Preston fresher's guide 2008
Preston fresher's week guide
Welcome to Preston! Your home for the next 3-4 years! The University of Central Lancashire Fresher's Week starts on Sunday 14th September with 'The Opener' - the traditional once a year gathering of students at 53 Degrees. Expect cheap drinks, loads of up-for-it students, cheesy tunes and lots of misbehaving! Read our full guide here...
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Going out in Preston
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If you're into your student cheap-and-cheerful venues, full of pretty ladies (and lads!), music to make your hair curl and sticky carpets, then head straight over to Lava and Ignite on Fishergate on a Wednesday. Formerly Tokyo Jo's it specialises in cheap drinks, has 3 floors of music (trust me, when you arrive you'll be astonised how big it is!). Alternatively, Squires is located near the market and caters for the same crowd on a Monday night, but in a slightly smaller venue. If you're looking for a 100% student entertainment, 53 Degrees (the Student's Union) offers Promo on a Thursday night which is always rammed - also giving the advantage of live bands playing upstairs.
For less cheese, and something a bit more underground, check out The Venue near the Bus Station. Beats of Rage and For No Reason are regular nights and well worth a visit if you're into house/electro/tech/minimal.
Keeping fit
There are lots of gyms in Preston - ranging from the council leisure centres (which are small but have suprisingly good gym equipment) - available at around £25/month for students, right up to Total Fitness (near the docks) available for £35 a month (or £25 a month if you pay a year in advance). Make sure you show your NUS card as regular prices are around £45/month!
Student Accommodation
In the last couple of years the amount of student halls in Preston has grown hugely. Split between University owned and privately owned (eg Trinity), there's now quite a choice. Most University owned halls are situated around Adelphi street, with the privately owned halls either near Fylde road or Moor Lane. As you move into your 2nd/3rd years you may prefer a shared house - they certainly allow a bit of quiet time if you need it! The University releases a housing list, containing approved accommodation each year around Easter. Most private houses will be located around Plungington (cheap, cheerful, full of students, recommended), Deepdale (avoid if you can, most accommodation is cheap but often rundown and the area is less desireable) and Avenham (a good 2nd choice to Plunginton, if less student oriented)
Shopping
Students might not be all about cans of beans and bottles of lager, but you still need to know where to get a decent shop for as little as possible - after all student loans are meant for much more interesting purposes! The cheap supermarkets in Preston are Morrisons (by the Docks, catch a bus from the bus station) or Asda (in fullwood, again a bus service from the bus station). There are plenty of smaller local shops, but they do tend to be more expensive!
University of Central Lancashire Dates
Some more notable dates:
- Saturday 13 September & Sunday 14 September - Moving in weekend. The Preston campus is swamped by thousands of new students as the student halls and houses open their doors.
- Sunday 14 September - The Opener @ 53 Degrees. At only £3.50 this is the party to be at to meet the people you'll be spending the next three year's of your life with.
- Thursday 18 September - Intro Fair. Like free stuff? Get on the grab as loads of companies cram inside 53 Degrees and ply you with free gifts in the hope that you'll spend some of your student pounds with them during your time as a UCLan student.
- Wednesday 24 September - Clubs & Societies Fair. The place to go if you want to get involved in something. Play sport at school or college? Why not carry it on when you get to university? Got a hobby? Chances are there will be a society with like-minded people for you to join. The Union has loads of different student activities to choose from.
- Thursday 25 September - Jobs Fair. The student loan may have just come in, but it may all be gone by October. Get down to the Jobs Fair and bag yourself a great part-time job, earn a bit of cash and also meet new people and learn a bit about Preston by working in it.
- Thursday 2 October - Student Life Fair. There are loads of great opportunities to do something more while you're at university, find out everything that's on offer to enhance your time at UCLan. Don't forget you're paying to be here, so use as many of the services that the University provides.
Don't forget - Preston has a fairly decent nightlife, so be sure to check out some of the other events after you've settled in.
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