!
If you're searching for some hidden gems around campus, I'd recommend walking down to the canal on a nice day and making a detour through the slightly wooded area of campus on the way. Or head to the top of the Oastler building to look across Huddersfield (especially when it’s raining and you can see the rainy haze across town).
Don’t forget about all the little cafés and food and drink spots dotted all over campus which are the best places to get a caffeine boost or a snack.
Check out the Students’ Union too and find out everything they have to offer.
Finally, when reading the prospectus, be sure to take in all of the practical and educational information as well as some of the lifestyle tips. However, remember that the prospectus can't possibly include everything there is to know about the University of Huddersfield and its surrounding areas. There is still a lot for you to explore and experience around campus, take the time to experience it yourself in person.
Find out more about the university and our courses by chatting to our students via Unibuddy here.
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